Expanding Families: Prepping Your Pup for Family Life

Preparing for Your New Addition

Dogs are intuitive animals. They can sense change, long before it happens. It’s almost as if they can sniff it in the air…or maybe that’s just the bacon from this morning’s breakfast. Either way, it’s important to keep this fact in mind to help make the transition as smooth as a baby’s bottom.

Brush up on the Basics
If your dog already knows basic commands, you may want to brush up on them to make sure they adhere to your voice, not just your hand motions and body language (remember, you’re about to have your hands full!) If your dog is unfamiliar with commands like “sit, stay and go,” it may be a good time to start some behavioral training to get them used to a new set of expectations and instructions.

Prepare the Environment
Dogs are acutely aware of changes to their environment. To reduce the shock factor you’re your baby makes their grand entrance, start by implementing gradual changes to your home ahead of time, like preparing the nursery and setting up baby gates and other baby-related items. This will help get your pup familiar with these objects, so the only new adjustment they’ll have to make is meeting the baby. Tip: Spend some extra time playing with your dog or take trips to their favorite park, to make sure they don’t feel like they are being demoted.

Practice Makes Perfect
It may feel silly at first but carrying around a baby doll or taking your dog on walks with the stroller can also help them acclimate to the idea of having a new human around. Dogs can also be highly sensitive to sounds, so playing soft recordings of baby cries followed by positive reinforcement can be a great way to lessen their anxiety when the baby comes.

Dog, Meet Baby

Some parents opt to have a friend or family member bring home a baby blanket or piece of clothing from the hospital ahead of time to help their dog become familiar with these new smells. If you decide to go this route, make sure to shower your dog with lots of praise (and treats) when they take that first whiff. Memory is linked to smell, so let that first memory be a good one! When the day comes to introduce your fur baby to your human baby, there will inevitably be some nervous energy from both you and your dog. One thing to remember is never to force an interaction. It may be tempting to put your baby in front of your dog in hopes of an Instagrammable moment, but your pup might not be ready for that quite yet. It is perfectly ok to keep your dog at arms-length for a few days while they get used to new sights, sounds and smells of a newborn. As with any major life change it will take time to adjust, but with and a little patience and a lot of love, your pup and your baby may just become best buds for life.