Your Baby, and the dog
One thing that scared me when Chloe was born was how Blake (our border/lab) would react to her homecoming.
He did change – but luckily for us, he became protective of her, almost like he accepted her into his pack. He started barking when people came close, at people that came to our house a lot before Chloe was born (usually to chuck back
'a glass' of wine)
Never have I felt that he would ever hurt her. However here’s some tips on introducing your new bundle of joy into your home with a dog.
He did change – but luckily for us, he became protective of her, almost like he accepted her into his pack. He started barking when people came close, at people that came to our house a lot before Chloe was born (usually to chuck back
'a glass' of wine)
Never have I felt that he would ever hurt her. However here’s some tips on introducing your new bundle of joy into your home with a dog.
1. Prepare your beloved dog months in advance. Assess, ultra-socialize, train and desensitise before you bring your baby home. Encourage independence and slowly transition primary care-taking duties of your pup to your partner if helpful. Visit your veterinarian to get a wellness exam for your spayed or neutered dog.
2. Never leave a baby or child alone with a dog. Sufficiently provoked, any dog will bite. No dog should be trusted with a small child and no child should be trusted with a dog.
3. Personality profile. Assess your dog’s behaviour toward infants, toddlers, strangers, as well as reactions to novel items, smells and situations. What’s your dog’s history? Does your dog have small-animal predatory tendencies, guarding behaviours, startle phobia or fear responses? If so, call a professional canine behavioural consultant for an assessment.
4. Address training and behaviour issues before the baby arrives. Obedience requirements are: sit, down, stay, come, leave it, and calm leash-walking. Practice using voice-alone instructions with your dog. Train out the behaviours you don’t want. Private, distraction-free training and practice in your home can provide the best results. Don’t play aggressive games with your dog.
5. Learn to read your dog’s body language so you can tell if your dog is experiencing stress around your baby. Watch for avoidance or fixation, listen for vocalizations and notice how you dog looks when she’s happy. Be sure to provide lots of aerobic exercise. Employ a dog walker if your dog needs more fun!
6. Socialisation to infants and children. Take your people-friendly dog to observe children at play. Encourage friends with infants to visit in order to accustom your dog the presence of babies in the home. Reward your dog with treats and soft praise for remaining calm in order to develop positive associations between them.
7. Create a "Dog Zone" sanctuary and a "Baby Zone". Enclose gated areas to keep them safely separated so both you and your dog can relax and your baby is safe.
8. Introduce your dog to your baby in a slow, gradual fashion. When coming home from the hospital, have Mommy come into the house alone and calmly greet the dog. Then put the dog on a leash and ask for a sit or down. Have your partner come in with the baby and either retreat to another room and save introductions for later, or if your dog looks relaxed, walk your dog calmly and slowly toward the baby and let him sniff the baby’s toes---not the face. Make it a non-event. Ideally, your dog will not be overly interested in the baby. Help your dog experience the arrival of the baby as a good thing.
According to renowned vterinarian Dr. Nicholas Dodman, “Share your attention with the dog when the baby is around.” This will help endear your baby to your dog and prevent “sibling” rivalry.
9. Seek professional help anytime you have concerns about interactions between your dog and family members, displays of aggressive, or guarding behaviors of items or people, sudden changes in your dog’s behavior, or conflict between dogs in the home. These problems need immediate intervention.
Ideally, parents ought to add a dog to the family after the children have reached the age of five but often that’s not the way life unfolds. Achieving harmony through proper preparation should have your fur-baby as happy as a lark to go for a stroller walk with you and your new baby!
2. Never leave a baby or child alone with a dog. Sufficiently provoked, any dog will bite. No dog should be trusted with a small child and no child should be trusted with a dog.
3. Personality profile. Assess your dog’s behaviour toward infants, toddlers, strangers, as well as reactions to novel items, smells and situations. What’s your dog’s history? Does your dog have small-animal predatory tendencies, guarding behaviours, startle phobia or fear responses? If so, call a professional canine behavioural consultant for an assessment.
4. Address training and behaviour issues before the baby arrives. Obedience requirements are: sit, down, stay, come, leave it, and calm leash-walking. Practice using voice-alone instructions with your dog. Train out the behaviours you don’t want. Private, distraction-free training and practice in your home can provide the best results. Don’t play aggressive games with your dog.
5. Learn to read your dog’s body language so you can tell if your dog is experiencing stress around your baby. Watch for avoidance or fixation, listen for vocalizations and notice how you dog looks when she’s happy. Be sure to provide lots of aerobic exercise. Employ a dog walker if your dog needs more fun!
6. Socialisation to infants and children. Take your people-friendly dog to observe children at play. Encourage friends with infants to visit in order to accustom your dog the presence of babies in the home. Reward your dog with treats and soft praise for remaining calm in order to develop positive associations between them.
7. Create a "Dog Zone" sanctuary and a "Baby Zone". Enclose gated areas to keep them safely separated so both you and your dog can relax and your baby is safe.
8. Introduce your dog to your baby in a slow, gradual fashion. When coming home from the hospital, have Mommy come into the house alone and calmly greet the dog. Then put the dog on a leash and ask for a sit or down. Have your partner come in with the baby and either retreat to another room and save introductions for later, or if your dog looks relaxed, walk your dog calmly and slowly toward the baby and let him sniff the baby’s toes---not the face. Make it a non-event. Ideally, your dog will not be overly interested in the baby. Help your dog experience the arrival of the baby as a good thing.
According to renowned vterinarian Dr. Nicholas Dodman, “Share your attention with the dog when the baby is around.” This will help endear your baby to your dog and prevent “sibling” rivalry.
9. Seek professional help anytime you have concerns about interactions between your dog and family members, displays of aggressive, or guarding behaviors of items or people, sudden changes in your dog’s behavior, or conflict between dogs in the home. These problems need immediate intervention.
Ideally, parents ought to add a dog to the family after the children have reached the age of five but often that’s not the way life unfolds. Achieving harmony through proper preparation should have your fur-baby as happy as a lark to go for a stroller walk with you and your new baby!