Most of us have dogs at home and no matter how cute or harmless they seem, there are still things they need to learn before baby arrives. So our answer is yes, you can still keep the dog as long as you learn how to teach it discipline. We’re also sharing tips from the famous dog whisperer, Cesar Milan. Read on and learn how to introduce your dog to your baby:
Focus on leadership
While pregnant, use the time to work out unwanted habits. Your dog needs to know that you are his leader so by the time baby arrives, he will know who to follow.
Be aware of your energy
Pregnancy affects the whole household. Remember that dogs usually mirror its master’s emotions.
Claim your baby’s scent
Take any item that has your baby’s scent on it. You don’t really have to smell it to know. Just grab any item that has been with your baby for a long time like a cloth he’s worn from the hospital. Let your dog sniff it from a distance while holding it so it knows that the scent is yours. It’s like telling the dog "This new item belongs to me, and you will need to follow my rules when around it." He will then start recognizing the smell as something it needs to respect.
Establish boundaries around the nursery
Believe it or not, there are invisible barriers that dogs can see. Decide on what rooms your dog can enter. We suggest starting with the room where your baby is, then teach your dog not to enter the room without your permission.
Control the introduction
Before your baby arrives, ask someone to take the dog out for a walk and drain its energy. Once it returns with the baby already inside the house, it will already know that there is a new scent in the house. While holding the baby in a very calm state, let the dog sniff the baby from a distance. Then bring it closer and closer to the baby. This teaches the dog that there is another leader in the house to follow. Make sure your dog’s in a calm state as well.
Teach your baby
It isn’t only the dog that needs to be taught, but also the baby. The baby needs to know that no matter how calm or cute your dog is, it will lose its patience if the baby pokes its eyes, pulls its tail, or do other things that will annoy the dog. Teach them not to proboke a peaceful dog.
Don’t forget the dog
They might feel jealous that the baby now gets all the attention. Well, the baby really does need all the attention but treat the dog the same way when the baby wasn’t around so that it will feel relaxed with the new baby in the house.
Forget breed
It’s not just the Rottweilers and Pit Bulls that attack babies. Even your cutest Chows or Pomeranian might bite baby so always go back to the number one point: leadership. Be honest about how much you can control your dog in different situations.
Your child’s safety comes first
We all know this. So if you’re still not confident about baby’s safety around the dog, then try finding another home for your dog to protect your child.
Or for some who don’t want to get rid of their dogs (not mentioned by Cesar), try putting them in a cage for a while, but remember to take it out once in a while and treat it the same way before it was caged so it doesn’t feel neglected.
Reference: Cesar's Way - Introduce Your Dog To Your Baby
Video: Tiger Productions - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUhUx0X-fsE
