Adding a new member to the family can be stressful for everyone, including your dog! Bringing home a baby means a big change in your routine and priorities, so it’s important to help prepare your pup for the changes ahead. Here are tips to help prepare your dog for a baby in the family and keep up positive interaction once the baby arrives.
How to Prepare Your Dog for a New Baby
Before Baby Arrives
- Brush up on training
- Ensuring your pup’s training is on point can help keep your communication clear even as things change in your home
- Teaching behaviors like relax on a mat, polite greeting, hand targeting, or back up can be useful around an infant
- Establish safe zones for your pup
- These are areas in the home where your dog is free to roam and/or not be bothered (especially important as your baby learns to crawl)
- This may be use of baby gates, crates, or playpens to create safe separation
- Let your pup get used to noises and smells of all of the baby items
- Practice walking with the stroller
- Make sure to use rewards to help create a positive association with these items
- When you’re one to two months away from your baby’s arrival, start adjusting your home routine to mimic what it will be when your baby arrives
- This may mean decreasing exercise (increase mental stimulation where you can with games and puzzles)
- Practice randomizing the parts of your dog’s routine that may not be as predictable once the baby is home
- Consider trying a dog day care like Camp Bow Wow® or dog walker to provide your pup extra exercise and attention when you may not be able to as you adjust to your new routine
- Make sure to get your pup used to the day care or the dog walker before baby arrives
After Baby Arrives
- Provide attention and affection while the baby is awake (during feeding, play, rocking, story time, etc.)
- This can help a dog associate the baby with good things
- Many Pet Parents try to shoo dogs away any time the baby is out, but this can create tension and does not help a baby and dog bond
- Have quiet time together
- When you’re feeding the baby or preparing for bed, offer your pup a frozen treat or puzzle to eat on a mat in the same room
- Continue to reward positive interactions with the baby
- Look for calm behavior, listening to verbal cues, or moving away when asked
- Never allow your baby to be alone with your dog even if all is going well
- This will an important practice as your baby grows into a toddler as well
Additional tips and tricks on helping your dog adjust to a new baby can be found at: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dogs-and-babies