Dog babies and baby babies - how to prepare
Let me first admit that I am not a dog or pet trainer. Instead, I am simply a dog owner who wants a good transition for you. In fact, much of my expertise has been bringing two kids home to two high anxiety dogs.
When I was pregnant with my first, we had two dogs. One, I assumed would just love the baby because he loved me. The second I wasn’t so sure about. Once, I held one of my friend's little ones and she proceeded to stare at me and bark incessantly. Never a good sign…
Then, the last month of my pregnancy was filled with dog shenanigans
They got into their very first fight, in the snow, outside and resulted in a vet visit for both
They decided to play with a dying bat in the backyard which brought about all sorts of rabies questions to deal with
An old tree fell in our backyard on the fence which created unknown freedom for a couple of hours
They “rescued” a frozen opossum from the snow drift and then brought it to us for “safekeeping”
Obviously, our first go-round was an adventure and we winged it. I don’t want you to wing it, I want you to feel prepared! We prepared with our second and it went so much smoother - and safer.
Here are some common things to consider in advance which were very helpful for us -
Note: Consulting a local fear-free trainer is an essential step!
Makes changes to the dog’s routine well in advance, such as not allowing them on the bed or couch, etc. so it’s not a new rule that can be associated with baby
Walk them with an empty stroller so they get used to the change (and you can teach them not to bite the wheels)
Train them within the baby’s space how you want them to be, either to stay out completely or wait, etc.
Teach them commands that will be useful such as quiet, wait, gentle, etc.
Give them a safe space that not even you go into, such as a bed or crate
Learn the signs of anxiety and reaction by dogs such as lip licking, yawning, whale eyes, licking the baby, etc. There are so many signs that show up early on that they are nervous and need you to notice so they get the space they need.
And some things to do after birth as well…
Bring home a blanket that smells like baby, and a good one with blood and such on it, for them to smell well in advance of you coming home (or in a separate room if you’re birthing at home)
Understand who is the safest human to your dog and have that person not carry/hold the baby when they are introduced
Bring the baby into the room held by someone else entirely if possible (like a grandparent or friend)
Don’t introduce them right away - allow the dog to smell you and your partner(s) and around the baby
Baby should be kept up high at first
Let the dog come to the baby, and not vice versa
Keep an eye out for nervous signs and reward behavior where they disengage or go elsewhere when they’re nervous (a safe bed space without a baby nearby is a great way for the dog to feel safe and that they can get away)
No matter what you do though, some dogs just don’t like babies just like some dogs don’t like other dogs.
So what happened with my two dogs? The older one who I thought would be fine was overwhelmed and nervous. Whenever the baby made a noise, he left the room to go to his safe space.
And the younger one became the baby nurse, watching over her and staying by her side pretty much all the time. My favorite was when my partner would take the baby into the nursery to change their diaper and the dog would look at me like “you’re going to let him do that?” and then she’d follow them in to keep watch.
Dogs and babies take work, and the more prep you do, the easy it will be.
Some more resources to check out:
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/introducing-dog-to-baby/
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/teaching-young-children-respect-dogs/
