How to manage dogs and babies at home

How To Manage Dogs And Babies At Home

Note: this is page 2 of our tips on dogs and babies at home - page 1 is here: Introducing you dog and your new baby

Now that your baby has been born, you’ll need to manage both your dogs and babies needs at the same time. If you’ve followed the tips on page 1 introducing dog and baby, you’re off to a great start – so here’s what you’ll need to do from here ...

Make sure that mum is not carrying the baby as she enters the house for the first time since having the baby. This will allow her and the dog to greet each other properly - don’t reprimand the dog for being excited at this point - remember your dog will be excited to see mum again after her time away! Instead, for both the dogs and babies sake, make sure that your baby is safely in another room with someone else at this time

After mum and dog have said hello, encourage your dog to become calm. It is very important that you’re able to command your dog to be calm at this point, as this is the only state in which you should consider introducing baby into the room. Give him a treat for calming down and obeying your commands.

When introducing dogs and babies, your dog should be leashed at all times. Start with them being a good distance apart – opposite ends of the room if possible - and talk calmly and reassuringly to the dog as you slowly bring baby closer. Do not rush this process – it is vital that this takers place in a calm, happy and relaxed atmosphere. If your dog attempts to jump, or growls at the baby, or shows signs that he is becoming anxious, he should be removed from the room. At this stage, avoid making the common mistake of trying to reassure your dog by stroking him and telling him "It's ok" in a comforting voice – he may interpret this as being confirmation that his anxious behaviour is appropriate. Just firmly tell him ‘No’, and quietly remove him from the room, only returning when he has calmed down and is in a relaxed and obedient state of mind.

If the dog remains calm, he can now be allowed to sniff the baby. He should still be leashed at this point. Continue to reward him for calm acceptable behaviour around the baby, maintaining control by continuing with the ‘sit’, ‘stay’ and ‘lie down’ commands.

Allow your dog to remain around your baby for progressively longer periods as they get used to each other. Once it is clear that your dog is relaxed and calm around the baby, you may consider letting the dog off the leash, but when you do so, ensure that there are always at least two people around to supervise. You may want to consider using the muzzle at this stage for peace of mind.

Make sure that your dog gets plenty of undivided attention during these first few days – we want him to see as many positive benefits from the arrival of the new baby as possible.

If there are going to be times when you are left alone in the house with dog and baby, make sure that you either tether the dog to a strong piece of furniture (hopefully you will already have got him used to this), or consider using a baby gate to maintain a physical barrier between you. This ensures both your dogs and babies safety, but also allows your dog to observe you both, and feel connected with what is going on.

Remember – no matter how much you trust your pet, dogs and babies should never be left alone in a room together, even for the briefest of moments.

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