Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Dogs deserve their own space. A place to call home and escape from things they dont like. As your baby grows, they will need to understand that the dogs place is not for babies.
It could be a dog bed, a crate, a chair, or anything. It just needs to be a safe place for your furry child. A space to call their own and run away when they really dont want to be around kids. This is a topic that I cannot stress enough. We ALL need our own safe place, and a sweet canine is no different. A happy home has a secret spot to stay away from those potentially incriminating encounters.
I would argue that this is the MOST important part of setting yourself up for success. Just like with anybody, things can get out of hand FAST if we cant properly diffuse the situation. And since a dog cant politely ask a baby to stop, their best alternative is to run away.
Let them have their space. Its better for everyone.
To wrap this up, Ive created an infographic for you to refer back to. Feel free to save/print/SHARE this with anyone and SUBSCRIBE for more modern mom tips, tricks, and insight because your situation might be new, but Im going through it too!
How To Introduce Your Dog To Your Baby
While after nine months you might feel more than ready for your baby to arrive, your dog might be a little shocked to meet the new roommate. But if you take time before and after the pregnancy to acclimate your dog and baby to each other, practice discipline with them, set boundaries in your environment, and show some love, then this transition can be smooth and pain-free.
Here are some tips to accomplish these four goals and create a home thats safe for both your dog and baby.
Shaking Up The Routine
This part of the process also starts before your due date. By anticipating the effect on your dogs daily routine, you might consider adapting tasks and schedule accordingly. For instance, your partner can take the dog for the morning walk since youll be resting after staying up most of the night or feeding the baby.
You May Like: How Can I Help My Newborn Poop
Teach Your Dog New Tricks
If you havent already trained your pup to follow basic commands, nows the time to start. In addition to sit, down, wait, stay and settle, which all help your dog control his impulses, he should also know leave it and drop it. These commands will help when the dog wants babys play toys as his own. Other important skills to teach your pup around a baby are no jumping up and crate time. If you havent crate trained your dog, you should consider it with a newborn coming. The crate can be a safe, secure place for dogs, and a place for your pup to go if your eyes arent on your newborn, even for a few moments.
Babys Arrival During Covid
During these strange COVID times, some of these steps may not be possible with hospital and visitor restrictions . As an alternative to introducing dogs and babies, you could try:
- Asking a family or friend to walk your dog before they meet the baby, so they are well exercised and calm.
- Greeting your dog at your front door before bringing the baby inside. Have dad fetch the dog, cuddle them and carry them out to meet the newest family member.
- Keep the pup on a leash for the introduction so there is a firm barrier between them and baby.
- Allow your dog to carefully sniff the baby starting with the feet. Try to avoid face contact, especially during their first meet-and-greet. If the baby suddenly screams, that can be scary for a dog, so its important to let him/her sniff the babies feet only, then be asked to come away and sit. Give your pup lots of encouragement and a treat for their gentle behaviour.)
Recommended Reading: What To Buy For A Newborn List
How To Prepare Your Dog For Baby
Its a little misleading for me to claim that this is all about the introduction. The actually meeting will be over so fast that you wont be able to put much into action.
The truth is that its an ongoing effort, but the sooner the better. Here are the tips that helped us get our completely crazy, high-energy home protection breed.
Introduce A Babys Scent To Your Dog
A successful introduction between dogs and newborns starts with a familiar smell. Thus, even before you bring a baby home from the hospital, get something into your house that has your new babys smell on it, such as one of baby’s blankets, toys, or anything you’ve used around the baby in the hospital.
This technique introduces your babys scent to your dog so that the smell wont be as foreign to dogs when you bring a newborn home. Plus, it will give your pet a chance to snuffle their nose into that blanket and get a really good smell of the new thing without the worry of your baby being jostled around.
You May Like: What Do We Need For Newborn Baby
How To Introduce Your Newborn To Your Dog Or Cat
Bringing home a new bundle of joy is an exciting time, but you also may be worried about how to introduce your dog or cat to your newborn baby. The sights, sounds, and smells of a new baby are a big change for your pet, and they will continue to experience changes as your child grows in the coming years. To help lessen the stress of having a new baby at home, there are things you can do ahead of time for your dog or cat.
Help Them Get Used To Your Newborns Smell
Before you let your dog meet your baby directly, you should help them get used to your newbornâs smells, as well as other smells that will become increasingly relevant in your home. This is a fantastic way to introduce the two as dogs have exemplary senses of smell.
