Pregnancy/ Postpartum & Dogs

Helloooo! I have 14 GSDs and trust me I felt this exact same way!! Sometimes I still don’t like the heavy cuddles, but with time it does get better! I saw a change around 6-7 months postpartum. I also taught my dogs I don’t like to be licked so now they give me closed mouth kisses, took a lot of work but I love it!

Before kids I'd hear people say stuff like this & I thought they were crazy. I was so judgemental! Now, I see a whole different world. The panting/licking/constant need to be under my feet, it all gets me so overstimulated & mad! It's because now we have other small creatures who make completely different noises. It's just so many noises & needs between all the fur children & real children. We were seriously thinking about rehoming our 1.5yo aussie because he was still so much puppy energy. I just couldn't keep up. No one wants him since he's scared of other people. We ended up keeping him and hes on prozac now 😂. We also have cats with some interesting personalities (one needs to be shaved, other always puking everywhere, one wants constant attention & steals baby toys lol, etc). Idk if it gets better. I'm still 31w with my 2nd (my 1st is only 19m old and it didn't get better). But just commenting for solidarity. I'm hopeful that when both kids are more self sufficient it'll be better.

you have 14 of them? I could never! 🤣 one is more than enough for me.
My girl isn’t a cuddler, but she loves to lay on your feet and when I was pregnant I just couldn’t stand it (something I used to love before pregnancy).

She’s more my husband’s dog than mine, and that’s okay with me. But there are still certain things that she only comes to me for. I feel so bad because I just get overstimulated and I just don’t want her around me.

I’d heard stuff like that too. And I didn’t get it. I was so patient with her before, but like you said I get overstimulated and then followed by irritation. 😅

I’m feeling the same way! I hoped it would change by now (2.5 months PP) but I’m still constantly finding myself annoyed at my dog with no patience for her. I feel horrible that I feel this way, but I think it’s just going to take time and patience to overcome.

lol i go through the same thing with my pitty and 19 month old son. Omg it’s like if it’s not one running around making a mess it’s the other one stalking me and god forbid i try to eat the smallest snack alone they both stare like they’ve never eaten in their lives lol. I would say i try to just breathe and know that she needs to feel loved too. It is an adjustment for her to have a human brother now. She loves him and is super patient with him cause he is a pain in the booty. I work from home so I’m with them all day everyday …. Someone save me lol we have a cat too but he’s a leave me alone type so it works lol. Just breathe and try your best to have patience. That all i do.

No advice just solidarity. My groodle is a lot more protective now the baby is here, as in if anyone approached the house he’ll bark which he never used to do. He KILLS me when he barks and wake the baby up.

I completely feel this and wanted to offer a few things that helped me with my 3 dogs 3 cats and 21 month old. We taught the dogs that babies nap time is their nap time as well. I am now able to get nap time to myself without dogs underfoot and the same with babies bedtime. It helped alot!

Doesn’t get better😂 at least for me lol. My youngest is almost 3 and I don’t think I’m a dog person anymore lol. I used to loveeee dogs (still do but like from a pets and send you home type of way)😂

Hi Erin! I would say it gets better slightly and also changed forever in a way. I am a big dog person, in a different way now. We had two older chronically ill dogs when mine was born. The cleaning up after dogs and a baby, barking, being a Godzilla to toys /etc was really hard. They both eventually died one by one a year from each other, one when baby was almost 2 and the other when toddler was almost 3. Toddler still talks about the dogs says their names and “they died, they are always in our hearts”. What helped was the close bond that toddler had with the dogs. So much that despite my overwhelm we immediately adopted a rescue dog 7 month old right after 2nd dog died. He’s a handlful and my brain is about to explode some days (he’s now 1). Toddler kisses and hugs him, plays tea party with him. I’m still annoyed a lot. I bitch to my husband separately 😆 so yes and no to your question in my experience. It gets better and also changed forever- it’s the overstimulation imo.

My dogs know to stay at bay. My kids are older, but the constant following of the dogs. No. So my dogs are good they know when to come to me. They are loving and good dogs.

Before my pregnancy, I enjoyed the close contact and attention seeking of my SO’s German Shepherd, but after the birth I could hardly stand it. My little is 5 1/2 and I’m just now starting to appreciate dogs again—starting is the key word—but the dog must be mellow and well mannered for me to tolerate it. Having an eternal energetic toddler 🐶 along with a human child at once is not my thing anymore, it’s exhausting. Even the vocal clingy cat still gets on my nerves sometimes. My little and I recently brought home a new betta fish and I greatly appreciate him lol.