11-21-08 Baby/Dog experiment

Okay, so knowing we have a baby arriving soon and needed to see how our critters would handle a baby in the house, even thou I was VERY confident they would be okay since we have well tempered dogs, socialize our animals pretty well and attend meet the breeds, children’s schools with them where they meet all kinds of ages of children since we don’t have kids ourselves I decided to get an interactive baby doll and expose the dogs to it.

The baby makes sucking sounds when you place it’s fake milk filled bottle to its mouth. Upon squeezing it’s feet or hands it makes laughing, screaming, crying and speaking sounds, PERFECT to expose the dogs too. I even placed it in the bouncer and put it on the floor so it was at their level. Their reactions were so CUTE and typical of something new to see.

Dogs reaction:

A few stood up, cocked heads and ears to the sounds and then settled back down. A few of the other could have cared less.

Rodeo – he will be the one to watch until he gets over the new thing in the house, he began shaking a LOT, poking, licking, whining, head cocking, didn’t want me to move baby out of his site, VERY FASINATED with the whole thing, but then again this dog LOVES talking toys and stuffies.

Bird – no reaction yet, ha ha ha ha . . . gosh forbid when he learns to cry like the baby and we all react, ha ha ha ha

After exposing them to the sounds and me fiddling with the baby and bouncer, I left it all on the floor at the end of the couch and went and sat on the couch to see if the dogs would approach or bother the baby, NOPE, they all went and laid down and totally ignored the fact it was there and left alone. I will continue to do this until our little one is born, he he he he

All in all my critters did well and should be fine, plus I am “ALFA B”, in this house and MY RULES apply only, he he he he

I have attached a photo of the baby doll I got to work with the critters on having a baby around the house.