Are you having a baby?
Are you worried about how the puppy in your home will react to the arrival of a new baby in the family?
Don’t worry!
With a little planning and practice, adding a new baby won’t be as traumatic as you may think for your furry friend.
Let’s start with some of the key steps you must take.
Essential Guidelines:
No doubt, it would be very hectic and stressful once your baby is in the world. Thus, the last few months of your pregnancy would be the best time to work with your dog and smooth the transition for them.
- Allow Them To Establish Your Authority
With the assistance of the training program for your puppy, help them establish your dominance.
Be the alpha and take on the role of the top dog in the family to maintain your authority and set clear rules and boundaries.
- Keep The Nursery Off Limits For Them
To maintain barriers, make sure to keep your dog from the nursery.
Make sure to teach them commands like “on your mat, or “on your bed” to condition them to leave the area when you use these words.
Besides that, the basic commands they learned in the group dog training program, like “sit” and “stay,” would be equally helpful to keep them from entering the nursery.
- Brush Up Their Skills
Whether your dog is already trained or not, adding some new advanced skills won’t harm them.
Train them in new commands, make sure they respond to all the verbal cues, no matter where they come from, and free yourself from giving visual or hand cues.
- Ignore Attention-Seeking Behavior
Make sure to ignore the habits like pawing, scratching, or barking at you that they do to attract attention. Instead, give them attention when they don’t demand it. It will help them learn to wait and reward them for their patients with treats.
- Prepare New Routine
Normally, your attention will shift to your baby, and this change would make your dog jealous of your child.
Train them gradually to adjust to the changes so that they don’t resent your baby for taking away your attention.
Or you can opt to hire a dog walker beforehand to let them get familiar with a new person in their life.
- Make Them Familiar With Baby’s Belongings & Smell
Without a doubt, dogs have an excellent sense of smell, so gradually familiarise them with your baby’s fragrance with objects or toys. It ensures that they stay a few inches away from them, even before you ask your dog to leave.
It ultimately teaches them to maintain a respectful distance from your baby and his belongings.
- Discourage Them From Jumping Around The Baby
Although little babies make them very excited, it is not safe until your baby grows a little.
Make sure to discourage your dog from jumping or hopping around the baby to protect them and help them be safe around each other.
The Big Day
Once you have your baby, make sure their encounter with the little fur ball is positive.
For that, you can send a piece of clothing that carries your and the baby’s scent so that they can sniff it and recognize the baby when she comes home.
When you come back home, let your dog greet you before meeting your little one. Then, patiently allow the dog to see, sniff, and greet her.
Be calm, soft, and cheerful to your dog, and treat them with some treats for their good behaviour. It will help them associate this new change with a good one!
If you couldn’t train your dog on your own, make sure to take assistance of professional training program for puppy and enjoy a smooth transition!