Getting the dog ready for baby.

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Those that know me (and my husband) know that we love our dog more than pretty much anything in the world – at least until we had a child. It is one of those things that people say which is in fact true though – “you think you love your dog, wait until you have a kid…” I’d say that the love I have for my child is truly so immense that it is hard to describe. BUT the thing they don’t tell you is that having a child and seeing your dog love and care for that child will make you love them even more! I heard about said phenomenon in regards to a partner, ie: seeing my partner love and care for my child will create a new bond and deepen the love. I have found the same hold true for my first child, my dog, Brick.

To truly love a dog is to support them throughout their lives, not only with meeting basic needs (veterinary care, food, shelter, affection, training) but also preparing them for life. As soon-to-be parents, we spend a lot of time preparing our homes, minds and loved ones for the soon to be big change. Our dogs deserve that same preparation and consideration as well.

Huge disclaimer – This post, and all my dog related posts, are NOT a replacement for formal training. I am a firm believer that at some point, ideally earlier rather than later, all dogs should go to formal training classes. Whether the first dog or the one thousandth dog, a puppy or an older dog, or a pure breed or a rescue; it doesn’t matter. Training for both the dog and human together as a team in a formal setting is so important to learn the skills needed by both parties to be happy and successful.

Our dog Brick is Therapy Dog International (TDI) certified as well as a Canine Good Citizen (CGC). Many many hours have gone into formal training with him as well as continued education. It is an accomplishment that we all take pride in and the training has helped us grow as handlers and as a family. I have no doubt that Brick’s training has impacted his ability to interact calmly with Poppy.

That being said, dogs are still animals and you need to monitor the situation, read their feelings and always supervise the family together. You do not have to invest all of the time in the world into working towards a therapy dog certification to have a dog that is happy and safe in your family, but the more time you spend preparing and supporting your furry friend, the better the outcome will be for everyone.

Many of these tips were presented to us by our trainer, Marsha Robbins, who has a magical way with dogs but is also just the most fantastic person. We put our real life experience and twist on these tips and they are shared with her permission. [If you’re in the Pittsburgh area, check her out, seriously. She is at Humane Animal Rescue (HAR) on the North Shore].

So, without further suspense, here are some tips to prepare the pup in the months PRIOR to baby’s arrival.

✴ Work on basic training with positive reinforcement and frequent treat use. Have high value treats available (cheese sticks, chicken or a moist treat). My personal opinion is that the most useful command in dog training is “look” – obtaining your dog’s attention and making eye contact. Work on stating the command “look” and reinforcing eye contact with a reward (treat). Do this initially without external stimulus and once proficient add in stimuli for an increased challenge. The ability to refocus the dog’s attention from a stressful situation back onto the handler is immeasurable. If you have their attention, you can then guide them on what to do next and help them to feel at ease.
Basic training commands that are also so useful are sit, down, stay, come and touch (nose tap onto your open palm). It’s a good idea to avoid “giving paw” or other tricks that encourage feet up in the error as you do not want baby to be accidentally struck.  

✴ Be sure all the baby items (for example: pack n play, swings, rockers, bassinet, rocking chairs) are set up much in advance so the dog has time to see all the equipment and adjust to it as normal in the home.

✴Assess the sleeping situation for all. Baby will likely sleep in the parent’s bedroom for several months initially. Assess where the bassinet or pack-n-play will best fit and if this will require rearrangement of the room/dog’s sleeping situation change this early on and gradually. Consider transitioning the dog from sleeping on the bed and even in the bedroom as that may be a necessity for safety and minimizing new changes after baby is born is best. Additionally, it will decrease some possessive-type feelings the dog may have based on location.

✴ Have a spot/space that is the dog’s in each main living location. Options include a crate (I’m a huge fan of proper crate training as its a great safe space for animals to feel comfort), a dog bed or even a soft rug.

✴ If you don’t plan on allowing the dog in the nursery in the future, don’t let him/her in prior to baby being born. (ie: don’t let him/her in now but once the baby comes home close the door)

✴ If you have a swing (especially a motorized one), place a doll or stuffed animal in it, turning it on on all settings. Additionally, place a phone with baby noises (crying, cooing, etc.) in the seat to simulate the baby. Every time they even look at it and are calm, give a treat and positively reinforce with praising words. This may be challenging and scary at first. Start small and be consistent!

✴ Have lots of “long-time” entertainment toys at the ready.
Examples:
– Frozen Kong Classic Toys (be sure to have the correct size for the dog’s weight and the right thickness for their chewer level). Our favorite items to fill the Kong’s with are peanut butter (jif or natural), pumpkin, plain yogurt and/or unsweetened apple sauce. Place in a reusable ziplock bag (or a standard ziplock bag used many times) in the freezer.
– Water buffalo horns
– Himalayan cheese chews
– Antlers (be sure to buy high quality to minimize splintering)
Warning – Some of these things require more supervision than others and this obviously depend on the dog’s level of chewing. We are a big fan of the frozen Kongs for our dog as they require the least supervision for us as he is not a heavy chewer and they were the most enticing.

Tip: Check out your local pet store for some of these options. Kongs are easily purchased online but the other items are often most reliable at a local store. And shopping small is a great support of your community!

I’d love to hear the stories about your fur babies, human babies and all related stories in the comments below.

Let’s talk soon,
Al