great danes and newborns

Question
my wife and I just had a baby girl. shes 3 days old, we also have an 8 1/2 month old brendal. hes very friendly but I'm nervious about him nipping or biting her. do we have anything to worry about?

Answer
I understand your concern about your dog and the new baby, I just had my son about a month ago and with THREE HUGE boys I was also concerned when I first got home.

You need to teach your Brindle boy boundaries that he is not allowed to cross. For instance, my dogs are allowed to come to my sons feet to sniff him whenever I am downstairs, but only when I allow them to do so. Do not allow him to come up to the baby's face, and make sure he understands that he is allowed by the baby on your terms, not his.

I would not allow him into the baby's room, so that is a invisible boundary right at the door, same thing goes with swings, bouncers and pack n'plays, create a boundary around the items into which the puppy is not allowed to cross into.

Make sure that you do not ALWAYS shun the dog away from the baby either, you need to allow him to bond with her as well, otherwise he will start to resent her as she gets older.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask!