1 Labrador and a baby
Eric Brock
I have a 3 year old Labrador. We just recently had another son, this one of
the human variety. People (especially grandmothers) tell me that I should
put the dog out now that we have a baby who could be irritated by the dog
hair in the house. I have accepted the fact that Labs shed a lot twice a
year, but I refuse to put him outside (unless someone convinces me that he
is a real danger to the baby) because I love him too much. I vacuum every
day and restrict the dog from entering the baby's room. Another advantage
to having him inside is we don't need a baby monitor - he is VERY good at
letting me know when the kid is whining. He will come wake my wife or I up
when he hears something coming out of the cradle - it's just too cool. Labs
are the greatest.
I have 2 questions:
1. Is there any danger to the baby from the dog being inside? I'm not
talking about the dog physically harming the baby (I know not to let a dog
and a baby play unattended), I'm talking about the baby being exposed to
dog hair, dander, germs, etc.
2. Does anything actually work to reduce shedding and/or dander? I have
tried brewer's yeast and Linatone and have noticed no change.
--
Eric Brock
roe...@synfu.arg
E-mail address ROT13 scambled to aviod SPAM
Forget me, meet my dog---
http://www.flash.net/~ebrock/
Diane Blackman
The risk of your baby having problems caused by living around your dog is
less that the risk caused by exposing the baby to other humans. There
are diseases, parasites etc that can be transmitted, but not many, the
risk is quite low when compared with other household risks. If someone
has a comment to make just cheerfully ask them where they got the
information as you would like to be better informed and want to know all
the details so you can make a decision that is right for your family.
--
Diane Blackman
Agility - if you aren't having fun, you are doing it wrong.
http://www.dog-play.com/agilityl.html
Eric Brock (roe...@synfu.arg) wrote:
: I have a 3 year old Labrador. We just recently had another son, this one of
: the human variety. People (especially grandmothers) tell me that I should
: put the dog out now that we have a baby who could be irritated by the dog
: hair in the house. I have accepted the fact that Labs shed a lot twice a
: year, but I refuse to put him outside (unless someone convinces me that he
: is a real danger to the baby) because I love him too much. I vacuum every
: day and restrict the dog from entering the baby's room. Another advantage
: to having him inside is we don't need a baby monitor - he is VERY good at
: letting me know when the kid is whining. He will come wake my wife or I up
: when he hears something coming out of the cradle - it's just too cool. Labs
: are the greatest.
: I have 2 questions:
: 1. Is there any danger to the baby from the dog being inside? I'm not
: talking about the dog physically harming the baby (I know not to let a dog
: and a baby play unattended), I'm talking about the baby being exposed to
: dog hair, dander, germs, etc.
: 2. Does anything actually work to reduce shedding and/or dander? I have
: tried brewer's yeast and Linatone and have noticed no change.
I dunno :-)
DobeFan
Eric wrote:
<1. Is there any danger to the baby from the dog being inside? I'm not
talking about the dog physically harming the baby (I know not to let a dog
and a baby play unattended), I'm talking about the baby being exposed to
dog hair, dander, germs, etc.>
Congrats on the human 'puppy!' Take lots of pics, they grow up as fast as
the canine variety. <VBG> And get a copy of " Childproofing Your Dog" by
Brian Kilcommons. Excellent guide to your situation. I've seen it in
Barnes & Noble, or any book shop should be able to order one.
The only danger is to the nervous system of the grandmothers! They tend
to be a bit over-protective, plus they are convinced their grandkids will
never survive without their expert advice. Thank them for their concern,
tell them how glad you are that they pointed out the need to do extra
housekeeping (they love that one!), and ask them to let you know about any
other deficiencies they spot. They'll beam with pride and brag how
intelligent you are to take their advice! Then don't worry about it.
Do you know how many babies have been raised around dogs? I helped train
a hearing dog for a deaf couple. The dog slept under the crib so she
could quickly awake the parents if the baby cried in the night. The kid
teethed on rawhides. Grew up strong and healthy, with great teeth! <VBG>
Before you know it, the baby will be crawling around, sharing toys with
the dog. Be sure you train the kid as well as the dog - teach them both
to respect the other's desire for privacy at certain times.
<2. Does anything actually work to reduce shedding and/or dander? I have
tried brewer's yeast and Linatone and have noticed no change.
