Bringing a new baby into your home is an adjustment in many ways. Preparing your dog for a new baby is undoubtedly important. Dogs are incredibly sensitive to changes in your home. Unusual noises, strange smells, and a new person in the house can leave your dog feeling anxious if they aren’t prepared for these changes.
If your dog has never been around children, preparing them for your new baby is even more critical. As a pet owner, it’s your responsibility to consider your dog when bringing a new baby into the house. These tips can help maintain peace in your home during the transition of bringing your new baby home.
Tips for Preparing Your Dog for the Arrival of a Baby
Let’s get right into the business!
Create a Schedule
The first thing you should do is to make a schedule for your pet. Your baby will be on a schedule that may be different to your animal. You need to make your pet comfortable with the new changes. Your dog can catch on quickly, but it will take some effort on your part. You can talk to your local dog trainer to help with tips for your specific circumstances.
Introduce New Sounds and Smells Before Bringing Baby Home
Newborns make a lot of noise and often show their emotions by crying. Loud sounds may cause dogs to become distressed, irritated, and annoyed. So, before the baby is born, expose your pet to similar sounds. When your baby is born, have someone bring a piece of clothing or blanket with their scent home before bringing the baby home. Exposing your dog to the baby’s scent can ease the transition.
Work As a Team
Work as a team to help your dog through the transition. Dogs thrive on balance. Have one family member in charge of feeding and another in charge of walking. Sharing the responsibilities doesn’t just help your animal, but it takes the stress off of your family members. You can involve your baby in creative ways by taking a walk with the dog and the baby. This will allow your dog to associate the baby’s presence with positive things.
Create a Balance with Attention
You can help your pets adjust by gradually spending less time with them now. This will help limit the jealousy that sometimes occurs when your new baby suddenly gets all your attention. Dogs do much better adapting to slow adjustments than immediate changes. If your dog is used to getting all their attention from one person in your household, start to split the attention between other family members. This will give your dog someone else to bond to when you are busy with the baby.
It’s critical to establish boundaries before your new baby comes home. Enforcing changes in advance can help prevent your dog from feeling jealous and resentful towards your new baby.
Contact It’s a Dog’s World K9 Academy Today for More Tips
If you have a new baby coming into your home, we’re here to help. Contact It’s a Dog’s World K9 Academy for tips from a Rancho Cucamonga dog training professional.