Bringing a baby home is a big change for your dog. Your dog will undergo many new experiences, smells and sounds with the arrival of a new baby. Your dog may become upset or troubled with a new routine and less attention. Before you continue reading, we’ve selected the top ten best family dog breeds for you. Preparing your dog for a new baby will be easy if you follow the tips below!
Preparing Dogs for Baby
There are steps which may be taken to make the transition smooth for you and your canine companion in the process of successfully preparing dogs for baby.
Plan for the Baby You can help your dog prepare for the baby by establishing a plan. You should introduce your dog to new experiences prior to the new arrival. Introduce her to new smells she may experience once the baby comes. New smells may include baby diapers, baby wipes and baby shampoo. Introduce her to new sounds; a baby cry, for example.
New Rules Before the Baby Comes There may be new rules you are planning to implement once the baby comes. You should introduce these rules prior to the baby’s arrival so the dog is not experiencing an immediate change once the baby arrives. For example, if you do not plan to allow the dog to go into the baby’s room, you should begin to prevent her from going in that particular room without your approval several months prior to birth of the new baby.
Preparing your dog for a new baby involves several steps to make him feel more comfortable. To make your dog more comfortable with touching, you should touch your dog in unusual areas such as the inside of the ears, inside of her mouth, under her paws and on her tail. If he does not like you touching any of these areas, you should feed him treats while you are touching him. This will help him become familiar with being touched in the areas the baby is likely to touch.
You should also teach your dog to leave the room. Teaching her that she has the ability to leave if she feels nervous or anxious with the new baby will prevent fearful or aggressive behavior toward the child in a nervous situation. You can do this by showing the dog a treat and saying the words “Go away,” then throwing the treat into the next room if possible. You should repeat this a number of times prior to the baby’s arrival to ensure the dog understands this concept.
After the Baby Arrives If you do not currently have any children, you may not have any idea what to expect once the baby arrives. Most dogs actually see the baby as a member of their family and love and protect the newborn. Most dogs are also extremely tolerant of the new baby. If you are still unsure of how to handle the experience of preparing your dog for a new baby, you should consult a behavior professional.
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Amber Johnson, Animal Behaviorist
Miss Amber Johnson has many years of experience with pets and is a licensed cat and dog nutrition and behavior specialist. She currently collaborates with PetPremium where she counsels clients in pet behavior and nutrition. The statements made in this article are the personal opinions of Miss Amber Johnson and based on independent experiences and could be different from the opinions of PetPremium Pet health Insurance or any other pet health insurance provider.
