There’s nothing like a young child with their dog, but what happens when dogs are meeting tiny babies for the first time? If the dog has been alone with the attention of the owners for a long time, it can be a huge adjustment for the dog.
The dog’s schedule will change. There will be less time and attention for the pet, and the canine can become a bit jealous of the baby. It’s important that the parents prepare their dog for the arrival of a new addition.
Training
You should start months before the baby arrives to prepare your dog. He’ll need help adjusting to the change in his schedule, and learning how to interact with a new baby at the same time. If you can introduce him to the changes months before the baby arrives, he’ll be more able to deal with the new member of the family.
Life with a new baby is full of sounds, smells and changes that might shake up the dog. If you can introduce these new sounds before the baby arrives, it’ll help make the transition easier. You can start feeding your dog at random times since you might be tied up with the baby during regular, doggie meal times. You might need to hire a dog walker to take your dog outside for exercise. This should be done long before baby arrives.
New Rules
If there are going to be changes to the rules, don’t introduce them at the same time as a new baby. If you’d like the dog to stay off the bed, make sure you’re enforcing that rule now. A dog who jumps on you while you’re walking will do the same when you’re holding your newborn. Teach your dog not to jump before the baby comes.
Tiny Puppies
If you have tiny puppies that you want to grow with your baby, they should be introduced to each other fairly early. While grown-up dogs will absolutely adore babies after the initial introduction, puppies will be a bit more wild. Grown dogs will often treat babies like their own tiny puppies. They have a powerful bond where the dog might even feel incredibly protective of the little baby. The grown dog can act like a parent while a puppy will have a playmate.
Puppy Playmates
It’s often a dream for parents to have puppies and babies that will grow to have an incredible bond like siblings. Parents will take on the task of training a puppy at the same time as they have a baby because it’s worth the exhausting work of training to have puppies and children grow together.
When introducing puppies and your new baby, you’ll want to be incredibly careful to oversee the interaction. Puppies are known to nibble and snip when they’re in a playful mood, which can cause injury to the baby that is unintentional. When puppies play with one another, they are often rougher than they mean to be, and you don’t want your infant to be bit.
Babies and puppies who grow up together have a powerful bond that makes them more like siblings than a child and their pet. While it may be a lot of work for parents, there’s nothing like that incredible bond.