Eric Brock>
Brush, brush, brush daily, then brush some more. You can use any brand of
corn oil to supplement fatty acids for dry skin - much cheaper than
Linatone, and it has the same fatty acids. Humilac skin conditioner spray
is also good for dry skin. Ask you vet if he can get it for you. (Did
wonders for dry skin on my hands when I rubbed in into my dog's coat!)
Mary Alice
Elaine Gallegos
No worries. You're doing fine.
Eric Brock <roe...@synfu.arg> wrote:
: I have a 3 year old Labrador. We just recently had another son, this one of
: the human variety. People (especially grandmothers) tell me that I should
: put the dog out now that we have a baby who could be irritated by the dog
: hair in the house. I have accepted the fact that Labs shed a lot twice a
: year, but I refuse to put him outside (unless someone convinces me that he
: is a real danger to the baby) because I love him too much. I vacuum every
: day and restrict the dog from entering the baby's room. Another advantage
: to having him inside is we don't need a baby monitor - he is VERY good at
: letting me know when the kid is whining. He will come wake my wife or I up
: when he hears something coming out of the cradle - it's just too cool. Labs
: are the greatest.
: I have 2 questions:
: 1. Is there any danger to the baby from the dog being inside? I'm not
: talking about the dog physically harming the baby (I know not to let a dog
: and a baby play unattended), I'm talking about the baby being exposed to
: dog hair, dander, germs, etc.
: 2. Does anything actually work to reduce shedding and/or dander? I have
: tried brewer's yeast and Linatone and have noticed no change.
: --
: Eric Brock
: roe...@synfu.arg
: E-mail address ROT13 scambled to aviod SPAM
: Forget me, meet my dog---
: http://www.flash.net/~ebrock/
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elaine Gallegos
sat...@primenet.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
dogsnus
Eric Brock wrote:
>
> I have a 3 year old Labrador. We just recently had another son, this one of
> the human variety. People (especially grandmothers) tell me that I should
> put the dog out now that we have a baby who could be irritated by the dog
> hair in the house. I have accepted the fact that Labs shed a lot twice a
> year, but I refuse to put him outside (unless someone convinces me that he
> is a real danger to the baby) because I love him too much. I vacuum every
> day and restrict the dog from entering the baby's room. Another advantage
> to having him inside is we don't need a baby monitor - he is VERY good at
> letting me know when the kid is whining. He will come wake my wife or I up
> when he hears something coming out of the cradle - it's just too cool. Labs
> are the greatest.
>
> I have 2 questions:
>
> 1. Is there any danger to the baby from the dog being inside? I'm not
> talking about the dog physically harming the baby (I know not to let a dog
> and a baby play unattended), I'm talking about the baby being exposed to
> dog hair, dander, germs, etc.
I didnt snip your post because I find it terribly pleasing to see a
wonderful parent AND a wonderful dog owner. Id ignore those relatives.
It's possible to raise a child and dog together, and you are one GREAT
dog owner for knowing what you're doing! I have raised a child around
GSD's, and the shedding is lots more than a Lab! Unless your child
shows signs of allergies to dogs, then don't worry, I think you're
doing a GREAT job!
>
> 2. Does anything actually work to reduce shedding and/or dander? I have
> tried brewer's yeast and Linatone and have noticed no change.
To my knowledge, despite what people claim, Ive never seen anything
work with all dogs to reduce shedding. Ive tried them all, too.
It depends upon your climate, the dog, the breed, etc.....
It's just something you have to live with.
Hey, it could be worst, my GSD's have just gone through thier
2nd shed this yr, and I STILL have *hair bunnies* on the kitchen
floor requiring a daily sweep!
:)
I think you're a great parent and dog owner! You're going to
have a wonderful child due to the common sense attitude you
exhibit!
Cheers,
Terri
dai...@ix.netcom.com
In article <01bc9143$61c889a0$7f0c1ed1@brocke>, "Eric says...
>
>I have a 3 year old Labrador. We just recently had another son, this one of
>the human variety. People (especially grandmothers) tell me that I should
>put the dog out now that we have a baby who could be irritated by the dog
>hair in the house. I have accepted the fact that Labs shed a lot twice a
>year, but I refuse to put him outside (unless someone convinces me that he
>is a real danger to the baby) because I love him too much. I vacuum every
>day and restrict the dog from entering the baby's room. Another advantage
>to having him inside is we don't need a baby monitor - he is VERY good at
>letting me know when the kid is whining. He will come wake my wife or I up
>when he hears something coming out of the cradle - it's just too cool. Labs
>are the greatest.
