Baby on the Way? How to Start Preparing Your Dog in 3 Easy Steps
If you’re expecting a baby in the near future, you’re probably busy with all kinds of preparation: designing and decorating the nursery, buying baby clothes and baby equipment, thinking about how you’ll plan your days once the new arrival is there.
But what about your dog? A baby in the family will mean a big adjustment for him. Your baby will be a new and different creature to him, even if he’s already lived with other babies. Family life will change, and those changes will affect your dog, probably in a big way. So anything you can do to introduce him to the new way of life will be all to the good.
Preparing your dog will help him be more relaxed when your baby arrives, and will also make your own life much easier. It’s ideal to do this ahead of time whenever possible - you won’t be as busy before the baby comes, so you can take your time with your dog.
Once your baby is actually home with you, I hope you will make sure that your dog is included as part of the family, and that he has plenty of time to get to know your baby; those times are so valuable for your dog, and for his relationship with the baby. Those getting-to-know-you times should always be done with close, adult supervision, so for those times when you can’t be right there to supervise, a plan for your dog will keep things safe and relaxed. That’s an important benefit of preparing your dog for your new baby.
You can start getting your dog ready with three steps that don’t require any dog training, so no pressure for you or your dog. And both you and your dog will be better prepared, just by engaging in the three steps below.
STEP #1 - DECIDE WHERE YOU’LL BE DOING BABY CARE
Start by walking through your home, imagining yourself caring for your baby. Babies need a lot of attention, and it will help you if you’ve decided in advance where you’ll do baby care, and how you’ll set it up. Let’s look at several of the most common ways you’ll be caring of your baby.
FEEDING - Whether you’ll be breast feeding or bottle feeding your baby, you will want that time to be relaxed and comfortable, a close bonding time between you and your infant. How will your dog fit into that activity? Where will you be feeding your baby? On the couch? In the baby’s room or nursery? In your own bedroom? All of the above?
Whatever your plan, and it’s helpful to have at least a tentative plan, think about your dog at that precious feeding time. If you’re going to be sitting on the couch to feed your baby, and your dog is used to being there with you, it might be a good idea to start getting your dog used to sitting on the floor when you’re on the couch feeding the baby. Why do I say this?
First, dogs can be very curious about feeding time and may try to push their noses in between you and the baby to find out what’s going on. That can become distracting and annoying for you, and not very hygienic (think about where your dog’s tongue has been).
Second, some dogs may be protective of their place on the couch or other furniture, and later on, when your baby’s on the couch, perhaps by herself, your dog may become defensive about a space he considers his own. It’s safest to limit time on the couch to either dog or baby, but not both at the same time, and it’s helpful to establish that from the very beginning.
CHANGING DIAPERS - Since you’ll be changing a lot of diapers, it’s a good idea to have a plan for where you’ll do diaper changes. Some parents like to change diapers with the baby on the floor, some do it on the bed or the couch, some have a dedicated changing table. It’s helpful to think about that before the baby comes, so you’re all ready. Diaper changing will start immediately!
It’s also important to decide what you’ll do with the used diapers. A diaper pail that the dog can get to isn’t going to work well - dogs are fascinated by smells, and we can all agree that used diapers have an odor of their own, an odor that many dogs just can’t pass up. So figure out a foolproof way of keeping those used diapers out of your dog’s reach.
SLEEP TIME - Whether it’s nap time or night time, it’s important that your dog can’t get to your baby when the baby’s asleep and you’re in another part of your home, or when you’re sound asleep yourself. Now is the time to decide how you’re going to keep your dog and baby safely separated during those times. It’s so important to keep sleep times safe that you’ll see me writing about this in many other articles. Links are below.
Several other baby care activities will go more smoothly if you’ve already figured out where you want your dog to be when they’re happening:
Tummy time for baby, especially if you can’t be right there with her.
Times that you’re busy, cooking, cleaning, taking a shower, or busy with the many other activities that take place during the day.
Mealtimes for you and other family members, when your baby is too young to join you at the table.
Here are links to a couple of articles for you to check out for more information:
Training Versus Management and Supervision
STEP #2 - MAKE A TOWEL BABY
Letting your dog see you practice what you’ll be doing with your baby is a great way to introduce your dog to life with baby. Expecting parents who have a dog sometimes buy a doll so they can use it to pretend they’re taking care of a baby. That will help the dog get familiar with what you’ll be doing with your new baby.
But you don’t need to go out and spend money on an expensive doll. Instead, try this: take a bath towel, fold it up so it’s the approximate size and shape of a new baby, and then wrap the towel in a baby blanket. That will do just fine as a practice baby, and will let your dog watch you carrying it, pretending to feed it, change diapers, and put it down for a nap.
Some dogs don’t pay attention when these activities are taking place, and that’s okay. Even if your dog doesn’t seem interested in what you’re doing with the Towel Baby, he’s still getting used to your new behaviors, and that will help when the real baby is there.
As you practice with the Towel Baby, notice where you might want to teach your dog a new behavior. For instance, you might want to teach him to stay off the couch when you’re there with the baby, or stay away during diaper changes. During sleep times you may want to block access to the baby’s room with a gate or a closed door.
STEP #3 - LET YOUR DOG SEE NEW BABY EQUIPMENT
When you’re expecting a baby, you’re bound to want some new baby equipment, perhaps a changing table, baby bath, crib, stroller, and probably many other baby supplies. Some dogs are a little suspicious of anything new in the house, so exposing your dog to new baby gear will mean one less new thing for him to adjust to when baby is actually there.
Baby swings, bouncy chairs or anything else that involves movement can be especially interesting - or worrisome - to dogs. If you’re planning to use baby equipment that moves, it’s a good idea to let your dog get used to it in advance of the baby’s arrival.
Start slowly, letting the dog inspect the new item without turning it on. When the dog seems comfortable, perhaps after several days, start by turning on the movement, just for a few seconds at first, and at a low level. If your dog doesn’t pay much attention and doesn’t get overly excited or nervous, gradually increase the level and duration of movement.
On the other hand, if your dog reacts with nervousness or fear to moving baby gear, back off, slowing it down or stopping it entirely. If it should happen that your dog just can’t get to a comfortable place with that moving baby gear, even with regular slow exposure, then you may need to separate your dog while your baby is in the moving swing or seat. If that happens, it’s not a bad thing; it’s just important for you to know that your dog is uncomfortable around that piece of equipment so you can move him to where he can relax.
When there’s a baby in your future, any preparation you do for your dog will save you and your dog much time and stress later. Even if your dog doesn’t seem to have much reaction to your new baby, you’ve still planned for him, and that plan will help you feel more relaxed and confident in how to handle your dog around the baby. You won’t be starting from scratch, and you’ll be ready to manage your home when baby starts crawling!
In the meantime, why not start teaching your dog some games that will be fun for him and quick and easy for you? They’re free, and you can get them here: