pets in the nursery « Hellobee Boards

A little background - our house has two bedrooms in the front of the house, ours and the old office (soon to be nursery!). Each has one half-window (old house), and my dog loved to lay there with his face on the sill and watch traffic/people. The window in our room is now covered by our headboard. We are making the other room into the nursery.

The nursery has wall-to-wall carpet - and my dog is a sheltie! He has LOTS of hair, and sheds..a lot. We do have a good vac (Dyson canister).

Do you let your pets in the nursery? I'm trying to decide if we should nip it in the bud now, we haven't allowed him in there in a few weeks (we have a gate up). I can't decide if I should assume I'll have time to be diligent about vacuuming often with a new baby, and allow him in there (while we're in there, too) - or if I should make sure he stays out, and lessen how often I'll have to vac.

Any thoughts? I don't want him to feel as though we're entirely disrupting his routine with a baby, I'm not sure what to do!

heffalump
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts

May 7, 2012

We let our pup, who sheds a lot, in the nursery. I like to be in there, all of us, as a big happy family. And I know he'd be upset if he couldn't be with us while we were in there having fun. Plus, soon enough your LO will be crawling all over your house, and you can't kick the dog out of every room!
MamaMoose
GOLD / squash / 13464 posts

May 7, 2012

We likely won't let the dog in the nursery because of the shedding. But it won't be hard for us because that room is currently an office and we always keep the door shut and the dog isn't allowed in there anyway. So it's not like I'm kicking him out of a room that he's used to going in. We are turning our loft into a playroom so that's where I assume we will spend most play time anyway and the nursery will be used for feeding and sleeping so that pup won't be left out very often.
sorrycharlie
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts

May 7, 2012

@artbee: that's a REALLY good point. we're registered for/will buy a large square pack n play to keep her off the floor and contained, but there definitely is constant dog hair. and he does look SO sad when we're in there talking colors or something and he can't join. makes me feel so horrible!

@MamaMoose: that's true, too - I think if he wasn't already used to having "his spot" it wouldn't be as difficult. He'll sit in that window for hours and hours, so I feel terrible keeping it off limits for him when it's already "his" so to speak.
LuLu Mom
GOLD / wonderful olive / 19030 posts

May 7, 2012

Our dog currently isn't allowed in the office/soon to be nursery until one of us is on the computer. I plan on allowing her to be in there when we are in there, I know she won't want to miss out on the action, and could whine/bark to get her way anways. She likes to rock, so i'm guessing she will want to be on the arm rest when putting LO to bed.
heffalump
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts

May 7, 2012

@sorrycharlie: That's nice in theory... but soon your LO will want to crawl around on the floor and will be unhappy sitting in one place. One day my LO would stay right where I put her on the activity mat, and it seems like just a couple of weeks later she's crawling all over the place! I thought about getting one of those little gated areas to keep her contained in one area (we have the pack n play out but that's not enough room for her) but I figure the gated area won't be enough room either. She likes to be free. And I don't blame her.
mrsjyw
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts

May 7, 2012

We've decided to not let the dogs in the nursery. We're only 25+% of the way tho, so I'll let you know if it actually happens!
mediagirl
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts

May 7, 2012

We plan to allow our dogs in the nursery. They are good about closed doors as long as no one is in there. I'm not sure how they'll be about us closing the nursery door if lo is sleeping in there, though.

I caught our older, more challenging dog on the brand new glider last night and had a fit. I shooed her out of the room and shut the door (she's not allowed on the furniture b/c she likes to pee on it). She will be allowed on the floor near us and the other dog will be allowed on our lap or next to us on the chair or glider if we're in it.

Our younger dog likes to sit on the arm of the lazboy and look out the window. We don't plan on stopping that because she's calm when she's up there and we think she'll enjoy being up there when we're in it with the baby.

