Babies and dogs

Dear friends,

   During mid summer and vacation season we were busy having a baby :) Say 'Hello' to our new pack member Kaloyan!

   This article would cover some ideas and assumptions regarding why we should have dogs before and after having a baby.

   First point would be that taking care of a dog is a good test for a couple (or a single person) whether they are ready for a child. In some cases this would not be valid as the instincts are awaken with the birth of a baby, however this is another topic :) When you are ready to take care for another being you are for sure grown up enough and ready for the next step. The experience with a dog will train you to be calm and to become a teacher who is learning along the way.

   This dog university will either give you a degree 'leader' or will help you understand you need to work a little bit more to reach your goals.

   In the past when a baby was born it was exposed to everything - most importantly animals. Some studies follow the theory that babies growing up amongst animals have very strong immune system. I support such theory and that is why after the first few days we already introduced the new member to Nero:

   Of course we need to maintain clean environment and clean at least once per day. In general our approach would be to introduce Kaloyan with baby steps to everything in the world without holding anything back.

   Third point for having a dog in your family is the behaviour topic. Showing your baby how you treat your dog will build basic character - your child will follow your actions, whether good or bad in the beginning they will copy you. Such method is strongly used in Japan where the understanding is the baby should be close to the parent and almost always to be carried with the parent. In this way the baby sees from the eyes of the parent and quickly adopts the world along with its specifics.

   On last but not least we have the protection for our family in the face of our dog. 

   In todays world there are many dangers even in public parks for instance. A trained in protection dog can make the difference in unpredicted situations. Not always the fathers are there and the mothers are going with the baby-carriage. If there is a dog besides them it will ensure accepted level of serenity.

   Mentioning the fathers, we are the helpers. Having a dog to carry with us the diapers and other accessories will bring a lot of fun. They could carry even the beer on one side of the saddlebags and baby bottle on the other:) 

Best regards,

Marin