Introducing your dog to the new baby

07-10-2022

A new family member on the way? To maintain harmony in the house, you will need to make some preparations to help your little buddy get used to all the changes. Below we give you some tips on how to best approach this.

Routine
Many owners have a daily routine when it comes to caring for their dog. Taking them outside at the same times, feeding them, etc. The arrival of a baby will probably shake up this routine a bit. Life with a baby is hectic and unpredictable. Try to prepare your dog for this by making the routine a bit more flexible in advance. If your dog is fed at 9am now, change that regularly to somewhere between 7am and 11am. Start going outside at different times and plan more short walks. It is important that your dog gets enough stimulation, both physically and/or mentally. Play ball or frisbee together during short walks, play hide and seek or do a search game with trainers.

Sounds
A baby can make quite a bit of noise, and a dog's hearing is much stronger than ours. So get her used to all those different sounds by putting on some audio well before the little one arrives. Online, for example on Spotify, you can find special playlists with the cries, laughter and screams of a baby. Set the volume to a low setting at first and increase it each time. Also try to have the sound come from a different room and at different times. The moment she doesn't react to the sound, she can be rewarded.

New stuff
Let your dog sniff all the new baby stuff you've bought. Is she really interested in stuffed animals or blankets? Give the command "leave it" and give her her own toy instead.

Apply some baby lotion or baby powder to your skin to familiarize her with the new scents.

Deworming/parasites
Make sure your dog is dewormed on time. It is possible that your child will become infected with parasites of the dog, such as ringworm.
Is she wearing a flea-tick-lice collar? Then use our Dogtools collar . The flea collar can be placed in this collar, so that there is hardly any contact between human hand(s) and the flea collar.

The baby is coming home!
Before you come home from the hospital, it is a good idea to let your dog smell something. So bring a blanket or piece of clothing that the baby has worn. Give positive attention while sniffing, so pats, words of praise and tasty treats.

Take your buddy for a lovely long walk beforehand. Let loose, with lots of playing and interaction. Then she will come home wonderfully tired.

Time for the meeting! When coming home, mother (without baby) will go inside first. Let her sniff you extensively and give lots of cuddles. Then make sure that you and your buddy can completely relax by sitting down somewhere. Only when there is peace in the house, can the rest come in. Make sure that the baby is not crying, but is also calm.
One person stays with the dog (on a leash) and the other holds the baby. Come in quietly, talk in a calm, soft voice and slowly walk towards the dog. Let her sniff calmly, but keep her distance. It is possible that she will not show any interest in the baby at all. Do not force her, but leave her alone. In any case, keep the introduction short and build it up slowly from here.

Distraction
The diaper needs changing or the baby is hungry. But your best friend wants some attention or wants to play... Starting a game is a good way to distract your dog while you take care of the baby. For example, fill her chew toy with some trainers or a lick of peanut butter. Or give her a tasty chew snack.
Our trainer snacks are often small or easy to break, so they can be nicely put in a chew toy. View the range here .

Happy family
Keep making your best friend feel like she is still part of the family, even though you may have less time than before. Give her little pats when you have the baby on your lap and go for nice walks together.

All babies grow up
Your baby will start exploring the world at some point. And how cute is that living furry stuffed animal with moving tail!
Not only the dog needs to know what the boundaries are, the child needs to know too. Teach your child early on not to bother the dog. Sure, petting is allowed. But don't pull the tail or ears or put fingers in the nose. Make sure someone is always there and don't leave the child alone with her.

If you notice that your dog is having trouble with the new situation or is showing restless behavior, you can consider additional training. You can always contact us if you have any questions or would like to receive advice.

Source:
https://www.rspcaqld.org.au/blog/pet-care/introducing-pets-to-babies
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dogs-and-babies

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