We are expecting our first baby and when they arrive our Lab will be just over 1 yo. He's currently nearly 11 months and for the past few weeks has regressed hugely, although in the main it all seems like age-related boundary pushing (mouthing, jumping up, humping, chewing/stealing things). He's also developing reactivity to other dogs despite being well socialised from an early age. We are working on all of this but life has been hectic with a house renovation at the same time (waited a very long time for baby, assumed one wouldn't be coming along and during that time our first dog passed away as we were about to embark on a big reno project. We got a new puppy a little earlier than planned because of a specific opportunity and renovated the house, and hey presto baby on the way - we didn't intentionally do all these things at the same time to make life hard for ourselves!) I know that this is just a rough age for lab owners and I'd be less concerned if we weren't about to welcome a baby into our home, but I'd love some survival tips on what to do to manage that situation. Or even just reassurance that I'm doing the right stuff! We're doing the usual things like playing crying baby sounds, using a doll to mimic things we'd do with the baby, letting him sniff baby stuff but not take it etc. All with lots of treats and positive reinforcement. He copes but does whine, cry and try to get to the doll to see what's happening when the crying sounds are playing. I think I'm just feeling very anxious about the timing of his most difficult period coinciding with a newborn arriving!
Hi LottieLou, welcome to the forum! Congratulations on your puppy and your pregnancy No judgment on the timing here - we're always told that the best way to get pregnant is to stop worrying about it, but I'm pretty sure that's actually impossible unless you're so resigned to not getting pregnant that you take on a bunch of stuff that you wouldn't have if you though being pregnant for them was a possibility (been there!) You're obviously right that your puppy is going through a tumultuous period in their development. An increase in fearful and reactive behaviors is pretty normal during this time too. In the wild, an adolescent wolf is finally be ready to survive completely independently of the family group they grew up with, and a healthy mistrust of unfamiliar things around this time stops their independence being cut short the first time they encounter a crocodile (a crocodile is a stupid example, they don't live in the same places as wolves, but you get idea! And the same instincts live on in our domestic dogs). It sounds like you're doing an excellent job of adjusting him to things that worry him gradually. I'm not qualified to give detailed behavioral advice online, and the best thing you can do if you can afford it is arrange an in person consultation with an experienced force free behaviorist to talk about your concerns. You can find one via the CCPDT. I do think that your boy will be able to tell the difference between a doll and an actual baby though, so I would consider focusing my attention on the reactivity towards other dogs at moment. You can read a bit more about those behaviors and how to overcome them here. Good luck, and I'm sure that in the years to come your baby will love growing up alongside their canine big brother!
