PLEASE HELP! Yorkie hates my Newborn **long but PLEASE READ**

[BustersMommy]

I am praying someone on this board can help me. I am so completly distraught about this situation that I am literally having anxiety attacks...I know that may sound pathetic but for this community, I am hoping you understand.
I have had my yorkie for 4 years and HE has been the baby and of course treated like a king. He has always been pver protective of me and when he has been around babies, if your standing holding the child, he would jump up and try and grab the babies socks, or just bark at whomever hadthe baby. Well ....I had my first baby on 5/14...and bought him home on Monday. My parents bought Buster(my yorkie) home and at first..he didnt even pay the baby any attention...then the baby started to cry and the dog went crazy!! Thank goodness my husband was herre bc I dont kno what the dog actually would have done but he lunged for him(with me holding him) and sort of growled/barked. From then on, the night went the same way. If I was holding the baby and he wasnt crying...it seemed like the dog was fine...he would just lay at my feet.
After a sleepless night, and my husband and I not really trusting the dog around the baby, we decided to let him go back to my parents house (the dog was raised just as much with them, he goes to them m-f while my husband and I work). My Vet told us to visit the dog and take the babies worn clothing with us and leave it there, and to get my new son on a schedule and try again in a few weeks. Well, we went to visit yesterday and Buster did it again...growling, jumping, barking... he actually jumped and snatched a sock right off my sons foot.
I dont know what to do..I am so upset about this that I have not stopped crying for the past week.
Does anyone have any advice? My parents and husband keep telling me that its only temporary and that maybe we should have Buster come visit couple hours/times a week to get him use to the baby but I just dont know how to get him to stop the nipping/jumping?? I feel like I will never get my fur-baby back home and I am literally sick about it. I know the saftey of my Newborn comes first ...but it doesnt make not having my dog home with me=(
PLEASE HELP

[miabellaamoure]

Originally Posted by BustersMommy

I am praying someone on this board can help me. I am so completly distraught about this situation that I am literally having anxiety attacks...I know that may sound pathetic but for this community, I am hoping you understand.
I have had my yorkie for 4 years and HE has been the baby and of course treated like a king. He has always been pver protective of me and when he has been around babies, if your standing holding the child, he would jump up and try and grab the babies socks, or just bark at whomever hadthe baby. Well ....I had my first baby on 5/14...and bought him home on Monday. My parents bought Buster(my yorkie) home and at first..he didnt even pay the baby any attention...then the baby started to cry and the dog went crazy!! Thank goodness my husband was herre bc I dont kno what the dog actually would have done but he lunged for him(with me holding him) and sort of growled/barked. From then on, the night went the same way. If I was holding the baby and he wasnt crying...it seemed like the dog was fine...he would just lay at my feet.
After a sleepless night, and my husband and I not really trusting the dog around the baby, we decided to let him go back to my parents house (the dog was raised just as much with them, he goes to them m-f while my husband and I work). My Vet told us to visit the dog and take the babies worn clothing with us and leave it there, and to get my new son on a schedule and try again in a few weeks. Well, we went to visit yesterday and Buster did it again...growling, jumping, barking... he actually jumped and snatched a sock right off my sons foot.
I dont know what to do..I am so upset about this that I have not stopped crying for the past week.
Does anyone have any advice? My parents and husband keep telling me that its only temporary and that maybe we should have Buster come visit couple hours/times a week to get him use to the baby but I just dont know how to get him to stop the nipping/jumping?? I feel like I will never get my fur-baby back home and I am literally sick about it. I know the saftey of my Newborn comes first ...but it doesnt make not having my dog home with me=(
PLEASE HELP

I know my daughter & sil put their babies clothing in the dog bed the minute she was born. Daddy brought home a t-shirt the baby had worn for just one day and this seemed to work for them.

In your case you might want to employ an animal behaviorist to help you make the transition because what you're doing now is only a temporary situation with no means for a reunion.

Hopefully, others here or in your area might be able to refer you to one or you might check with your Vet, too.

Don't give up...and good luck!

[RachelandSadie]

i have no helpful advice here, but i have two dogs now and worry about those same things. i'll be thinking of you and keeping up to date on the answers you get for when it's our turn to try this out. i hope they get used to each other and the pup can stop being like that. i know that has to be so hard for you to bear because you want the child to be protected but miss the love your dog used to give

[Lizzie07]

I honestly think you may need a behaviorist too, and I also think this is a problem that can be fixed. A dog can learn nearly anything, including how to go to his bed when the baby cries, or just ignore the baby. I just think the problem will not go away by itself or without a real effort on your part to work with your yorkie to modify the behavior.

