Introducing your canine friend to your baby is essential for ongoing family harmony and your child’s safety. The animal kingdom includes Pack psychology, and this is not similar to human behavior. Every dog sees the family they belong to as their family, as their pack and for them to feel settled in a family and live happily, they need to know where they stand in the pack. They need to understand how important they are to you. They need a leader to prepare them for this kind of arrangement. Our pet knows when their territory and personal space is about to be occupied. For many dogs, their most prominent lifestyle can be much disorganized and be demanding to deal with alone.
Connect with a verified veterinarian in minutes. Licensed vets are available 24/7 to answer your questions. No need to worry about your furry family member.
Your furry companion has never seen your baby or heard him cry, so before bringing your baby home it is advisable to have her develop a vital part of the family with how these little ones smell, sound and behave. One of the things your pooch has to be familiar with is the smell of your baby as this will help them adapt without any problems when they are around or with your baby. So before bringing your baby home, it’ll only make sense for you to take a blanket or cloth that has your baby’s smell on it, let your dog sniff it, play with it, and even lay on it. This will let her understand that a significant person is coming into the family.
On getting home, be the first to go in (without your baby for now), your dog should be waiting to welcome you already as always. Take a few minutes to play with her to show that she’s still as important in your life regardless of the new changes that’ll be made soon. This would go a long way to show her you don’t plan on abandoning her. Once you’re done with that, the next thing will be for you to bring in your baby. Once your baby is inside, place him on your dog’s bed for the first introduction. Doing this will let your canine friend know that she is still important, but that there is someone more important than her. Allow her sniff your baby for a while before carrying him on your arm. Move closer to your pet from the side and rub her gently. Doing this will show you if the introduction should continue or if it should be left for a later time when both are calmer because one or both of them may become anxious.
Regardless of the presence of a baby in the house, your furry animal will always need your affection, routine, and attention
All the normal activities you both enjoy together should not be taken away or forgotten about. Feed her like you would if there were no baby, go for walks, visit parks, and play with her. Let your dog know she is still 100% important and loved by giving her some full recognition for the whole day. Also give them some parts as you work out. In most houses, pets are always part of their daily walk, and such things need to continue if you are doing that for your pet. For women, this will also depend on how you had your birth. If you were assisted while giving birth to your baby, you might need little help in taking your pet for a walk because it is good if you have more rest. But if your baby’s birth does not require that, you will enjoy that without needing help to walk around with your dog.
Please do ensure that you do not keep your pet outdoors if they are always with you indoors before the new member of the family arrived. Try to be real with your pet and treat her as the companion she’s always been. You shouldn’t let her feel ignored or abandoned. Give her more food as a reward for understanding behavior, and get her used to new noises. You may need to get out for a walk with your pet because there are sometimes that your baby will increase the rate at which he/she cry during the late afternoon, so you need to ensure you go for a walk during this time.
Dog Aggressive Towards Baby
Your baby has to tread with caution while playing with your pooch. Since he’s is still a young child and isn’t fully aware of the consequences of his actions, it is important that you as the parent supervise a play session. There are some reasons your dog can be aggressive towards baby. A good example should be when your canine friend is having a good time gnawing her bone and your kid thinks it’s a good idea to move closer to her and perhaps best to even touch the bone. This could make your dog angry and might cause her to become aggressive thinking the baby was actually trying to take the bone away. So when you notice your dog is eating or doing something she loves, it’s best if you don’t allow your kid to move closer to especially since you’re still trying to introduce your baby to the dog.
How do you stop an aggressive dog? This might require that you become a little harsh in making decisions here as you need to show clearly that you are the boss. You can either put her in a room alone for some minutes to calm down. In doing so, she will remain calm and know that if such behavior is repeated, she’ll be suffering the same fate or something worse.
Dog Allergies
Dogs develop allergies just like humans, and this could occur at any time, and they can show this sign in many ways
It can be through sneezing or eye discharges, breathing or Nasal Congestion. Diarrhea is also part of it. But one of the most common signs in a dog is skin problem which includes itchy skin, skin sores, and lesions. They can also involve patches of skin that turn red. It could be worse when it is frequently licked and scratched which will not only cause infections but also irritate the skin.
Review symptoms, medications & behavior to keep your pets healthy with a Vet Online in just minutes.
Ask a Vet Live NowDog Jealous of Toddler
Some dog owners do not notice the act of negativity when a new baby is introduced into the family. Dogs are just like us; they can get jealous, they can feel sad, happy, or even excited. When they feel the heat of new things in the family, it can get them jealous. They begin to feel like they’ll be abandoned soon. Signs a dog is jealous of baby is a refusal to eat or play around. So we need to make sure that they are not sad when we are about to introduce the baby to the dog or after the introduction. It’s also important to make sure your dog has been properly socialized before bringing baby home.
Getting a puppy with a toddler
Getting a puppy is quite cute. Enjoying them is perfect. They are always playful, and at times they will want to pounce on their toy and enjoy it. But getting a puppy with a toddler is quite tricky. Am not saying it is not good, but it is difficult when it comes to taking care of them. Both the puppy and toddler requires attention and in fact almost the same amount of care. Doing so might be difficult as most parents have limited time. Getting a puppy alongside with a toddler is not 100% advised, but if you have the strength to care for them at the same time, you can do that. I have raised a lot of beautiful dogs in previous years, and I am aware of the quality everyone is getting.
We have talked about five steps in this article which includes:
- Preparing your dog with the baby smell
This is quite easy. Once you get the blanket that has the baby smell, your pet will be able to understand that a prominent member is coming into the family. You can also get this done by using baby powder or lotion within the house.
- Preparing Them With New Sound
Apart from getting this in a shop, you can obtain such online and play whenever you like. It could be in the night or day. This is just for them to get used to the new changes that are about to happen in the house.
- Take a stroller out for a walk
Like I said earlier that this depends on how you gave birth to your baby. But if you are strong enough, it’s a great idea to go for walks with your dog and your baby. This will make your dog get used to walking with your baby. It is very much simple to teach a dog how to work with a stroller.
- Block off the Nursery
You need to ensure that you start training your dog inside your home. It might look harsh, but I can tell you it is the best. You need to block off the nursery. And like I said you need to space them to avoid accident around your baby. Kids are still learning. They won’t know when your pet is angry or not. Most might think the dog is playing with them not knowing it something else.
- And lastly introduce yourself first
Like I said do not enter the house with the baby at first. You need to do that alone because your pet has missed you and will want to play with you. Let him settle down before coming in with the baby. So let the pet smell the baby carefully when they are settled. With all this, I am sure you won’t have any problem introducing your dog to your baby.
Connect with a verified veterinarian in minutes. Licensed vets are available 24/7 to answer your questions. No need to worry about your furry family member.
Tom
Tom has always loved to write since he was little - he wanted to be either a writer or a veterinary doctor, but he ended up being a professional writer while most of his works are based on animals. He was born in San Francisco but later moved to Texas to continue his job as a writer. He graduated from the University of San Francisco where he studied biotechnology. He is happily married and a soon to be father!
Review symptoms, medications & behavior to keep your pets healthy with a Vet Online in just minutes.
Ask a Vet Live Now