Help! Why is she doing this?

I think the baby gate is a good idea. I definitely don't think hitting is an option at all. I'm not sure what to do, but I bet Mama Muttblood and some of the others on here with more training experience can help you! Good luck and hang in there.

Under no circumstances should you EVER hit your dog. It does nothing but make your dog afraid. I remember when my daughter was born and Kirby, who was my 'baby', began this excessive barking for attention. He was only doing this so that he made sure he wasn't forgotten. Of course he wasn't but he was just making sure, just like an older sibling would. Using the baby gate is your best bet. Some people have them all over thier house to keep their dogs out of places they don't want them. When your baby is napping, give some special quiet time to yor dog. She'll get used to this and look forward to it. Absolutely include her when your snuggling with your baby if she's calm. You don't want your baby to get hurt. Youre baby isn't sleeping as much now and he's needing you more. Marzipan feels this. Just hang in there. Use your baby gate and include her in as much as you can. Good luck and GOOD FOR YOU for working out problems like this. Too many new moms and dads get rid of their dog when a new baby comes into the picture!

It's good that you are looking for solutions before the problem gets worse. Take note of the fact that the things she is tearing up are related to the baby (except the maxi pad, and those are irresistable to any dog I've ever met.) She is naturally feeling a little displaced, and probably more so now that Jacob is starting to develop a personality and have more interactions with you. Limiting her access to things by using the baby gate, or putting things where she can't get to them, like you would for a toddler, is going to help a lot. Close the doors to the rooms you don't want her in when you are just going about your normal routine. That will set your dog up to be successful, because those temptations won't be available to her. When you use the gate Marzipan will still be able to see you, you can still talk with her, reach over the gate to pet her, etc. When you can monitor her, like when the baby is napping, let her out of the gate and play with her. Even just 5 minutes of good play with a toy or teaching her a trick with lots of yummy rewards is going to make her a happier camper. Give her a kong with peanut butter to work on when you are nursing or rocking the baby, so she is with you and doing something fun. We have LOTS of closed doors at times, just so my very busy Maddie won't go in and find things to do. If she is not in the same room with me, I know she's finding something else to do, and it's usually something I am not happy about. The most important thing is to continue to give Marzipan lots of attention both with and without the baby, and give her treats when she is being a good girl around Jacob, so she associates good things with his presence. When she does do something you don't want her to, unless you catch her in the act, just clean it up and move along. If you catch her tearing something up, say NO in an authoritative voice, put her behind the gate or in her crate for a few minutes, clean it up and let it go. She will not remember the incident, but WILL remember a lot of anger, especially if it involves hitting, and it will make her a less confident, more fearful dog. You really don't want that. Dogs and babies have co-existed for thousands of years. Just try to think like the dog and take it from there. And, yes, I'm always willing to give advice and an opinion ☺

Thanks! I'm glad none of you are saying to spank her or anything. That's what others have told me and I don't ever want to hit her. :( I feel bad enough when I've kicked her by accident. (She likes to be right underfoot and there have been times I've backed into or kicked her and not even known she was there.) We've been putting everything up out of reach, that's why it surprised me when she actually got up and took the diapers off the changing table. Those were NOT easily accessible for her. Jacob's room gets really cold with the door closed so maybe we'll put the other baby gate in his doorway so she can't go in there unless we go with her.

That's an excellent idea. Back in the day, before baby gates were popular, I've known people who installed a screen door so the dogs could see into the baby's room, but weren't actually in there. I think Marzipan will settle down with a little consistency and TLC. Spanking is only a stress reliever for humans. It does nothing positive for the dog.

It takes a lot of your energy to care for a 6-month old child. Your dog needs a release for his energy: walks, exercise, etc. As the weather gets better, I'd suggest taking the Jacob and Marzipan out for a stroll (I call them patrols.) Baby gates are great for the interim, if Marzipan is small. Personally, I just swat them out of my way, but then, I'm a Pyr-princess.