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Simon Goodall
Simon has a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Psychology and specialized in Canine Behaviour. He was recently the first New Zealander approved for membership to the IAABC, and he is also a member of APDT Australia. Simon founded Dog Guru in 2002. Dog Guru has helped hundreds of dogs and their owners with training and specialist problems, and is also a dog trainer for the ministry of Education. Simon lives in Auckland, New Zealand with his wife Michelle and two golden retrievers. Sherlock is often used as a demonstration dog in schools and retirement villages. He was also used as a demo dog in the Auckland pet expo in 2004. Training is always using positive reinforcement.

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What To Do With a New Baby [Edit]
6/21/2005

This is the first of a series of columns on getting ready for a new baby into the family of the human kind. At the stage of writing this I have got two golden retrievers, one cat and a pregnant wife. This first column is on what we have done before the baby in order to get the dogs adjusted to the new arrival. You can join with me on this journey and see what is working and what just did not work. My dogs are 2 years and 18 months and are both males, one is neutered and the other one still an entire dog. Both are just pets and are obedient but are just demo dogs in schools and retirement homes.

My wife and I were trying to work out what to do with the dogs to prepare them. I had received numerous ideas from friends, massive of research was done into new arrivals (not much has been done scientifically I can assure you) and some was trial and error. The first thing we considered was that we had dogs that had access to all areas of the house and whether this would continue. We thought it would be nice if this could continue, as they know the “out” commands very well. So we still allowed them inside.

The next item was whether we should neuter the other one. However on having done research in the past I already knew that neutering has little effect on a dog’s temperament towards people so we still have not got him neutered (however his day will come). And I am sure he is happy that this i

s the case. While this may alter aggression towards dogs, towards people it is not significant to worry about.

So having this sorted we then worked on the nursery. We have it all painted and ready to go. When we were working on it we ensured the dogs knew they were not allowed anywhere near it. We did this by telling them “out” every time they came into the room and giving them a treat or good boy command when they got out. Over a month or so they knew they were allowed outside but not inside the room. We are now comfortable in the fact that they know this room is out of bounds despite the fact we are in there. Bear in mind these are dogs that spend all day at work with me and sleep in the corridor curled up next to our door at night so being away is hard for them. However they have got the message.

The next idea is what to do when the baby arrives. At this stage we are planning to take a new blanket to the hospital with us and wrap up the baby. We will then take it home and give it to the dogs to sleep on and sniff and smell, thus getting used to the baby.

Other than getting slightly jealous and always wanting a cuddle I do not think our dogs will have a problem. We have ensured they meet lots of babies and small children so the dogs can get used to it. But keep an eye on this column and I will keep you informed so that when you start a family you can see what really works

Simon Goodall is now a member of IAABC (International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants). This means the information you receive is the most up to date.

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