You’ve read the books. You’ve decorated the nursery. And you’ve bought every baby product on your list. You feel confident and ready to bring your bundle of joy into the world. One thing that may be hampering your confidence is your family canine. How will they respond? Will they be aggressive? Will they feel left out? When I was pregnant with my first baby, I doted on our dog, Buster, a lot. He was friendly with our family and friends, but every once in a while he would bark or lunge at strangers during his walk. I was worried that he might not accept my new baby. I knew if the situation got really bad that we would have to give up Buster for adoption. This was an idea that made me sick to my stomach. So I was determined to do everything that I could to make sure that they were fast friends.
Here are the solutions that I came across:
- Gradually cut back on the amount of attention you give your dog. This sounds mean, but it is necessary. If your attention stops as soon as the baby arrives your dog will make that connection. I am not saying you should lock your dog in the bedroom and only let them out for meal time. But you should try to get an idea of how much of your time will be devoted to your new baby and try to implement that into your daily routine a few months ahead of time.
- Get your dog acclimated to the sound of crying. Believe it or not, there are DVDs that you can buy. Or you can watch those learning channel shows about having a baby or bringing home your baby. They tend to have a lot of crying. Be sure to turn it up during the crying segments. Again this is not to be cruel, but it is something they will need to get used to.
- Have your partner bring a blanket home from the hospital that the baby was swaddled in prior to bringing the baby home. This will help you dog to get used to your baby’s scent.
- Have a neutral person carry your baby through the door the first time you come home. This way you can greet your dog as usual before s/he meets the baby.
- It is essential to introduce your dog to your baby when you come home from the hospital. This shows your dog that your baby is part of your “pack”. You should have your dog on a leash during the first few encounters so that they can be restrained if necessary.
I think that dogs have a natural understanding about your baby during your pregnancy. Buster stopped jumping up on my stomach when I began showing during my pregnancy. And when he sniffed my son’s blanket, he was very cautious and gentle around it. Now Buster is very loving and protective of both of my boys. He takes care of them as if they were his own little pups. I don’t know how much the above steps impacted this relationship. But I like the think that they helped Buster transition into this new chapter of our family.
