Family Dog Meets New Baby

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     A friend of mine recently told me about the day that he and his wife brought their new baby boy home from the hospital. He said they had both been worried about how Roscoe (their Akita) would react. Roscoe had been the 'baby' of the family for 3 years and he seemed to like it that way.

Fortunately for my friend and his family, Roscoe seemed to love the new baby as much as his parents did. The only problem was that he was a little too curious about this little creature. But as time went on Roscoe adjusted and there have never been any real problems. In fact, Roscoe seemed to attempt to 'babysit' while the baby slept and when he cried Roscoe assumed that it was his duty to alert the parents.

For this family all things worked out well. But in other cases there are sometimes problems when a new baby comes. The fact is that there are some steps you can take to help prepare a dog for the change that is about to take place. This preparation can save a lot of problems for you and your family - the good news is that the preparation is simple.

Include Your Dog In The Preparation

First of all you need to think about things from your dog's perspective. He doesn't know exactly what is happening. He only knows that something is happening. He may see new things coming into the home or a room being painted, or even a room that he used to hang out in now being off limits. But he doesn't understand why.

Planning ahead for your baby includes lots of things - including the fact that you have a dog that will be around. So if you are not already in the habit of keeping your dog groomed now is the time to work on that. After a nice bath and brushing take your dog into the nursery and allow him to look around and smell the scent of the new items. Help him to understand what is happening.

Plans For Helping Your Dog Adjust To A New Routine

As a new parent your schedule will change because your baby will decide when it is time to sleep and eat. That's just how it is. This is usually not a problem for most dogs to adjust to - that is, except for younger dogs, puppies and teenage dogs. These dogs are full of energy and they do not necessarily adjust to taking naps when the baby does. This can work out well though, because it can mean that while the baby naps you can spend more time you're your dog.

If your dog is older and somewhat set in his ways you may want to provide a quiet corner for his bed, so he can continue with his naps undisturbed. Remember that this transition is totally new for him.

Before Bringing The Baby In

Please don't make the mistake of simply walking in the dog 'unannounced' to your dog upon return home from the hospital with your new baby. He will have missed you and he will be expecting to spend time with you - he will also expect that he will be the center of your attention.

Before you come in with the baby have someone else take in a blanket or other item that the baby has touched so the dog can smell it. But be sure to lavish the dog with praise, hugs, and even a treat. This will help him associate the baby's smell with good things.

No matter how mild tempered you think your little (or big) dog is, DO NOT leave him alone with your newborn baby. Your dog still isn't quite sure what this little thing is all about. He doesn't know that the baby is here to stay - and if he did he may not like the idea.

Small babies often move in little jerks which can set off instincts in dogs. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be the instinct to chase and kill animals. Keep a close watch on how your dog behaves around the baby for the first few days. Let him know that he has not been forgotten just as you would an older sibling of the new baby.

With a little planning and effort the family dog will love the new baby as much as he loves his parents. In fact, in most cases, the family dog ends up behaving as though he is the baby's third parent!