Jennifer Messer writes about the challenges of bringing a new baby home and the apprehensive fears from well-intentioned family and friends. The article shows preparation and continues with the rest of the story one year later. She summarizes that dogs and kids can be a golden combination with a plethora of health and social benefits, but they do require informed guardians who implement basic precautions.
Source: Modern Dog, March 8, 2018.
Messer shares five rules for preparing a family dog for a new baby:
- Plan for having less time with the dog after the baby is born
- Transition the dog to a “post birth” exercise/social regimen
- Get the dog used to the sounds of babies and their toys
- Set up baby-free and dog-free spaces in the house
- Dogs and young kids cannot be left unattended, so some zoning is needed
- Review the Pavlov Principle: plan how you will associate the new baby with something that rocks your dog’s world
- Plan the first meeting of baby and dog, setting everyone up for a successful first impression.
INSIGHTS: Here’s some other resources on the topic for your review and consideration:
- Helpful hints when introducing babies and dogs, AKC, January 2017
- Dogs and babies, ASPCA
- Preparing your dog for baby, Parents Magazine
- Prepping your pet for your new baby, WebMD