Should You Share That Cute Dog and Baby Photo?
Given the interest in my previous post, I gathered a number of GOOD photos of dogs and kids and jotted down what it is I look for when I see dogs and babies/kids together in real life or in a photograph or other illustration. Because, really, we live in a different world now. Family photos are not tucked into a box or album somewhere – they are out here for all to see. See enough dogs-and-babies-together photos and it starts to seem like a normal thing to do. Other people’s examples become the new normal, but what if...
read more“Cute” Dog and Baby Photos Feed the Fantasy
I just read this story following up on the tragic death of a one-year-old boy in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago. You don’t have to go back and rehash details, but the part that got to me was the Dad’s comment at the end that he and his family have been so hurt and overwhelmed by online commentary that blame him for his son’s death. I thought Christopher Shahan was very brave to tell his story in hopes that he can prevent tragedies for other families, especially in a clip where he tells other parents not to make the same...
read moreWhen Should We Add a New Dog?
Dear Madeline, Thank you so much for all of the helpful information on your blog- I’ve shared it far and wide with other parents/dog-owners! Our family dog passed away about six months ago, when my son (an only child) was 6 months old. We would like to have another dog at some point, but we also plan to have another child when our first is around 3 years old. We’re trying to think about the best time to bring a new dog into the mix. It was very easy (for us) having a dog with a newborn who left the dog alone, but I worry about the...
read moreOur Lab is a Magnet for the Baby
Hi Madeline, I stumbled upon your website when looking for ways to get my 1 year old to behave with the dog a little better. We did EXACTLY what you said not to do. Our lab is a magnet for the baby. She is what you would consider a “good dog” but a recent snow storm has had us cooped in the house for a week together and her tolerance has dropped and sent me searching for the right thing to do. We have started to keep them apart more, but I wanted to make sure I had some guidance from experienced people. Thank you for your...
read moreJanuary is National Train Your Dog Month
UPDATE: January 10-11, 2012 ONLY, you can get a FREE Kindle download of Colleen Pelar's excellent book, Kids and Dogs - A Professional's Guide to Helping Families. This is a great book with lots of photos and information about dog body language and how dogs might perceive different kinds of interactions with children. What a generous offer to make this free for Train Your Dog Month! Wow, there are lots of great, FREE training resources available in January as part of Train Your Dog Month, established by the Association of Pet Dog...
read moreShould Dog Lick Baby?
“Is it OK for my dog to lick my baby? Does that mean he LIKES the baby…or is he TASTING the baby!?” I get this question a lot in my Dogs and Babies class. Licking seems like a good thing, right? Generally, it’s friendly, familiar, welcoming – something a dog does with someone he or she likes. Don’t we tell kids, “Oh, look! He gave you a kiss!”? (In fact, I have an early childhood memory of feeling so hurt one time when Clancy, a neighborhood beagle, licked a neighbor girl and not...
read moreSharp Hospital Adds New “Dogs and Babies” Sessions
Sharp Mary Birch Hospital is adding more Dogs and Babies – Play It Safe! sessions to the 2012 schedule. Six new classes just announced, all Saturdays from 1:30-4:00: 1/14/12 3/24/12 5/26/12 7/21/12 9/22/12 11/3/12 Sharp does a great job of adding classes to keep the wait down to under two months AND encouraging expectant parents to come as early as possible in their pregnancies. I remember when I first started teaching at the hospital that class participants would be due in literally days or, at most, a couple of weeks –...
read moreChoose Your Words Wisely
We’re getting ready to try for our annual family Christmas picture this weekend thanks to a warm day forecast for Saturday — can’t take a San Diego Christmas picture with anyone looking cold! Looking through past years’ pictures, we came across one from a long time ago that referred to our dog by her old nickname, “Bad Dog Betty.” What we thought was a cute alliteration that paid homage to her spunky nature came close to poisoning our son’s relationship with her back when he was a toddler. I never...
read moreLife With Baby – Just Another Day at the Office?
Life is Changing – Did Your Dog Get the Memo? “Whoa, your dog’s in for a big surprise when that baby arrives…” “Your dog’s going to have to get with the program…” Really? Are you just going to hope your dog figures it out on his own? And if he doesn’t, what then? The way people talk, it makes you think there’s nothing you can do but hope for the best. At the very least, you owe it to your dog to honestly evaluate your expectations and see where you can fill in...
read moreWhy Your 4 Year Old Can’t “Visit” My Sick Dog
This is kind of an “in the moment” post because it illustrates how we tend to “push” kids on dogs when both the kid and the dog are quite happy in their own space. Here’s how it played out: Main Characters: My 14.5 year old dog a week out from surgery to remove a (thankfully benign) tumor Nice, well-mannered four year old boy who I love dearly and is a frequent visitor to our home Boy’s grandmother who I also love dearly And me, of course Scene: Dog is off by herself in a back bathroom trying to sleep...
read moreWelcome!
I'm a San Diego dog trainer and a Mom to two boys, now 7 and 10. I used to manage the Behavior and Training department at the San Diego Humane Society and then started doing more and more work with dogs and babies/young children until it became my primary specialty. This website is to provide information about my dog training and baby preparation classes in San Diego and serve as a resource for expectant parents and families wanting to learn more about preparing dog for baby, bite prevention and fostering friendship between dogs and young children. I work on it a little at a time so please bear with the "in progress" state! 
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