How to Introduce Dog to Baby
Are you an expecting parent of a new baby and trying to figure out how you are going to introduce your dog to baby? If you are lets start by hoping that you have found this article before you bring your bundle of joy home and not the day after. Either way we will help you with the best steps to making an introduction between dog and baby!
Is it OK to have dogs around newborns?
Bringing home a new baby can be a very stressful experience and the last thing that you need is to have to worry about how to introduce your dog to your new baby. Introducing dogs and babies can be an easy, peaceful, and safe experience if you follow the necessary steps.
Prep Work Before Introducing Dog and Baby (before baby comes home)
While you are pregnant use this time to evaluate your dog’s behavior. Are there things that your dog does that would cause issues with your baby? Are they bad with people or other dogs? Do they tend to jump or constantly get into things? Here are some things to do:
- Socialize Your Dog
- Do exercises around crib/stroller/car seat etc.
- Make the babies room their own place
Did you get a baby gate or dog gate?
Ensuring a safe environment for your newborn and canine companion is crucial. When you bring a baby home, integrating a baby gate or fence becomes an essential step in this process. Firstly, it provides secure spaces for both your baby and dog to play and rest, safeguarding them from potential accidents.
Moreover, this separation aids in gradually introducing your pet to the new family member, fostering a positive relationship from the start. Importantly, it also gives you peace of mind, knowing you've taken a proactive step in creating a harmonious and safe household for everyone involved. Investing in a baby gate or fence is not just about safety; it's about nurturing a loving environment where both your baby and dog can thrive together.
Did you already bring your baby home?
If you missed taking these steps during your pregnancy it isn't the end of the world. You can still work on them now. But we recommend not letting your dog around your baby yet. If your dog has any issues you need to address, we'd recommend contact a trainer immediately to help you get started on a fast action training plan.
1. Ensure Your Dog is Good Around Other People and Kids
Make sure that you teach your dog to be calm around your home. This includes teaching your dog not to jump on, bark at, or paw at you or anyone coming into the home. If they do something to an adult that you wouldn’t want him doing to a baby you need to work on stopping that behavior.
2. Exercises that you can do with your dog
When you first put your baby on the couch or on the ground do you want your dog racing over in an excited state trying to see the new “thing”? Of course not, so you need to set up that specific situation and work on it. Once you have covered the basics of respecting humans you can start working on some exercises designed to teach the dog how to control his impulses.
Treadmill train your dog
Treadmill training your dog is an innovative way to ensure they receive adequate exercise, especially when your attention is needed caring for a baby. You'll need all the extra time you can get with the newest member of your family, this method allows your furry friend to burn off energy and stay healthy. It's important to start slow, allowing your dog to get accustomed to the treadmill's movement and noise. With patience and positive reinforcement, your dog can enjoy their workouts, giving you peace of mind knowing they're active and happy.
- Variable Speeds for Versatile Workouts ~ With a maximum speed of 6.2mph, this folding treadmill accommodates various fitness levels
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Putting Items on the Floor
One exercise is to work with putting something new and exciting on the floor and “claiming” it from the dog. This just means teaching the dog that it belongs to you and they don't need to worry about it. I will start by bringing in a new toy that will excite the dog and placing it onto the floor while telling the dog to “leave it”. If the dog is unable to control himself I will push him away from the toy and might even put a leash on him to walk with him around the toy.
I work on this until the toy can be left out and the dog basically ignores it. The goal of this exercise is that the dog learns they can’t smell and touch everything they want to. While practicing it is extremely important that the dog is NEVER given that specific toy. If you tell him “ok” and let him race to the toy after every practice session you might actually make the situation worse. When this becomes easy with a specific toy I will then practice the same thing with some type of food. Pick something that will be difficult (steak, hamburger…) and basically treat the food like it is your baby. Do not ever the leave the food unattended and make sure that the dog can completely ignore it.
Working around Crate/Stroller/Car Seats
Once you have acquired each of these items, we recommend working with your dog on the same claiming exercise that we discussed above. You should do this before the baby comes home and without the baby in them. We are looking to teach them that these items are off limits and they shouldn't go sniffing, pawing, or jumping in them.
Make the Babies Room a Dog Free Zone
We recommend making your babies future nursery a no go zone for the dogs. Again, do this before the baby is home so that it is easier for you. Having the baby room be a no-go zone allows a place for your baby to crawl and be free from you having to worry about the dogs.
You can watch our Podcast where our expert dog trainers discuss how they went about introducing dogs to baby's in their own homes:
