The Best Way to Introducs Your Dog to Your New baby

The Best Way To Introduce Your Dog To Your New Baby

Bringing home your new baby is something you are really looking forward to but if you are worried about how your dog is going to react, it would be wise to look into how to introduce your dog to your new baby. Spending time worrying about your dogís reaction is fruitless; before your babyís arrival act to ensure that your dog will accept your baby from the very start.

Start preparing your dog long before the babyís due date. It is important to ready your dog for the babyís arrival to minimize the chance that your dog will look at your baby as an intruder and perhaps become aggressive. If your dog is inclined to be vocal, barking dog training would be beneficial well before baby makes a debut; any bad behavior that can be pre-empted before baby comes home should be addressed well in advance of the homecoming. If your dog has any behavioral issues like fear or anxiety that may result in aggression, these behaviors definitely need to be eliminated prior to your baby coming home. If you are unable to successfully teach dog aggression training, get help from a dog trainer or an animal behaviorist to eliminate aggressive attitudes. Make sure that your dog has been well trained to not jumping on people (or you) and that he is well trained to sit calmly at your side.

Prior to the babyís arrival take your dog to your veterinarian; be sure all vaccinations are up to date and that he gets a full exam. If your dog has not been altered, do so before Baby comes to minimize the risk of aggression.

There are going to be times when Fido feels like relaxing away from all the baby activity. If you have a beautifully landscaped yard there are luxury dog houses to adorn any yard, or may Fido will be happy merely escaping to his doggie bed in a quiet room. Just remember that before long your baby will be crawling and wanting to grab Fido so it is a good idea to provide a safe haven for Fido to retreat to when he feels like it.

During pregnancy, if you have any friends with babies invite them over so that Fido becomes familiar with the smells, sounds and sights associates with babies and all their accessories during diligently supervised visits.

Once baby arrives family priorities change; frequently parents look into various types of insurance to make sure their kids are financially secure in any event. Parents buy life insurance and they make sure their baby is added on to their medical policy. Donít forget to check into insurance for Fido. Donít go for the cheapest dog insurance; you want Fido to be covered in the event of injury or illness and maybe even routine exams. Fido is a member of the family and deserves to be well cared for if he is hurt or sick.

When your baby is born, you can start to introduce Fido to him before he comes home simply by taking an item of clothing or a blanket and allowing Fido to smell it. Let Fido smell as long as he wants; the more he sniffs the more familiar he is becoming with Babyís scent.

On the day baby comes home mother should be alone when she first greets Fido. After this initial greeting she should sit with Baby so that if Fido wishes, he can meet Baby. Do not make Fido get close to Baby, let him greet in his own time. Have an ample supply of dog treats ready to reward Fido for behaving well. Supervise interaction between your dog and your baby; NEVER leave Fido alone with your baby. Donít fail to pay attention to Fido after baby comes home or he might become depressed or stressed. As much as possible keep up a normal routine of exercise and play for Fido after baby arrives.

Prepare Fido for your new baby; by pro-actively providing a good foundation the chance of a lifelong, loving bond between Fido and Baby increases significantly.

Author, John Bolt

John Bolt lives in Cambridge, Ontario with his wife, new baby and Goldendoodle Daly. When not working he enjoys his family, golf, cooking and reading. Daly has given him a sincere appreciation of the Goldendoodle breed and the drive to create a valuable resource for all those who love the breed.