This could include baby formula, baby powder, lotions, etc. While your baby is in the hospital, you can bring home your baby’s blanket for your dog to sniff. This will help your dog become acclimated to the baby’s scent.
Recommended Reading: What Is Newborn Stem Cell Preservation
Bring Your Dog Into The House On
When it comes time for newborn to come home, have your spouse, friend, or family member briefly take your dog out of the house on a leash. Walk around the block or the backyard out of view, and bring the new baby inside the house.
Now, once the baby is settled inside, bring the dog back in and keep them on a leash. This will give the dog a chance to see that things are different in the house but not allow them to barrel in and investigate excitedly, which can be dangerous.
How To Introduce Your Newborn To The Family Dog
Bringing home a newborn baby alters the daily routine of the household in the beginning. Days and nights get reversed, and of course, you want to give all your attention to your little one. Likewise, you would want the four-legged member of your family to share in the joy of the new addition. There are few sights as adorable as newborns and dogs together. In time, you would also love to see your baby develop a lasting friendship with the family dog. This brings up the question of how to introduce your newborn to the dog. Weve found some tips to make this happen, but you might be surprised about how long the process takes.
Read Also: How Much Vitamin D Drops For Newborn
Let Them Hang Out With Other Kids
In addition, it is also wise that you get your pet acclimated to being around other older children, toddlers, and babies and the noises that accompany having a child in the home. For instance, you can play baby-noises. You can also expose them to the new things like furniture and equipment that will be everywhere, like the bassinet or car seat.
âLet them check out the nursery and see/smell the setup,â Dr. Olsen advises. âAre there toys that make noise or swings that play songs? A new giant rocking chair? Get them used to those first before the baby is anywhere near them. Make these experiences positive by reinforcing based on your petâs primary motivator .â
For example, have your dog practice walking on a leash next to the stroller in preparation for your baby’s arrival. Use plenty of rewards and praise.
Keeping Children Safe In The Long Term
In preparing for a new baby, its important to think about when your baby will be mobile. Most problems with pets occur when babies start crawling and walking. Their movements can be unpredictable and this can excite or threaten pets. Sometimes clumsy actions can cause pain to a pet eliciting an adverse response. To keep your children safe in the long term, consider the following:
- Never leave your pet and baby alone, no matter how much you trust your pet. Children under 7 should never be left unsupervised with a pet.
- Continue to monitor your pets behaviour as your baby grows and implement behavioural or routine changes as necessary.
- Seek expert advice from your local veterinarian. A helpful reference book is Living with Kids and Dogs Without Losing Your Mind: A Parents Guide to Controlling the Chaos by Colleen Pellar.
Read Also: When Does My Newborn Get Shots
The Advice Books Are Only A Starting Point
Yes, do the whole blanket-from-the-hospital shtick. Walk around the house with a doll and talk mindlessly to it. But its no guarantee that your dog is going to seamlessly tradition from life before baby to the new nuclear-family reality.
Lets face it: Dogs are smart. They know the doll isnt a baby. But what they do know is that everything in their world is changing: As your pregnancy progresses, everything about you starts to morph, from your gait to your hormones to your routine. New furniture shows up. Rooms get rearranged. Your anxiety level peaks.
Any major life change requires an adjustment period, and dogs are no different. Just assume that this will be the case, and provide your dog the space both mental and physical to figure things out. When things get hectic, or out of control, give your dog crate time with a good chewie. Dont expect the Normal Rockwell painting out of the gate for the first few months, it may be more paint by numbers.
Know When To Call A Professional
Despite your best efforts, if you are still facing problem dog behavior since bringing home a newborn baby call a professional for help. A canine behaviorist, as well as your dogs veterinarian, can both help to identify the root cause of your dog’s behavioral problems and help in correcting them quickly.
It’s crucial that pet owners do not become arrogant or oblivious, and that you know when you are in over your head. It’s better to do this sooner rather than later to avoid dangerous accidents. In fact, there’s nothing wrong with asking for a professional’s help even during the introduction between dogs and newborns.
Recommended Reading: What Can I Do For Fleas On Newborn Puppies
Flea And Worming Treatments
Worms are unpleasant at the best of times, but for puppies, they can be quite dangerous. Worms feed off the nutrients in a dogs food, or even from the host themselves. In small puppies, high worm burdens can easily lead to illness. Always talk to your vet about suitable treatments, as many are unsuitable for very young puppies.
We recommend a standard protocol using a worming tablet or liquid at either 2, 5, 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age, or every two weeks depending on the drug used. After this, they can be wormed every 1-3 months depending on the specific risk .