I would at least recommend starting any training at your parent's house. You might try having your parents put your dog on a leash, when you are there, and when the baby cries, have your dog sit and give him some yummy treats and praise, not ordinary treats, really good ones. Only give the treats if your dog is sitting and being quiet. If you have to, withhold his dinner (dog's) so he is fairly hungry, too, if he isn't real food motivated. It might help to have a recording of the baby crying that you can hold at the same time you hold the baby and have several training sessions, since you can't have the baby cry on command. You need to set up the opportunity to train, and then practice it as much as possible. Try not to have the baby crying around the dog unless you are in control of the situation and able to reward the dog for sitting quietly. Your goal is to have your dog really behaving himself at your parents. Once you do, you could try bringing him home for training sessions. But don't rush it, and only do it if you and your husband can work with your dog. You've got to be in control, and avoid any situations where your dog can get out of control. Once he shows reliability on leash, try off. If he is at home and you don't think you can control the situation, put your dog in the crate. Give him a Kong or something while he's in there. Don't punish or correct your dog when the baby cries, just try to get him to sit, treat, and praise, otherwise you might make him feel the baby really does make bad things happen. Your goal is for your dog to learn the crying isn't bad and a new way to react to it.

You might also have your parents play a recording of the baby when they can to try to help desensitize your dog to a baby's cry. But if he goes berserk when they play the recording, don't do it. You don't want him to learn to behave like that.

The advantage to having a behaviorist working with you is he/she could gauge your dog's reaction and adjust the training accordingly. All I can do for you is offer this suggestion to try. Other posters might have better suggestions, and remember, there isn't necessarily one way to fix this problem. If one method isn't working, you may need to try something else. I really, really believe your problem can be fixed, though.
Good luck, please let us know how its going and what you do to fix the problem.

[yorkieusa]

have had my yorkie for 4 years and HE has been the baby and of course treated like a king. He has always been pver protective of me and when he has been around babies, if your standing holding the child, he would jump up and try and grab the babies socks, or just bark at whomever hadthe baby.

This is when the training should have taken place. I think now you are going to have to contact a trainer. That's my best guess. I'm really sorry you're having this problem. I can't tell you how many times on YT we've seen similar situations happen after a young woman starts a family. I wish I had a better answer for you. I know how heartbreaking this must be for you.

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by BustersMommy

He has always been pver protective of me and when he has been around babies, if your standing holding the child, he would jump up and try and grab the babies socks, or just bark at whomever hadthe baby.

Originally Posted by yorkieusa

This is when the training should have taken place. I think now you are going to have to contact a trainer. That's my best guess. I'm really sorry you're having this problem. I can't tell you how many times on YT we've seen similar situations happen after a young woman starts a family. I wish I had a better answer for you. I know how heartbreaking this must be for you.

I couldn't agree more. You should have worked on this issue with a trainer before you had a baby.

You need to consult an animal behaviorist asap. I pray it can be worked out. I know how much you must be hurting.

[treasuremapper]

Congratulations on having a new baby boy!

I think you are a wonderful mother already and doing everything that is right for your little son, and for your yorkie. When I got pregnant, my husband and I had seven dogs, all various rescue dogs (one Australian terrier, one miniature poodle, and five mixed breeds, no yorkies).

We had to take drastic steps and it was a hard adjustment. In our situation, I only trusted our miniature poodle and one of our mixed breeds with our newborn, and that was with me in the room. The other dogs had to earn my trust over time. We kept all seven dogs, but eventually most the pack died off due to natural causes.

Our first little newborn is 8 years old now, and only one of those dogs is still alive.

I know it is painful and sad to see your yorkie less often. The temporary separation will give you the chance to bond with your baby without worrying. I think it is so exciting that you have a new baby and I would love to see pictures of him.

[treasuremapper]

I tried to edit, but I have to do all edits in five minutes! I forgot to write the first time about the way that our bodies go through dramatic hormonal shifts right after we give birth. Give yourself a break so that you can enjoy your babymoon. Ask your parents to pamper your yorkie for you so that you can concentrate on your newborn. Then, in a while, after you have recovered fully and gotten into your newborn groove, you can think about things like yorkie training as you get more used to your new life.

One last thought -- many moms go through this with older siblings, so this is a lot like sibling rivalry. I know I felt heartbroken at losing the connection with our older daughter, that one on one special time. But we formed a new unit and the love just grew. I believe that it is likely you can do that with your yorkie. Be patient with yourself and trust that it will turn our alright.

Most of all, enjoy your babymoon. We would love to see pix of your baby and your yorkie.