Doggy Mentor

Worrying over how their dog will behave when the new baby comes home can cause dog owners a huge amount of anxiety.

However, there are many steps you can begin to take immediately you find out that you are going to have a baby, which will help the transition to be a smooth one…

For heaps of useful tips on how to prepare to introduce your baby to your dog, check out Preparing Your Dog For The Arrival Of Your New Baby

It may be a good idea to cut back on the amount of time you give to your dog, as you may have less time to give him when the baby arrives.

You may want to consider shortening and adjusting the times of your dogs walks now as well.

Say to both your doctor and your vet that you are going to have a baby and that you own a dog – they may have some helpful advice on how to prepare.

Reinforce your dogs’ obedience training so that you can count on him to
carry out your commands.

Keep going over these commands, even after your baby has arrived.

You’ll need to be certain that you can count upon your dogs’ obedience when you bring your baby home.

Pretend to carry out some of the new tasks that you will have to do when the baby comes home – bathing the baby or changing his nappy, for example, so that your dog can get used to them.

Have your dog obey your commands whilst you complete these tasks.

Cradle a doll with a blanket to get the dog used to you cradling and talking to the baby.

Be sure to give your dog a treat for being obedient to your instructions whilst doing this.

Getting your dog used to wearing a muzzle at this point will give you reassurance that he will be comfortable wearing one at a later stage if required.

If the dog is used to getting a lot of attention from the ‘mum to be’, ensure that someone else in the family develops an equally strong bond with the dog.

This will stop the dog from feeling neglected when the baby arrives.

If you want to read more useful tips and helpful advice on preparing your dog for the arrival of your new baby, I recommend you take a look at Introducing Your New Baby To Your Dog

Let your dog to become used to the sounds of the baby toys which will be played with in the house.

Make sure that the dogs toys look very different from the new baby toys, so your dog does not become confused as to which ones he can play with.

Also, allow you dog to become familiar with the new smells which will be around the house, such as baby milk and sterilising solution.

Once your baby has arrived, bring an item of his clothing home, and leave it lying around for your dog to get used to the babies smell.

While mum and baby are in the hospital, make sure that your dog is looked after at home to reduce stress.

I hope you’ve found this article useful – there are plenty more tips on what to do once you bring your baby home at  Bringing Your New Baby Home To Meet Your Dog

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