A lot of couples get a dog before they have a child of their own, but once they have a child, what’s the best way to into this next major phase of family life? We’re here to tell you all about it.
Preparing for the Baby
Whether you just found out you’re pregnant or you’re in the process of adopting, congratulations on the new addition to your family! There are a number of steps we recommend you take before your new baby arrives. It’s best to start making some lifestyle changes before the baby arrives so your dog isn’t totally confused when your bundle of joy comes home.
Here’s a list of things to change up to start the transition process for your dog:
- The time at which they get breakfast
- How much playtime they get with you
- How much of your attention they get
- How many walks they get
This may sound counterintuitive, but it’s best to slowly give your dog less attention so they’re accustomed to it when the baby comes. You may want to give your dog more attention now because you won’t be able to later on, but this sudden rise and drop will really confuse your dog.
Instilling strong obedience skills into your dog so they’re more equipped to build a positive relationship with your new baby is another thing that will help the transition be a lot smoother. When it gets closer to when you bring the baby home, you can play sounds of a baby crying for a couple minutes at a time to get your dog used to the sound.
A great way to familiarize your dog with babies is to bring the two together. If you have young nephews and/or nieces or friends with newborns then you could invite them over and supervise . You may want to have your dog on a helper leash for the duration of the visit.
Adjusting to Life with the Baby
There are a number of different situations that will dictate how much you have to prepare your dog for your new baby. If you only have one dog and you’re bringing home your first child, this will require more preparation than if you have two or more dogs and you already have one or more children, because then your dogs are already accustomed to smaller humans.
Even if you just have one older dog and one younger dog, when your baby does come home, your younger dog may learn how your older dog acts around the baby and adopt the same behavior.
The most important thing to remember after you have brought your baby home is to never leave them unsupervised with your dog, no matter how well they’re getting along. Even if your dog is loving and protective of your baby, accidents can still happen.
If you want to adjust to life with a new baby for a couple days without having to worry about taking care of your dog you could bring them to stay with us at Dog Gone Fun for a couple days.
Need Some Help?
Whether you’re looking for obedience training, dog boarding, or maybe just dog daycare while you bring your new little one home, Dog Gone Fun of Okemos, MI is the place to go. To learn more about the services we offer call us today at (517) 657-4300, or contact us online.