Why It’s Important to Prepare Your Dog for a New Baby
Bringing a new baby into your home is a huge change and adjustment for everyone, including your beloved family dog. Preparing Fido for your bundle of joy ahead of time will make the transition much smoother and reduce stress on both your pet and the baby.
Without proper preparation, many dogs may react negatively to a new baby with behaviors like barking, growling or even nipping. Helping your dog gradually get used to baby smells, sounds and equipment they will encounter allows you to monitor concerning reactions and intervene with training if needed. Additionally, establishing rules and routines like regular exercise, training reinforcement and independent play time are key to preventing sibling rivalry behaviors down the line.
Taking the time to ready your dog for major lifestyle changes shows them that they are still a loved, priority member of your growing family. When done properly, preparation ensures safe, calm interactions with your new arrival for a less chaotic and more harmonious home.
Train basic commands
Having a dog that responds reliably to basic commands like sit, stay, come, down, and leave it will make life with a new baby much easier. According to sources, teaching these commands teaches your dog self-control and makes them more obedient. For example, teaching your dog the “leave it” command prevents them from getting into things like dirty diapers or baby toys.
Focus your training on the following key commands:
- Sit – Teaches obedience and self-control
- Stay – Prevents jumping on or bothering baby
- Come – Ensures dog comes when called and doesn’t run off
- Down – Keeps dog settled and calm around baby
- Leave it – Prevents getting into unsafe items
Reinforce these commands consistently using positive reinforcement training methods in preparation for baby’s arrival.
Get the dog comfortable with baby items
Before bringing your newborn baby home, it’s important to let your dog get familiar with the various baby items like the crib, stroller, swing, toys, etc. As suggested by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), you should “Let your dog investigate by placing an item that smells like the baby, such as a receiving blanket or article of clothing, in a quiet place for him to smell and inspect.”
Your dog may be apprehensive or excited about these unfamiliar new objects suddenly appearing in their space. Allow them plenty of time to explore the baby’s things, like gently chewing on a toy or tentatively climbing into the empty crib or stroller (with supervision of course!). Getting used to these items ahead of time will help make their actual encounters with the baby less stressful later on.
Be patient during this adjustment period and provide ample positive reinforcement with treats and praise as your dog investigates. You want them to develop purely positive associations with the baby’s items. Avoid scolding curious sniffing or nibbling, as that can cause your dog to later view the baby’s things as something unpleasant or scary. Make it an engaging, calm experience for your pup.
Accustom dog to noises
One way to prepare your dog for the new noises that will come with a baby is to play recordings of typical baby sounds. This allows the dog to get used to noises like crying, laughter, babbling, etc. so these sounds are not alarming when the actual baby arrives.
Try playing recordings of a baby crying, laughing, and making other noises. Start with very low volume and provide treats and praise. Gradually increase the volume over multiple sessions to get your dog more comfortable with loud baby noises. Start playing the recordings in multiple rooms of your home so your dog learns the sounds can occur anywhere.
You can also test your dog’s reaction yourself by mimicking baby noises like crying. Reward calm behavior and correct any anxious reactions. The goal is to completely desensitize your dog to these sounds over time, well before the baby arrives.
Be patient and realize it may take regular repetition and training over several weeks for your dog to become fully comfortable. But putting in this effort will pay off so your dog’s behavior doesn’t regress once baby noises do occur. Ensure other family members participate as well so your dog doesn’t associate the sounds with just you.
Reinforce housetraining
Dogs may regress with a new baby, so it’s important to reinforce housetraining. According to the AKC, the key to potty training puppies is taking them out frequently and rewarding successes: “Take your puppy outside frequently, at least every two hours, and immediately after they wake up, during and after playing, and after eating or drinking.”
For adult dogs, you may need to re-train them if accidents start happening in the home. The PAWS organization recommends tethering them to you so you can monitor them and taking them out every few hours. Watch for signs they need to go like circling or sniffing. Always reward successful potty trips outside with praise and treats.
