Picture this: You’ve cut the cord, put in the car seat and are ready to introduce your new bundle of joy to your family. That naturally includes your dog waiting patiently at home, and you’ve got an image of cuddling and protective pups and their baby siblings in your head, informed by TikTok #hopecore. Only, when you get home, you find that your lovable fur baby is growling more than usual. They want your attention, have forgotten their behavioural training, and are jumping into your arms while you’re holding your new baby.
This wasn’t what you were expecting at all, but unfortunately, it’s a common situation. Whether due to jealousy, anxiety or otherwise, some dogs simply do not like or understand having a child in their territory, taking the attention of their owners, and can make things more difficult for parents in a time that’s already notoriously taxing.
So, what are your options? Is rehoming the best thing for all? Well, that is not necessary if you learn how to manage the situation. We believe that behavioural training can help worried dogs to calm in the home and particularly around your newborn. Take a look at our guide to find out more.
Here are some key talking points for an article about how behavioural training can help a dog adjust to a newborn in the house:
Preventative measures
There are a few things you can do to make things easier on your dog on the run up to the big day. They might be overstimulated by the noisy introduction of a being that can only communicate in screams, so you might want to simulate that in recordings. Give your dog some time with a baby crying, cooing, laughing, etc. in the background, via the TV or a recording from your phone, to better expose them to the noise.You could borrow a doll from parent friends one that cries authentically and practice walking about the home with it in your arms and correct any unwanted behaviour like jumping or in limited cases growling
Additionally, there is a lot of equipment needed to raise a baby, like buggies, car seats, cribs, playpens, etc. You can introduce these to your dog one by one and let them sniff and familiarise themselves with the items that might contribute to overstimulation.
Obviously, they can’t sniff the baby at this point, but you might want to introduce your dog to baby products so they know what they are smelling when your newborn arrives. Talc, lotions, wipes, etc. will tell the dog that your baby isn’t unfamiliar or a threat.
Basic obedience reinforcement
Once your baby is introduced to your dog,or preferably in the few weeks BEFORE the baby is born it’s important to keep up with basic behavioural training to ensure that you are in control of your dog and lessen impulse. Constantly strengthen commands like “sit,” “stay,” and “leave it” to ensure that no danger or sheer chaos comes to you or the baby. The most important of these will be the “go to” command: go to bed, go to crate, etc. This will make sure you’ve got space when you need it but also give the dog a safe space to retreat where they are not bothered.
Creating positive associations with the baby
Behavioural training can also be useful in creating positive associations with the baby. You can reward calm behaviour around the baby with praise. Gradually decrease the distance between the dog and baby during calm moments, while maintaining close supervision, Additionally, as the baby starts to crawl and toddle, praise your dog for calm responses.
You can also try and give the dog equal time and attention to the baby – a hard task, true. When the baby is sleeping you can use this time for quality one-on-one dog time, whether that’s napping with them or have a little playtime.
Safety measures and management techniques
However, even the friendliest dog can get in the way when raising a being that literally cannot lift its own head never mind feed and clothe itself. If you need some space to get things done, use baby gates and playpens to separate the dog from your space and remember never to leave the dog unsupervised with your baby.
Conclusion
It’s important that you keep up the behavioural training with your dog The vast majority of dogs and babies with correct supervision co-exist happily. Make sure all family members are involved in the training process and aren’t undermining anything. Maintain clear boundaries and expectations with the dog and family members.