How to prepare a dog for a baby? Taming a dog with a newborn

How to prepare a dog for a baby? Taming a dog with a newborn

The arrival of a newborn baby at home is one of the happiest and most emotional events in a family's life. It brings big changes, not only for parents, but also for other household members, including a four-legged friend. In order for his first contact with the child to be successful, and for the life together to be full of positive impressions, the dog should be well prepared for this great moment.

How to prepare a dog for a baby?

A dog and a child, or step by step to a harmonious team

For years, the dog was the baby in the house - and now a baby is moving in. How to get your four-legged friend used to the appearance of a new roommate? Expectant parents have around 40 weeks to prepare their home for the birth of their baby. The dog also needs time to adapt to the new situation. For this reason, it is important to start training your pet in the first weeks of pregnancy. The infant fully engages the parents' attention, especially in the first months of life. Excessive responsibilities mean that during this period they have much less time for their dog. In practice, this means that right after the birth of a child, it is extremely difficult to find a convenient time for additional training of the pet. That is why it is important, first of all, to prepare the dog for a child at the right time, step by step, gently introducing it to the new situation.

How to prepare your dog for a baby Prepare your dog for the arrival of a new family member

Even taking into account the most favorable circumstances, it should be assumed that after the appearance of a baby in the house, the daily life of the dog will change anyway. Therefore, we must make every effort to ensure that these changes are as little harmful to the pet as possible. It should be taken into account that certain decisions related to a new situation can be extremely stressful for a four-legged friend, e.g. if his lying place suddenly has to give way to a cot for a newborn or his habitual behavior (considered troublesome in these circumstances) has to change. Therefore, it is worth using the period before birth for friendly, patient and consistent preparation of the dog for a child by gently introducing new rules.

You can calmly and lovingly teach your dog not to enter certain areas, such as the nursery or crawling rug. In advance, care should be taken to ensure that after the birth of the child, the pet who has been in the center of attention so far does not feel pushed away. In general, he should gradually learn that he must share his caregiver's attention with other people. In addition, one of the important issues is learning the basic commands: "come", "sit", "stay", "lie down", "leave" and "don't", the knowledge of which greatly facilitates everyday relationships.

How to prepare a dog for a baby? Give your pup time to adjust!

The appearance of a new person in the family is not a trivial matter for a dog. This event inevitably causes significant changes at home, and thus also in the world of habits of the quadruped. It is worth doing everything so that the new situation does not cause a negative feeling for the animal. The key to success is the ability to gradually, friendly interaction with the dog. Therefore, let's take a closer look at how to gradually deal with each aspect of this upheaval:

  • We gradually accustom the pet to new restrictions: protective barriers, closed doors, no entry to the child's room. A heartfelt but clear "no" with a reward allows you to calmly prepare your dog for a baby in the weeks before delivery. The same applies to items intended for a baby, which for obvious reasons (hygienic and health) should not be touched by a four-legged friend.
  • The pet should also gradually get used to the fact that he is given less attention and time. Of course, we cannot neglect walks, meals, treatments, games and cuddles. However, slowly and gently, the mentee should be taught that we decide about these moments. If the expectant mother has been the dog's main carer so far, it is helpful if the partner takes over most of the tasks of caring for the dog.
  • It's also good to prepare your dog for new scents. Powder, oil and other baby hygiene products will usually appear in the apartment before birth and the four-legged friend has the opportunity to get used to them. However, early habituation to a baby's odor by giving used baby diapers to be sniffed is controversial. It would be better if the dog could smell the newborn, e.g. on the father's clothes immediately after returning from the maternity hospital.
  • Another proven idea is to play a soundtrack with babies crying and babbling. Many dog ​​owners underestimate the fact that a dog has to get used to new sounds. Play the sounds softly at first and gradually increase the volume each day until your baby's normal crying volume is reached.
  • In order to check in advance how the dog reacts to babies, we can observe the behavior of our four-legged friend during various contacts, e.g. during a visit to friends or relatives. Conclusions from such observation can help in optimal preparation of the dog for a child.
  • It is also worth getting the dog used to the new flexible time of recreation and feeding.
  • We can practice walking with the stroller beforehand so that the dog gets used to the new pace and accessories.

Let us remember that…

  • the dog should be dewormed before the baby comes home;
  • it is worth seeking professional help if your four-legged friend cannot cope with the new situation;
  • if we prepare our dog well in advance for the appearance of a child, our pet will quickly accept a new family member.

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