Chances are your dog is going to be overly excited when you walk through the door with the new baby. Aside from the new bundle of unfamiliar smells and sounds is the fact that he probably hasn’t seen “mom” for at least a day or so. He’s bound to be excited when you walk through the door.
Many dogs are very tolerant of small children, but it’s still important to be aware of the potential dangers to your baby. There are precautions you can take to keep your baby safe, especially once he is crawling and beginning to start walking.
- Never leave the baby alone with the dog even for a second. Dogs can become agitated by the sounds and movements of a baby. Dogs have been known to try to move a baby by carrying the baby in their mouths the way a mother dog might do with her puppies. Other dogs have hurt babies because the baby moves and sounds like prey.
- If you have to go to answer the phone or the door or just get the baby bottle from the other room, take the baby with you or take the dog with you or close a door or a gate to keep them apart. Even a few seconds is too long to leave a dog alone with a baby.
- Keep your baby off the floor when the dog is around.
- Avoid face to face contact between dog and baby.
- Keep the dog well exercised. Hire someone to watch the baby or exercise the dog if you can’t manage. Your dog will need to burn off that extra energy just as they did before the baby was introduced to the home.
- Be sure the dog has at least 10-15 minutes of one-on-one training time with someone each day. Dogs are just like us, and can be thrown off by sudden changes to their daily lives.
- Be sure that the dog has a crate or other safe place where he can be content to be away from the baby. He should have a special bone and chews toys to enjoy in this space.
- Use only positive reinforcement-based training methods with the dog. Never punish or scold the dog in the presence of the baby. You want all associations with the baby to be positive in the dog’s mind.
- Keep some treats on hand for the first few days or so after bringing baby home. Try to remember to give your dog some treats and praise any time he is remaining calm and well-behaved when the baby is nearby.
This will teach your dog that having the baby around means good things happen for him.
- Be very careful with moving baby items such as swings. Some dogs can very excited by these. Never leave the baby in the swing alone with the dog in the room even if the baby is asleep, even if they are both asleep!
If you have any concerns at all about your dog’s behavior or attitude towards the baby, seek professional help right away.
These tips are precautionary, and should be taken seriously. In all likelihood, your dog is going to love the new addition to your family, and to his. So make sure that their relationship starts off on a fantastic yet safe paw.
Keep on living life with your best friend!
