How To Introduce Your Dog To Your Baby?

Getting a dog is just like having a baby - you must have heard that many times. But have you ever thought about how it is for pet parents who become parents to a human baby for the first time? Many dog lovers and pet parents face this problem when they plan their future in terms of expanding as a family. Getting your dog familiarised with your newborn can be a tumultuous task for many. To help you take the next step easily, Zigly is here with a fresh new blog on how to introduce your dog to your baby.

Baby Steps When You Find Out

Indeed, your canine will always be your first child, but there are a few changes that you need to bring about in your lifestyle and in your fur baby when you find out that you are expecting. Small things like your dog jumping and greeting you when you come from outside can become problematic when you are near your due date. Therefore, it is better to teach your dog basic corrective behaviour from the beginning so that it doesn't seem like a sudden change once the baby arrives.

Another important step you must take before you come to the final stage of how to introduce your dog to your baby is acclimatizing your dog to small humans, that is, babies. You never know how your dog might react when you suddenly bring home a baby. It would be wrong of you to expect perfect behaviour by your dog around the baby and not feel scared, intimidated, or angry by a new baby - who is and will be unpredictable - like all babies are. To avoid this, take your dog to parks where there are babies, parents walking their babies in a stroller or generally kids playing. This way, your dog will be exposed to the sound and sight of children and not be caught unaware by the addition of a new member to the family.

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How To Introduce Your Dog to a Newborn Baby

If you are wondering how you should introduce your dog to your baby after giving birth, you can follow these tips. Firstly you must make sure that you have someone, whether it's your mother, father, cousin, sibling, or even a dog sitter, staying at home. This way, your dog will not be left alone or feeling lonely or will not suffer from separation anxiety. Secondly, you can ask your partner or anyone visiting you, to take the clothes worn by your newborn to your dog and let your dog have a good sniff at them. Any used clothes, rompers, or blankets of the baby can help your dog get familiarised with the newborn’s smell. It will help your dog accept and get familiar with the smell of the baby.

Making Your Dog Get Along With Your Baby

It is important to make sure that your dog and newborn baby get along. We know that nap time has to be quiet, and sudden loud barks can scare the baby. To help your dog understand why the atmosphere at home seems different, you must redirect your dog’s energy towards things that make the dog happy and distracted. It is only initially that the baby and your dog will be strangers. That is not far away when you will see your baby playing with the dog! Just keep these points in mind:

• Boundaries: It is good to keep certain areas in the house an off-limits zone. This should be the room where the baby sleeps or rests. Letting your baby crawl or roll on the floor where the dog is off-limits will be good for both the dog and the baby.
• Toys for your Pooch: It is best to get dog toys for your dog, just like you get toys for your baby or toddler. If your dog will have its own toys to play with or chew on, it is unlikely that your dog will chew on the baby’s toys. Getting your dog new toys will also help in keeping your dog distracted in the initial days.
• Teach your baby to be gentle: One of the biggest problems, when a baby and dog interact is that the baby can be harsh or pull on the dog’s tail or ears. Teach your baby to be gentle with the dog. Pet your dog gently in front of the baby to show them the right way to pet the dog. The baby will always mimic you or take cues from you.
• Supervise: Ensure that when your dog and baby are interacting, you oversee the entire process. Watch out for any signals your dog may give if the dog feels uncomfortable, and remove your baby from the situation.

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As big a task as it may seem, the steps to introduce your baby to your dog are not very difficult. If you take care of certain things before the big change, the transition should not be too drastic or disturbing for your dog. We hope this blog helped you get clarity on introducing your dog to your baby. For any pet-related queries, feel free to contact our Pawsome People at Zigly.