I say do what feels best for you in your home and then make adjustments as needed once the baby is here. That's what we plan on doing. But definitely don't exclude the dog completely, he or she will feel that and probably act out because of it.
sorrycharlie
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts

May 7, 2012

@artbee: oh I definitely don't plan on counting on the playpen. the LOs I nanny have been used to it since they were new, so they enjoy going in for some time to have their own space and play. and it's relatively safe if you need to get things done around the house I'm going to get her used to it from the get-go!
mediagirl
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts

May 7, 2012

@sorrycharlie: as for the dog hair and crawling around....I figure, does it hurt her? Would I lay down on our carpet? If the answers are no and yes then, I'll just let our lo crawl around on the floor, dog hair and all. (you mentioned you have a good vacuum, it just might get a better workout once your lo is here, I know ours will!)
sorrycharlie
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts

May 7, 2012

@mediagirl: lol, true - I don't lay on the carpet because I'm too lazy to lint roll myself, but she'll be smaller and easier to do that. DH on the other hand, rolls on the carpet with the dog, and he survives. haha!
mediagirl
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts

May 7, 2012

@sorrycharlie: I can just see you lint-rolling your daughter. That thought just made me laugh out loud at work.
yoursilverlining
eggplant / 11824 posts

May 7, 2012

I don’t have any issue with pets in nurseries – they are family members too, and since dogs are pack animals, I think their feelings especially get hurt by being restricted away from other pack members.

Does your dog hang out in there a lot? If so, honestly, I think it’s a little unfair to take away what has been “his” spot all of a sudden, especially without having offered him an alternative (like your bedroom window). Could you offer him an alternative he would really like if you restrict him that that room?

LOL at lint rolling yourself. I do that every morning thanks to my fuzzy cat. I always call it “de-kittening” myself.
sorrycharlie
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts

May 7, 2012

@mediagirl: LOL. they sell those mini ones for travel! Perfect size for babies

@yoursilverlining: he totally did before we put the gate up. he's a very needy little thing (with me..I trip over him 24/7) so I think he'd be very upset if we locked him out and spent any length of time in there. He'd eventually lay outside the gate but I have serious guilt issues when it comes to things! Sigh. I'll just have to be sure he isn't allowed in without us in case he marks something or steals something! I'm honestly not sure how to expect him to react to a baby in the house. He's excellent with our 3 y/o nephew (who has been around since pup joined us 2.5 years ago), so I know he'll be good..but not sure as far as acting out, etc.
owlmom
clementine / 958 posts

May 7, 2012

We let our dogs, who both shed, in the nursery any time LO isn't asleep. We're weirdos, and before baby arrived our nursery was our dogs' room, complete with an old couch and an ottoman for them to sit on and look out the window. We were super worried about them feeling displaced by the baby, especially because our boxer is very jealous of our attention, but it hasn't been a problem at all, so there's definitely hope! Several months before baby arrived, we got rid of their furniture and limited their access to the room so that they would be used to it. Now that LO is crawling, I try to be more diligent about vacuuming, but I'm not overly concerned if a little dog fur gets on baby's onesie. And I have totally lint rolled her
lemondrop
bananas / 9118 posts

May 7, 2012

We don't worry about it. @ owlmom: yeah, I've totally lint rolled the baby too!

Despite my best efforts to kill dust bunnies, our house is covered with hair with 3 cats and a dog. I vacuum a couple times a week and call it good.

I bought the dog gate and tried to keep the cats out of the nursery, but it didn't last 48 hours after the baby came home when I waved the white flag and gave up. The dog and one cat love the baby, so we all hang out together. Right now I'm shedding more hair than the animals are
Mrs. Cat in the Cradle
GOLD / kiwi / 613 posts

May 7, 2012

Our two cats and dog get everywhere and we really feel they are our "kids." Therefore, we don't plan on restricting access to the nursery unless it becomes a problem. Also, we have wood floors and just some area rugs throughout the house, so it is easier to get the fur cleaned up.

None of them have shown distructive behavior in the past, so hopefully their patterns will continue!
His Barista
kiwi / 545 posts

May 7, 2012

I try not to. The dogs leave it alone but sometimes my cat likes to hide under/ lay in the crib.

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