Dog help!

[rootbeer7]

Guys, my next incoming will be of the tiny human variety!
We have 3 others, 10, 8 and 7 and a French Bulldog who's male, 2 and neutered. With the kids and us he's amazing, gentle, fun and a real family dog. He's only occasionally aggressive around other normally larger (and particularly large and dark labrador types). I want to make sure he is the perfect pet! I know there are a lot of dog owners on here, so any advice/books/links welcome!
Sorry for the diatribe. Happy Monday.

[mannyv11]

we took our lab through extensive training when she was a puppy to make sure she could handle all types of situations. She is a very food based dog and will basically do anything for a treat. Knowing this the trainer we were working with told us the best way for us to train her would be to give her rewards for anything good.

when she became tall enough to put her front legs up on the counter and try to get food, we would basically tell her down yada yada yada, and then when she was in the kitchen and behaving herself she got a treat for not going up on the counter. At first we tried giving her a treat when we would tell her down and she would listen, but she was smart enough to realize that if she went up and then down she would get a treat so she would just do it for the food.

It really depends a lot on your dog their personality and what type of training has worked in the past. We used this technique with a family yorkie who loved people but was aggressive with other dogs, you bring them up to each other (never face to face) and I would give him treats while he was behaving.

[mjclark32]

Firstly, congrats on the incoming baby!
I have a 6 year old English bulldog that we got my senior year of college and she grew up in my frat house. So she's seen it all and has been socialized extremely well. Like Manny's dog she very food driven.
If Frenchy's are anything like English Bulldogs they're a bit stubborn, but very smart and affectionate. We taught ours "gentle" when we need her to pay extra attention/care. Whether it's taking a treat gently or when the neighborhood kids are playing fetch with her.
My bet is that your three other kids have exposed your Frenchy to everything needed to ensure you guys will all be fine when the newborn arrives.
All the best

[Angrypuppy]

The new baby ( congrats ) will be accepted as part of the pack right away. The key is making sure the dog knows that the new baby is above the dog in pecking order. if the dog is crate trained life will be easier initially.

Good luck.

[rootbeer7]

Thanks guys. He loves his crate and his basket. We're making sure that the kids leave his crate alone and it's one thing we're not moving around