Introducing a baby to your dog can be a delicate situation. Going over basic commands and obedience will help to ensure that the transition is smooth. Once you have gone through the basic obedience steps and made sure your pet has at least got use to the sights and sounds of having a baby in the house, you can take these additional steps to ensure an ever lasting friendship between your baby and your dog.

Baby Blanket

Everybody has a distinct smell, regardless of how much you clean and cover yourself with perfume or lotion. Your body has a unique make-up that's special to you and your dog can smell it. Bringing home the hospital baby blanket before bringing home the baby can help get your pet become familiar with the smell of your newborn, thus reducing the initial confusion when your new baby arrives.

Pet First

When you're ready to bring the baby home make sure you enter the house first to greet your pets and let them settle down before bringing in a baby. Dogs are pack animals and as such they are often extremely excited to see you (the pack leader) come home. By allowing the excitement to fade before bringing in your new baby, your dog can great the new baby without the extra excitement.

                                                        Photo courtesy of blacksheepcardigans.com

Pet Attention

Make sure you pay attention to your pet as usual and especially while paying attention to your newborn. This will reduce the chances that your pet will feel like you have forgotten about them and reduce negative behavior. Dogs may develop uncommon behavior like digging in the trash, peeing on the carpet, food aggression, etc. By making sure you show your dog the same amount of attention as before, you will essentially be reassuring your dog and letting them know they are not forgotten and still have a place in the pack. 

Bringing home a baby to your home with pets can be a difficult situation if you don't take the time to prepare your pets. I hope these tips help you ensure a smooth transition and allow you to completely enjoy the newest addition to your family. If I can be of any assistance feel free to email me at sarah@sarahmartinhomes.com.