>
I am very glad you don't want to put your lab out. He would be miserable
after being used to being part of your family, and he very well could
become a physical danger to the baby if he's excluded from the goings-on.
>I have 2 questions:
>
>1. Is there any danger to the baby from the dog being inside? I'm not
>talking about the dog physically harming the baby (I know not to let a dog
>and a baby play unattended), I'm talking about the baby being exposed to
>dog hair, dander, germs, etc.
No. :-) Not unless your baby winds up being allergic to dogs. Are
there any allergies in your family? Allergies are very very much
a hereditary problem. Allergies don't show up in infants for a while,
as I remember. If your baby winds up being allergic to dogs, you can
still keep him inside. Just get rid of all your carpets and use
hard wood floors instead (or tile, or vinyl, whatever.) And keep the
dog out of the baby's room where he sleeps. And of course your child
can get allergy shots. :-) I prefered shots twice per week to giving
up my dog when I was a kid, that's for sure. And I'm still allergic
to dogs, although not nearly as badly as I was when I was younger, and
I'm allergic to cats and every other animal. But I have dogs, cats,
rabbits, hamsters and lizards. Although the lizards don't bother
me that much. :-)
I figure all my exposure to these allergens is what's helped me become
less allergic. You know that's what allergy shots are right? They are
just injections of the things that you are allergic to. Getting constant
exposure to them helps your body finally understand that they are really
harmless and there's no need to launch an immune response.
As for germs -- don't let your child eat any dog poop or pee. Heh. Keep
your dog current on his vaccinations. Ask your vet about this -- there
are some dog diseases that people can get as well, so be sure to talk
to your vet.
>
>2. Does anything actually work to reduce shedding and/or dander? I have
>tried brewer's yeast and Linatone and have noticed no change.
Linatone works well for my dogs in keeping their flaky skin to a minimum
and in keeping their coat shiny, but they still shed just as much
hair. You can help the shedding situation by taking your dog outside,
maybe even down the block, once per day and grooming him with one of
the tools designed to remove dead hair. You can also get a really good
vacuum cleaner. I have one of those very expensive Kirbys with the
allergy filter. I vacuum everything; floors, beds, pillows, drapes,
walls, dogs... hehehe. And I take it outside to change the bag. The
last thing I need is to redistribute all of that crap back thru my
house as I fumble trying to get the bag out.
good luck and congratulations on your new baby!
Daisy
Virginia M. Elliott
My dogs like being vacumned with a shop vac. I put my fingers over the end
of the hose to keep from sucking a wad of skin or ear and vacumn them all
over. I guess they like the massage it gives. It does save a lot of work.
Your people pup seems to have landed in a nest on the ground. Lucky little
dickens.
Virginia Elliott
Eric Brock <roe...@synfu.arg> wrote in article
<01bc9143$61c889a0$7f0c1ed1@brocke>...
> I have a 3 year old Labrador. We just recently had another son, this one
of
> the human variety. People (especially grandmothers) tell me that I should
> put the dog out now that we have a baby who could be irritated by the dog
> hair in the house. I have accepted the fact that Labs shed a lot twice a
> year, but I refuse to put him outside (unless someone convinces me that
he
> is a real danger to the baby) because I love him too much. I vacuum every
> day and restrict the dog from entering the baby's room. Another advantage
> to having him inside is we don't need a baby monitor - he is VERY good at
> letting me know when the kid is whining. He will come wake my wife or I
up
> when he hears something coming out of the cradle - it's just too cool.
Labs
> are the greatest.
>
> I have 2 questions:
>
> 1. Is there any danger to the baby from the dog being inside? I'm not
> talking about the dog physically harming the baby (I know not to let a
dog
> and a baby play unattended), I'm talking about the baby being exposed to
> dog hair, dander, germs, etc.
>
> 2. Does anything actually work to reduce shedding and/or dander? I have
> tried brewer's yeast and Linatone and have noticed no change.
>
Eric Brock
DobeFan <dob...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19970715201...@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
> Congrats on the human 'puppy!' Take lots of pics, they grow up as fast
as
> the canine variety. <VBG> And get a copy of " Childproofing Your Dog" by
> Brian Kilcommons. Excellent guide to your situation. I've seen it in
> Barnes & Noble, or any book shop should be able to order one.
Thanks. I took your advice. You can see his brother at:
http://www.flash.net/~ebrock/friends/ethan.htm