Catch-22
Know what I’ve discovered? Kate freaks out crying really upset when I raise my voice at the dogs. Even if I’m very very quietly whispering, “Zeeke! Cut it out!!” The tone upsets her, I guess.
Unfortunately this puts me in a predicament when the dog is being an asshole. Especially when Kate is sleeping. Beads of sweat creep onto my forehead – the dog’s barking will wake her any second now. But me telling him to shut up will probably wake her, too.
Damnit.
We’ve had to learn how to adjust the way we talk to the dogs as well. I have no advice. Sorry!
My friend yells at her dog when he misbehaves, and her baby who is now 1 yells a lot (shrieks) and hits everything and other babies a lot. Babies are really sensitive !!!
Aww..its because she´s not used to hearing that tone,thats all :) I shout all the time and my kids never bat an eyelid! They have no reaction to it what so ever lol.
Could you put the dogs outside whilst she naps? I had 3 yorkies when all 3 of my kids were little,and those dogs are barkers..
I had to shut them out on our balcony when the kids slept because as used to noise as they were,the dogs were the only thing that woke them right up and they´d bark at passing cars,so it was driving me crazy.
I started putting them outside,with a bed,their food,a toy etc,and it was only for an hour or two.That completely solved the problem.
We had the same problem with our dogs. They would always wake up DS, or us telling the dogs off would wake him up. The tone of our voice would upset him. Unfortunately I didn’t find a solution, but he did become less sensitive to it over time, and by the time he was 12 months old he would growl at the dogs when they barked. They don’t even wake him anymore when he’s sleeping. I guess they get so used to certain noises in their own space that it eventually doesn’t disturb them.
Bark collars became my friend when we got P and the dogs had/have barking issues. We use the citronella kind. Our vet recommended them. I had mixed feelings about them, but we only use them during naptime if they won’t stop barking. P won’t wake up on first bark, just if it continues.
Spray bottle. Fill it full of water and put it on stream. Spray them in the face when they bark. If water doesn’t work half water, half vinegar. (It won’t smell once it dries. Promise.) I just have to show my dogs the water bottle and they stop barking. =)
Jack went through this phase… then suddenly after a week or two, it stopped, went away, and never came back. huh.