Essentially, be prepared to take dogs out more often when the baby arrives. Regressions can happen but staying patient and consistent with training will get them back on track.
Update feeding schedule
A dog’s feeding schedule will likely need adjusting when a new baby enters the home. In general, it is recommended to feed the dog separately from the baby and stick to a consistent schedule as much as possible, for example feeding the dog while the baby naps.
According to VCA Animal Hospitals, puppies less than two weeks old should be fed every 3-4 hours. As the puppy ages, the feeding frequency can be slowly reduced. It is important not to overfeed puppies to avoid digestive upsets. A consistent schedule creates good habits and prevents begging behaviors around mealtimes.
When possible, take the dog out for exercise and potty breaks before feedings. This ensures the food can be properly digested. Reinforcing commands like “sit” or “stay” during meals also builds good manners. While there are certainly challenges when adding both a baby and a puppy to the household, sticking to a schedule helps create routine during major life changes.
Exercise regularly
One of the most important things you can do when preparing your dog for a new baby is to make sure they get plenty of exercise (Preparing Your Dog for a New Baby). Take your dog on daily walks and provide active playtime to tire them out. A tired dog will be much calmer and better able to adjust when you bring the baby home. Setting aside 15-30 minutes 1-2 times per day for fetching, tug of war, or chasing balls in the yard is ideal. Prioritizing exercise now will pay dividends when your time becomes limited after the baby arrives.
Test with baby doll
According to Your Dog’s Friend, using a baby doll can help a dog get used to the sights, sounds, and smells of an infant before the real baby arrives. Allow your dog to examine a baby doll to start getting them accustomed to the new family member. Monitor your dog closely to see how they interact with the fake baby. This will help you identify and correct any bad behaviors like jumping, licking excessively, or nipping at the doll.
Courteous Canine recommends placing the doll in various baby accessories like carriers, strollers, swings, and car seats. Walk your dog on leash while pushing these items to maintain control and reinforce obedience. This allows you to correct inappropriate reactions from your dog like barking or lunging at the baby accessories. Stay calm and use positive reinforcement training methods when working with your dog and the doll.
Pay close attention while your dog investigates the baby doll and accessories. Monitor for signs like stiffening tail, growling, hackles raised or hair standing up. These may indicate your dog is feeling stressed. Interrupt the behavior, redirect your dog’s attention, and reinforce calm behavior around the doll. It’s important to identify and address problem areas ahead of time.
Redirect attention
If your dog starts to become jealous over the attention being given to the baby, you can redirect their attention to a toy or treat. This will refocus them from the baby and prevent jealous or attention-seeking behavior like barking, begging, or jumping.
Some tips for redirecting your dog’s attention include:
- Have interesting toys or long-lasting chews on hand
- Toss a toy to encourage playtime
- Initiate training games like fetch, hide-and-seek, or obedience commands
- Give an attentive petting or soothing brushing
- Hand out treats for calm, relaxed behavior
You want to immediately pull your dog’s interest away from the baby and toward more positive interactions (as per this SPCA FAQ). This will help prevent jealousy over attention while still ensuring your dog feels included. With patience and redirection, you can smooth your dog’s adjustment to the new demands on your time and care.
Be patient
Dogs will need time to adjust to the new family member, so be patient. In fact, caregivers should plan on dogs requiring at least 2-3 months to get used to having an infant in the home (ASPCA 2022).
According to What to Expect, there will likely be personality changes such as becoming overly clingy or more attention-seeking, exhibiting jealousy of the baby, getting into the trash, or having accidents in the home (What to Expect website). Even well trained dogs that have been model canines may act out, especially in the first few weeks.
Caretakers should remain calm and consistent with training. Stick to normal feeding, exercise, and toilet times. Praise and reward good behavior. If acting out, redirect dog’s attention or give them a toy when fretting over the baby. Never punish dogs physically or verbally as this can make matters worse.