One of our biggest concerns of having a baby were our two dogs, Lenox and Haven. Lenox is a lhasapoo and Haven is a cockapoo. They are both very loving and protective dogs but they were never fond of kids. My wife and I read many books and articles about how to prepare dogs for a new baby but the thought of something bad happening was always a concern. For the first few days we let them smell Baby Carter's blankets, clothes, toys, etc. so that they would be familiar with the scent. We then slowly started to let Lenox and Haven come up to Baby Carter while we were holding him. Surprisingly, Lenox acted as if Carter didn't exist and Haven wanted to lick his face off! My biggest concern was our bedroom. Lenox and Haven sleep in the room with us so putting Baby Carter in the same room could upset them. Fortunately, one month prior to Baby Carter's arrival, my wife and I spent every night teaching them to go to their beds on the floor (rather than in our bed with us). They caught on quickly and by week 2, they preferred to be in their own beds on the floor. Once Baby Carter was introduced to the bedroom scene their actions completely surprised me. Within days, Haven would go over to Baby Carter whenever he made a noise to check to see if he was okay. He would give him a little sniff and a lick on the head then walk right back to his bed to curl up and all back asleep. Lenox too, began to accept Baby Carter as a member of the pack and he started to show signs of protection (as with most lhasapoos). It is now common to find Lenox lying next to Baby Carter's NapNanny and/or Boppy pillow. I have not and will not drop my guard and leave Baby Carter unattended with the dogs, but I can say with a high level of confidence that Lenox and Haven are Baby Carter's new "Protective Posse."
(Haven)
(Lenox)