Fleas are less of a problem in puppies, but can still be a problem in high numbers. We usually dont advise treating for fleas unless there are fleas present, until they are vaccinated and starting to go outside. Again, this will vary depending on the individual vet and puppies.
Ways To Prepare A Pet For The Baby
It’s best to make gradual changes in your pets routine rather than abrupt changes when the baby arrives, explains Ragen McGowan, Purina Senior Scientist, Human/Animal Bond. Fortunately, pregnancy gives you several months to prepare your pet for your babys arrival.
- Adjust your pets routine to one you can keep consistent
- Carve out special one-on-one times with your pet
- Brush up on obedience training for your dog
- Create a few pet-free zones in the house
- Introduce your pet to baby equipment like strollers
Don’t Miss: When Does Newborn Digestive System Mature
Transition The Puppy To Milk
After the first two critical days, the puppy can be transitioned to a milk-based puppy formula. These can be cows milk-based or goats milk-based, depending on what you prefer and how well the puppy is doing. If the puppy seems to have a hard time digesting a cows milk formula, then consider transitioning to a goats milk formula.
Feeding a puppy regular formula requires the same process as feeding colostrum. If the puppy is doing well, then it is already growing and gaining some weight. It is hopefully nursing well and showing signs of increasing hunger.
As puppies grow their appetites and caloric needs grow rapidly. A puppys dietary intake is between two and three times more per pound than they need when they are adult dogs. This means that they need to eat a lot, and often.
- Puppies need to drink puppy formula from a bottle at least every three hours until they are eight weeks old.
- Puppy formula is all that is needed for the puppy until it begins to get a nice set of teeth at around four weeks old. At this time you can begin gently introducing soft canned puppy food.
- The puppy will still drink formula regularly until around eight weeks old, though it will begin eating more and more soft food as the weeks go by.
- Colostrum can also be given to puppies and even adult dogs. If the puppy needs extra strength and immunity, then keep giving colostrum as well as puppy formula. It can only do good for the puppy as it grows.
Dont Miss: What Shots Do Newborns Need
Preparing Your Dog For Life With A Toddler
Many dogs who havent spent time around children find toddlers confusing and intimidating. Some find them downright scary! Read on to learn about what you can do to influence the developing relationship between your dog and your growing child.
Prepare in Advance
A wonderful thing about babies is that they start out not doing much at all and then become more active and mobile as they develop. These slow changes will help your dog get used to your newest family member gradually, setting both of them up for successful interactions. But before you know it, your baby will be a poking, grabbing, crawling machine! When your babys still young, start preparing your dog for a toddlers touch, movements and unpredictable behavior.
Handling
As they explore the world, young children do a lot of grabbing, poking and pulling. Youll eventually teach your child to treat your dog with gentleness and respectbut he wont be able to grasp these concepts as a toddler. So before he starts crawling around, its important to help your dog get used to rough and even painful handling.
Poke the Pup
To prepare your dog for the way your baby will touch her, teach her that wonderful things happen when her various parts get poked and prodded. Use small, delicious treats, such as chicken, cheese or hot dog, to pay your dog for tolerating each and every slightly uncomfortable sensation.
Movement: Introduce Baby Moves
Resource Guarding Prevention
Teach Your Dog to Retreat
Walking Away Is an Option
You May Like: How Do I Know If My Newborn Has Eczema
Resting And Sleeping Places
You should decide if you intend to change where your dog currently rests and sleeps once the baby has arrived.
For example, if they lie on your sofa every evening and sleep next to you in bed, are you happy for this to continue? If not, make all changes well in advance so they dont associate the change with the arrival of the baby.
If you do decide to change resting areas, make sure that you provide your dog with a really comfortable alternative. It would be too much to expect your dog to sleep in
the kitchen overnight if they are used to sleeping in your bed without any preparation, so try to do it in gradual steps to help them adapt to the change.
Dog Care Products On Amazon
| Rating |
| CHECK PRICE |
This isnt really a concern Ive ever needed to worry about, but as it turns out, its a major concern for pet owners. Especially young couples who adopt a dog while dating, and then get married and decide to grow their family. The dog was there first, so they dont want to just push it to the side but obviously, a human being takes precedence. Luckily, there are some pretty good tips out there for introducing a dog to a new baby. After considering them all, here are the top nine steps to take to get your dog ready and to ease the introduction.
Don’t Miss: Why Is My Newborn Gassy At Night