Pet parents soon to become real moms and dads to a baby are always concerned about how their canine baby will react. Dogs can be gentle, loving, adoring, attentive, protective, jealous, resentful, fearful, reactive, or aggressive.
Most pet parents have a strong sense of how their dog will react to a new baby coming into their home from other children in the family, friends, and neighbors.
That said, bringing home a baby is too important to take anything for granted concerning how a dog, especially a large-breed and rambunctious dog, will react. Small-breed dogs can also be reactive and aggressive, and their behavior must be considered seriously if they are possessive of what they consider to be their place on the couch or bed. Keep in mind that small-breed dogs can cause extreme harm to an infant.
I have always believed in being prepared and doing a dress rehearsal. Here are some ideas about preparing for one of the most exciting days of your life as a new parent.
If your dog is not well-behaved and does not take direction from you, consider a professional trainer who can do behavioral conditioning in conjunction with obedience training. Go-To-Place is well worth the time to help your dog have a special bed or mat to go to when you’re busy attending to your baby’s needs and other situations like meal times and guests. The Go-To-Place can be near the couch or chair if that is where you will spend time with the baby, but your dog must stay there until release. This is far better than isolating your dog in a crate, another room, or outside.
Teaching your dog not to jump is another invaluable lesson. Jumping is jumping, whether on a person, furniture, the kitchen counter, or a person. Following through with a sit to replace a jump when approaching a person should be done before teaching your dog to sit when approaching a person sitting on a couch or chair. If you know in advance that you will be with your baby on the couch and trust your dog to be on the sofa, designate an area for your dog using a blanket, and assign that area to be your dog’s Go-Go-Place when on the couch. This is a great way to make your dog feel like he’s not being left out.
Many pet parents ask me if using a doll in a blanket or baby seat to practice with their dog is a good idea. Will your dog know the difference between the doll and the real baby? Yes, of course, he will. But you can use baby lotions or baby powder on the blankets to simulate a recognizable scent. You can also apply baby lotion to your arms so your dog will recognize the scent on you before your baby comes home.
Introduce baby-related noises, such as wind-up musical crib mobiles and rattles, into the household to help keep your dog calm and relaxed when it’s the real thing.
Practice walking your dog next to a baby stroller or carriage. You can put the baby-scented doll in a car seat or feeding seat and teach your dog to “sit quietly next to it but without TOUCHING.”
As much as you don’t want to take time away from your dog’s routine, there will be time that you need to separate from your dog to be with the baby. Practice this time separated by being in another room and giving your dog a new chew toy that is only for that time. When the separation is over, take the new chew toy, put it in a zip-lock bag, and put it into the freezer. This way, you can rotate them as needed. Start with only ten to fifteen minutes and build up to a half hour.
If your dog is your number one fan, try having another household member take over some of your dog’s care responsibilities and playtime bonding a few months before the baby’s arrival. If necessary, hire a loving, responsible, and trustworthy dog walker starting a few weeks before the baby arrives.
When the new baby arrives, gradually increase your time with your dog. Remember your BCFF!! (Best Canine Friend Forever) and don’t make him feel neglected.)
