Shar pei 8 years old and new baby - strange behaviour

[coolaking]

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We have an 8 year old Shar Pei male who lives with us and our 6 year old Pug.

We have just had our first baby who is 10 weeks old.

For the last 5 years my mother and father in-law have looked after the dogs at weekends and taken them on several holidays. The dogs stay at their house regularly and are happy there and they all love each other, they go on long walks etc. All was great until recently after the arrival of our new baby.

When we had the baby my in-laws looked after the dogs for a couple of weeks while the baby settled in. The dogs then came home and all was fine- the Shar Pei (Reggie) has been sleeping downstairs (he had freedom of house before - but seems ok with it) and so far reacted well to the baby, just ignoring him and having the odd sniff. The Pug is fine also.

The odd thing is that following Reggie (Shar Pei) coming back home he went back to my in-laws and again all was fine until we paid a visit. All seemed well initially except he was paying my wife and baby more attention than usual. . We left for the evening and left the dogs with my in-laws.

All seemed well until my father in-law took them for a long walk - when they returned to the house he refused to go back in their house and slipped his harness - he wouldn't go in their house at all and sat down and refused to be dragged in. They had to bring him back home to us.

We kept the dogs another week and my in-laws came to see them and got a great welcome from the dogs. they took them for another walk and went back to their house but he refused to go in again and demanded to come home (in his way). He came home again as they simply couldn't get him in - I even went over and tried and eventually got him in and he was fine once in the house - but when they took him out gain he refused to go back in the house after his walk.

Any ideas if he will return to how he was before, it was great my in-laws could look after the dogs a few days a week while the baby is small as it allows us to let him be on the floor without the dogs around him.

Is it his pack instinct and because of the new baby at home? Do you think this behaviour will change over time? All advice welcome as the in-laws and dogs had such a lovely time before its a shame this is happening

 

[Tigernidster]

I wonder if the poor lad is completely confused as to where he lives? Perhaps he simply wants to settle at home with you and stay there? To be honest I can't quite work out why he wasn't there when you came home with the baby? It is his home after all and he has lived there for many years. He may be afraid when he is at your in laws' that he will never go home again.

I would keep him at home with you for several weeks until his anxiety has subsided. He needs his normal routine and continuity.

 

[eingana]

It may well be his natural guarding instinct kicking in over the baby. Have you ever met a shar pei who doesn't naturally guard their humans? No, I haven't either.

Your baby is a part of his pack and of course it is his place to look after both the baby and you, as every pack member will want to play their part in caring for the baby. Is there a reason why you haven't been allowing him to do that?

Allowing him near, then sending him away, then allowing him near again must be very confusing for the poor boy, and doing it while he is likely to be trying so hard to look after you is going to be even worse.

 

[banana]

I haven't any advice other than to say when i had my eldest Warren who is now 15, I had 2 golden retrievers and they were the first 'people' who met Warren when i got out of hospital, I have a picture of me with Warren in his car seat and the two dogs giving him and me a good sniff...

I never had a problem with them with him, even when he started playing on the floor, he loved them and they loved him.

Warren was distraught when he was 10 and Blu died, they had grown up together and Warren could never remember a time when she wasn't there.... He still wells up now when we talk about her

I think as the others have said, your dog is possibly confused and maybe feeling a little pushed out?

We now need pictures of the doggies and the baby!!

 

[lurcherman]

all i can say is be very careful as i think you will be, you can never trust any dog 100percent, im in control of a mastiff at the moment and even thow hes a gentle giant i dont take anythink for granted, best of luck with them both.

 

[coolaking]

We are very careful - this is the closest Dylan the pug has got - he has been very sweet so far. We have followed the introductions to the baby to the letter from the books we have read, letting the dogs have a blanket to get used to his smellt and a gradual introduction to make sure of safety first, I even bought a CD of baby noises I played to them regularly to get used to the baby.

Reggie hasn't got quite so close as it would be easier for him to hurt the baby accidently. We didn't have the dogs at home when we first returned with baby as their were complications and we needed time to sort things out, but we visited them , went for walks and they came home after a week or so.

Its a bit unusual as my in-laws have the dogs so often and they are always so happy there, they get huge long walks and home cooked dinners. They all go on holiday to country cottages several times a year - things we couldn't do because of our work commitments - they all love each other so much.

They still go walks together but Reggie refuses to enter their house since the arrival of the baby and our visit when we left the dogs with my in-laws.

Here are some pics of Dylan the pug with the baby and us on a family walk

 

[banana]

Adorable!!!

 

[lurcherman]

you look very happy in life :thumbsup:

 

[Caninecentre]

Hello

Just a quick question be before I offer any advice. When you are all staying at your home does Reggie exhibit the same behaviour upon returning from your walk?

David