Behavioral Issues

Question
My husband and I have a 5 year old black lab mix named Jackson.  We have now added a Great Dane puppy to our family named Izzy. We brought Izzy home at 8 weeks old and she is now 14 weeks old.  

In the past couple of days we have begun seeing some concerning behavioral issues from Jackson.  We moved into our house 3 years ago and since then we have dedicated one of the bedrooms to the dogs (at the time we had another dog as well - so Jackson is used to sharing our home with another pet).  At night and when we are out we put up a baby gate to keep Jackson in his room.  The main reason for this is because we do not want him on the furniture. In the past 3 years Jackson has not once even tried to jump over the gate.  4 nights ago he jumped the gate and since then we have been having a hard time getting him to go to bed.  My husband has to practically pick him up and carry him in his room.  It has been a huge fight.  

Last night when I put him to bed he tried to jump the gate with me standing down the hall.  I took the gate down and shut the bedroom door.  (Izzy is in her crate which is also in the dogs room, but Jackson has roam of the room)  He continued to bark every 1/2 hour or so all night along with bang on the door and whine.  I am at my wits end with him as I haven't gotten any sleep tonight.

To complicate the situation, we are also pregnant and expecting to deliver in March.  If the issues we are seeing from Jackson are due to jealousy, I am afraid they are just going to get worse once the baby is born.  

How can we get Jackson back on track with going to bed at night?  I don't want to get to the point where I can't stand him anymore.  He is my boy and I love him to death.  I just want him to be happy in his own home and I can tell he isn't.  I also want my husband and I to be happy in our own home too!  Do you have any suggestions on how we can make our household a little happier?

Answer
I'm guessing things seem like a lot of changes right now for Jackson. Even though he's used to sharing the home, he's not used to sharing it with a playful and possibly pushy puppy. Plus, I'm sure he's picking up in some changes in you, and also in the preparations you're making for a few months from now. I wouldn't necessarily attribute it to jealousy. I'd think of ways to change his sleeping arrangements (possibly allowing him a separate space from where the puppy sleeps) and you could benefit from someone who can meet him in person, and can also give you some ideas on introducing him to the big change that's not too far away. Sandy Case BFA MEd CPDT www.positivelycanine.com