Pet Insurance

One of the biggest concerns a dog owner has is how their furry friend will react to a new baby being brought home. Some dogs can get really jealous when a baby is brought into the home due to all the attention the baby receives. There are instances where these types of situations have caused dogs to violently attack newborns, but these are rare and can be easily avoided by preparing your dog for the new arrival before the baby is even born.

One of the first steps you can take to prepare your puppy for the arrival of a new child in the family is to set up your baby’s room well before the baby’s birth. Set up the baby’s crib, toys, and playpen before the baby is born and allow your pooch to sniff around at all the stuff. There will be a ton of new stuff in the room with a ton of new smells to go along with them.

Allowing your dog to sniff around will decrease his curiosity when the baby is actually born. It may be a good idea to get some type of tape with baby crying and other noises on it to help the dog get used to all the new sounds that will be coming along with your new bundle of joy. Be sure to let your pet know that he is not allowed anywhere near the crib for any reason. If you have a jumpy dog you may want to consider purchasing a mesh cover for your baby’s crib.

Another tip for helping your dog to feel comfortable around your newborn is to expose him to other people’s babies. Invite family and friends that you know have babies over to your house and allow your dog to sniff the baby. Make sure you keep the pooch away from the baby’s face, just to be on the safe side. It’s a new experience for the dog and it may be intimidated at first, so be gentle with your dog as well. You may also want to consider sprinkling some baby powder around the house, as this will help your dog get used to the scent.

After your baby is born and you bring the new arrival home, be sure to allow your dog to sniff at the baby. Again, keep the dog away from the baby’s face and if your dog behaves well, give him a treat and reward him for doing so well. Again, being gentle is extremely important, as this is a whole new world of experience for the dog as well as the baby.

The key to helping your dog become accepting of your baby is to keep your pup involved in family activities. Make sure you still spend some quality time with your dog so that your pet will know he is still part of the family. Play with your dog while your baby is sleeping. Eventually your baby will learn that the dog is friendly and they will have a ton of fun playing together. Take the dog along when you go for family walks. These are just a few things you can do to make your dog still feel like he’s part of the family.

While it may seem intimidating and scary to bring a newborn home with a pet around, don’t be too apprehensive. If you did your best to prepare the pup for the new baby, you probably won’t have much to worry about at all, and over time your baby will become your pup’s new best friend.