We love our kids and we love our dogs. Heck before our human kids came along our pets were top dog (definitely pun intended). But, what do we do when it comes time to introduce our human children to our slightly furrier ones? A baby coming into the house is a giant change for your four-legged friends. Dogs are sensitive to these changes and it can take some work to get them ready. Here are some tips on introducing dog to baby.
Before Baby Comes
Start early and practice often is the name of the game. The goal: you don’t want your dog to associate all of these drastic changes with the baby. Make a few decisions early and start making the changes well in advance. Things to think of:
- Where the dog will be sleeping once baby comes and move their bed well in advance
- Your schedule, start changing the walk times and food times
- Slowly adding baby’s accessories (bouncers, swings, and pack-n-plays) turn them on, let your dog get used to the sounds and movements
- Consider baby toys; they are loud, squeaky, and often look like dog toys. Teach your dog what they can and can’t touch
Overall, start breaking the routines now so when baby comes and everything changes there is not a negative associated to the baby.
Before you go home from the hospital
You can start the introduction process before you leave the hospital. Have someone your dog is comfortable with take a blanket or hat used by the baby when they go to check on your dog. As we are all aware dogs have a great sense of smell. So use it to your advantage. Have the person show your dog the blanket or hat, say the baby’s name, and let the dog explore. This is all for your dog to get used to the smell of new baby before they have to get used to the new baby in person.
Now that you are home
Assuming everything goes smoothly at the hospital, time there will be over before you know it. So what can you do about the introduction now that you’re home?
Treats. Some of us may be extra generous with our treats, sometimes from the table (I’m super guilty of this one). However, I’m sure there is a treat your dog reacts to more than any other. Break it out! This is the time to pull out all the stops. The idea here is to make this baby seem like the greatest thing to happen to Fido. Just like when you train your dog to do tricks, make the treat be associated with positive action. When the dog behaves they way you want around baby, break out the treats and make it rain!
Take it slow. It will help everyone involved, including yourself. Forcing a friendship between the dog and the baby is like putting two all-star quarterbacks on the same team and expecting them to be best friends.
Remember, you don’t need them to like each other overnight. You just need the longterm to work out well. Go slow when introducing dog to baby. Let the pooch have a little extra space if they need it. Remember they just started having to share their best friend with another human, probably not their favorite thing in the world.
These are really the key elements to a solid introduction of your old and new best friends. Dogs are a great addition to a family and their interaction with our kids can be a ton of fun. The introduction is the hardest part and don’t be surprised if it takes some time. Trust me, once your kids start eating real food and tossing it over the side of the highchair a new level of friendship will be born.