How to introduce your dog to your new baby
Steps you can take to keep things calm and safe as you bring your new child home to meet your dog.
If you’ve had a baby, or are expecting one very soon, you might wonder how best to introduce them to your dog. Our article will explain what to do to keep things safe for everyone.
It'll help set the foundations for a great friendship between your new child and your pet pooch.
If you’re in the earlier stages of pregnancy, then you have more time to prepare your dog for a baby in the home.
Always put safety first
Welcoming a new child into your family is an exciting time for you and could be busier than normal if you’re expecting more visitors than usual.
Your dog will be adjusting to your new baby, and to a changed household with different sights, sounds and smells. There might be more people than usual dropping in, from family and friends to health visitors. Even if your dog is relaxed and generally friendly, they may find this a worrying time.
To keep your child and your dog safe, it’s important that you never leave them alone together. Children can make sudden noises and movements which can surprise or frighten your dog. Protect your child and don’t take that risk.
When you, your baby and your dog are in the same room, ensure you are closely supervising what’s happening.
Remember: never put your child on the floor next to your dog, or in another position that makes them vulnerable.
Introducing your baby’s scent and sounds
It can help introductions if your dog is familiar with your baby’s scent before they arrive home. If you haven’t already taken steps to prepare your dog for your new baby, you could take something that has your baby’s smell on it (such as a blanket) and place it in your home. Your dog can then sniff and investigate the scented item in a relaxed way.
Sound therapy can help dogs feel prepared for sounds they may encounter in life – including the sounds of a new arrival. By introducing the common sounds babies make and playing them regularly, you can help ensure your dog is used to them before you bring your baby home.
The first meeting between your baby and your dog
Start out with a lifelike baby doll
If you haven’t already done so when preparing for your new arrival, first gauge your dog’s reaction to a lifelike baby doll.
Carrying and interacting with a lifelike baby doll means your dog can see you holding and talking to a ‘baby’. If your dog jumps up, make sure you don’t give them any attention for this but do get ready to reward them for calm behaviour and for keeping all four paws on the ground.
You could try dropping treats onto the ground whenever you pick up the doll until your dog starts to automatically put their nose to the floor when they see you pick up the doll. Then you can continue to reward them for not jumping up. They’ll learn that keeping their paws on the ground is always a good choice when you’re carrying the baby.
Bringing your baby home
When you arrive home with your baby, your dog may be very excited to see you – especially if you’ve been away for a few days. If you can, ask someone else to hold your baby while you greet your dog, as they may jump up.
Keeping your tone of voice calm will help reassure your dog that your baby’s arrival is a normal part of life. That should help them feel settled.
You may decide to introduce your dog to your baby straight away or opt to wait a day or two.
Making introductions
When you do introduce them, hold your baby and be standing up to begin with. See how your dog reacts – you’re looking for them to be calm and relaxed. Providing they are, you could sit down on the edge of a dining room chair, so you are able to easily and safely stand up again if you need to.
Allow your dog to approach and sniff your baby gently if they want to, but don't force your dog to interact. You may prefer to allow your dog to sniff the baby’s feet at first. Praise your dog for keeping calm. You could enlist a helper to praise and reward them with treats when they do.
Depending on your dog, and how you think they may feel being on a lead while exploring something new, you could consider asking your helper to keep them on a loose lead. Ensure that you can move the baby away safely if you need to, while staying as relaxed as you can.
Your dog is likely to sniff the baby for a few seconds and then lose interest. When your dog backs away, praise them and give them a treat.
It’s important to stay aware of your dog’s body language throughout the interaction to ensure they’re feeling comfortable and relaxed. If at any point your dog appears uncomfortable, calmly stop the introduction.
Give your dog a place to escape
It’ll be more helpful for everyone if your dog is comfortable spending short periods of time alone. If they aren’t yet, discover how to help them feel happier by themselves Ideally, they’ll have a cosy den area away from the hustle and bustle, where they can go to relax undisturbed.
Toys and enrichment activities will keep your pooch occupied when they’re in their quiet space. They’ll soon associate it with positive experiences.
When your baby arrives, your dog can choose to hang out with the family or leave for their own area. If they have a choice, they’re more likely to feel relaxed and adapt to the new situation.
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Your dog and your new baby: building on a positive start
So, you’ve introduced your dog to your baby carefully and rewarded your pooch for staying calm. If things are going well, you can build on this successful start over the next few weeks.
Keep things on the right track by:
- Continuing to closely supervise when your dog and your baby are in the same room. Never leave them alone together.
- Providing calming enrichment activities for your dog to enjoy when you’re all together. Remember to praise and reward your pooch for calm and gentle behaviour.
- Sticking to your dog’s usual routine. This includes exercise, training, feeding, day care, medication and veterinary appointments. Too much to do? Ask friends and family for help.
- Plan for when your baby starts crawling, to ensure your dog can choose to walk away and spend time in their own space undisturbed.
- Baby gates can be helpful to restrict access to certain areas of the house. Teaching your dog that they can feel comfortable being the other side of a gate from you, enjoying a tasty treat or a stuffed interactive feeder, can help them to relax by themselves when it’s useful to have them safely out of the way.
Your baby and your dog: living safely together
With a little preparation you can get things off to a great start between your new baby and your dog. Your pooch will feel reassured that your newest family member is nothing to worry about. With time, they could become firm friends.
If your dog’s behaviour is concerning you
If you’ve followed this advice and your dog’s behaviour is concerning you, then it may be worthwhile to consult a dog behaviourist. If you’d like to do more training with your dog, then enrolling them in our Dog School may be what you both need.
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