How to get my schnauzer ready for our baby?

Question
I have a 7 month old miniature schnauzer named Katie.  She is very jealous of other people being around my husband and I but warms up to them pretty fast. She does not even like other dogs to be around us. Recently I had a friend over with her 6 month old baby and Katie was very jealous.  She did not like me holding her at all.  She was fine when I set on the floor with her and she was able to sniff and lick on her a little bit, but when I went to stand up with the baby and give her back to her mother she started barking and snipping at her feet and legs.  She made two little bite marks on the babys leg where she was nipping at her. Was she trying to protect her or was she being aggressive?  My husband and I are expecting a baby boy in May and I need some advice on how to prepare our Katie for the baby. Please help...

Answer
Hi Nicole;
Schnauzies are naturally possessive little brats.
I love them, but they are deffinately a breed that needs to be shown who is boss, or THEY wil be boss.LOL
You can cuddle them and love them, and spoil them rotten, but just like human children, they need disclipline.
You can't sopipl and animal or child with love, but you can with too much tollerance.
They need to learn that some things are NOT allowed, and they WILL NOT do them.
Correct the dog for nipping at the baby's feet.
Think about how you would handle it if you had a 3 or 4 year old child and were expectine a new baby. Handle the dog like you would that child.
Make sure it knows it is still loved, and the baby is no threat to it's place.
Call it, "Our baby".
Let the dog lie on your stomach and feel the baby kick.
Talk to it like you would a child about when "Our " baby gets here.
The dog probably wanted the baby for a toy.
Katie is still a baby herself, so he still be a little stupid.LOL
She doesn't know what it is.
She didn't show aggression to the baby when you were sitting on the floor, and she could have access to the baby.But them you were taking it away, and she couldn't play with it. She wasn't getting to "BOSS" the situation.
When Katie is aggressive to people who are around you, correct her for that.
Don't let HEr be the alpha of the house.
Show her the baby clothes.
I had an 8 month old female German Shepherd when I was pregnant with my first child.
Of course, she was a breed that naturally nutures and guards, but she would feel the baby kick, and I talked about "Our baby", and she was shown the new baby clothes when I shopped.
She actually took care of ME while I was pregnant. She watched over me like I was made of china.
When the baby was born, I would tell her she could lick the feet, but not the hands and face ( of other babies she saw).
When I sat with the baby in the rocker and rocked her, Lady could kiss her legs etc.
She would wait for me to take the blankets away so she could get at the legs. She would lay her head on the baby and look like she was just too sweet to believe.
When the baby was asleep, Lady would go in and hit the crib with her tail till she woke the baby, then she would run to the rocker and sit there like, "ok, get the blanket down and let me see her". LOL
That got old REAL fast.
The thing is, include Katie in the baby getting there, and being there.
Let her feel she is helping you take care of it.
She will be a big sister, so she should have a share in the whole thing.
The bite marks, I am sure, were nt meant to hurt. She is still a baby, and doesn't realixe about biting.
That is the natural way puppies play.
She just has to be guided and taught.
I always raise my animals just like I raise children, and they have the same position in the family.
I have a really precious picture of my little Lhasa mix, looking at my great grandson in his baby seat.
All my dogs love children, especially babies.
They know how to NOT lick and how to play with a baby, and as the children get older, they know they can be a little rougher.
You just have to show and teach them.
Petsmart and Petco stores have weekend obedience classes.
I would recommend you and your husband take Katie.
They are group clases, with a qualified trainer, and the owner handles the dog.
They can help you a lot with ways to help Katie get ready to accept the baby, and she will learn that she is supposed to mind.
The fees are not that much, and they are worth much more.
You will learn so much from them, in how to show her what you are wanting her to do, and there will be even more bonding.
It is also a good way to make her feel special.
If you don't have a Petco or Petsmart in your area, there are Man's Best Friend, and other training facilities.
Katie is at a good age to go through an obedience course.
Charlotte