Question:
My daughter has a 95-pound, 1-year-old Weimaraner. She treats the dog like a human, and the dog always sleeps with her and her husband. My daughter is expecting twins in the next few months and is planning to continue the same arrangement. I am terrified of this and would greatly appreciate your thoughts on this to show her it is not safe. She also has cats who mostly stay outside.
J.Y., Virginia Beach, Va Nov 29, 2011
Answer:
You are not the only grandparent-to-be to write to me expressing concerns about the family dog or cat being a possible hazard for a new baby.
First, you should share your fears with the parents-to-be and find out how they plan to introduce the dog to the twins. Has this young and presumably boisterous dog had basic obedience training to learn self-control (sit and stay)?
Purchasing a life-sized baby doll (ideally one that cries), swaddling it and pretending to nurse it will help habituate the dog and make the first introduction much easier, as well as help allay any jealousy or attention-seeking behavior. While handling the surrogate baby, your daughter and her husband should pet and reassure the dog. Giving him his own bed beside their bed (in which they will surely want to cuddle and play with the twins) would be wise.
All the animals should be tested for internal and external parasites, some of which could infest the babies. Also have the cats checked for ringworm, which is more common in indoor-outdoor cats than those who are happily conditioned to always staying indoors. Indoor-outdoor cats also could bring home fleas and ticks, which can harbor serious diseases transmissible to humans, such as the plague and Lyme disease.
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