How To Introduce Your Dog To A New Baby
No doubt your dog is your baby, but what happens when you bring a new human baby into the house? A little planning can make a potentially rocky and emotional (for pups and parents) transition a little smoother.
Well before your due date, honestly assess your fur-baby’s behavior. If your pup is on the naughty side, now is the time for Obedience Training. You will not have time to fix behavior issues after the baby is born. Being certain your dog heeds basic commands will help make you and therefore your dog calmer when it comes time for introductions. Here are a few tips to Teach Your Dog Self Control.
Your dog will definitely know something is up…
before it’s new tiny human comes home. Setting up a nursery will not go unnoticed. Let your dog inspect the new baby equipment. Strollers, swings and bouncy seats might take some getting used to, be sure to practice turning these items on and off if they move or make noises. Decide if the nursery is off limits and start enforcing that rule well ahead of time along with any other new rules or routines. If you are changing your dogs on the couch policy, for example, do it sooner rather than later.
Work on desensitizing your pup by introducing them to babies and small children particularly if they have had little to no exposure to them before. Play recordings (Youtube is great for this) of baby sounds in the house. Experts suggest only pumping up the volume when your pet is calm and in a good mood so they don’t develop negative associations with newborn crying. If your dog is used to sitting on your lap, get a baby doll and make it clear that when you have the baby your lap is off limits.
Consider hiring a Pet Sitter or Dog Walker…
With the excitement of a new baby on the way it can be easy for you to feel like your neglecting your dog. Your dog is probably used to a certain amount of attention and exercise each day and this is where hiring a dog walker or pet sitter can really help.
Start by searching out a reliable and trustworthy Professional Pet Sitter and plan a meeting with them a month or two before your baby is due. It may be a good idea for you to hire your new pet sitter to start walking your dog a few days a week long before your new baby arrives. Giving your dog the proper amount of exercise each day should help make the transition that much smoother for you. Check out 12 Reasons to Hire Sarah’s Pet Sitting for help choosing your new pet sitter.
Send a baby item home first…
When mom is in the hospital it may be a good idea to send a baby item home with dad or a friend first so that pup can get used to baby’s smell before the big meet up.
On home coming day, make sure Mom goes in without the baby. It will most likely be an energetic reunion since she was gone for a few days. Only after everyone has calmed down and gotten all of their licks, happy hops and spins out, introduce the new siblings.
It’s a good idea to have the dog on a loose short leash to start, just in case. Watch out for any warning signs and don’t take any chances, if there are any growls, back off. If there is more than one dog in the house, introduce them separately and praise good behavior.
There is a lot to prepare for when bringing home a new baby. Make sure getting you fur children ready is on you to-do list too
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