What to Expect When Dogs & Babies Meet — See the Cutest Moments Caught on Video
Dog owners preparing to bring home a new baby have an extra set of challenges facing them. Even dogs who have been around other young family members and babies may struggle to adjust to sharing their homes with an infant. The prospect of keeping your baby safe and your dog happy can be anxiety-provoking, but taking a little time to prepare your dog can make a huge difference.
These are bits of advice to prepare and get your family dogs accustomed to some of the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of living with a baby. Even if your dog is a little skeptical of your newborn, you can create a safe environment for their relationship to blossom.
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Preparing Your Dog For The Arrival Of a New Baby
If you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or otherwise preparing to bring a new baby home, the best time to start getting your dog acclimated to living with a newborn is now!
If you are the person carrying the baby, the sooner you can start working with your dog, the better. The final months of pregnancy can be tough on the body, and you should be giving yourself time to rest. Here’s what you can do well ahead of your baby being born to help your dog adjust.
1. Reinforce Basic Commands
Reinforcing or teaching your dog basic commands—like sit, stay, lie down, and leave it—is essential before you bring home a newborn. You won’t have time to repeat commands over and over, and a dog that doesn’t know their commands could put themselves or your baby in danger.
Positive reinforcement and repetition are your best friends to help your dog nail their basic commands.
2. Adjust Daily Routines
At least 3-5 months before your baby is born, you should begin adjusting your daily routine. You can’t predict everything that will change when you have a baby, but there are routine changes you can help your dog be prepared for.
For example, if you usually take your dog for a long walk first thing in the morning, you should adjust their schedule to a shorter potty break in the morning. Your baby will need you almost 24/7 for the first few months, and maintaining hard-and-fast routines like long walks can be very difficult. Eventually, your routine will become easier and more stable, and you can begin to include things like regularly scheduled long walks again.
3. Introduce New Sights, Sensations, Sounds and Smells
To avoid your dog being overly suspicious of your new baby, start to add things like the sound of a baby crying—for example on a phone—the smell of baby wipes, and the sight of you holding the baby in a swaddle or car seat. While a doll isn’t necessarily a good tool for helping your dog adjust to living with a baby, carrying something like a baby blanket while playing the sound of a baby crying can make the real deal feel less shocking for your dog.
You should also teach your dog to handle light tugging, pulling, pinching, or touching to give them an idea of how the baby might interact with them.
How To Introduce Your Dog To Your Newborn
Once your baby is born, you’ll need to balance giving your dog positive attention and enforcing boundaries. Here are just a few things you can do during those first months with your newest family member.
1. Parents First: Greet Your Dog When You Arrive Home
Once you come home from the hospital, or the first time your dog sees you after the baby is born, greet your dog without your baby. Give your dog a chance to get excited, smell you, and release the nervous energy they’ve had being away from you.
2. Acclimation Period: Baby Comes Home
After your dog has gotten to greet you, it’s time to bring your baby inside. Have at least one person present to focus on the dog, give them treats, redirect them, and reinforce any positive interest in the baby. The dog doesn’t need to physically meet the baby at this point, you can do an immediate introduction, or wait a few days. If you wait, continue letting the dog be in the same room without interacting with the baby while an adult gives them treats and positive reinforcement with some gentle direction.
3. Calm Introductions: The First Time Dogs and Babies Meet
The first time you let the dog and baby meet, stay calm. Keep your voice low, and have at least one adult to gently manage your dog’s behavior and emotional state. You can let your dog gently sniff the baby, but continue to reinforce boundaries and keep your dog from physically overwhelming the baby.
Pay close attention to body language, and end the meet and greet on a positive note or the moment you start to see your dog’s body language change from happy or interested to nervous or hyper-focused.
After The Adjustment Period: Keeping Your Dog and Baby Safe
As your baby grows, your dog will face new challenges. Many dogs have never seen a human crawl, and the baby learning to move could be stressful for your pup. Anticipating these changes and doing your best to slowly adjust your dog can help keep both them and your kids safe.
Always supervise dogs and babies, toddlers, or young children, even if your dog has never shown signs of jealousy or reactivity towards your kids.
If you are struggling to make adjustments or aren’t sure how to acclimate your dog, consulting with an animal behaviorist or dog trainer can be a big help.
Dogs and Babies FAQ
Is my dog jealous of my new baby?
Possibly! Having a jealous dog and newborn baby to care for can be super stressful, but I promise your dog won’t be feeling jealous forever. A lot of changes happen when you bring home a newborn, and your dog will need to relearn what kind of attention to expect. Making lifestyle and routine changes before a baby comes home can help reduce unwanted behaviors in jealous dogs with new baby family members.
Why did my dog’s behaviors change after I got a new baby?
Because their life has changed! Even if you don’t have a jealous dog and newborn baby, dogs can begin to show unexpected behavior when something in their life changes drastically. The more you do to prepare your dog ahead of your baby being born the fewer unexpected or uncharacteristic behaviors you’ll see.
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