Introduce Dog to Baby
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When I got pregnant, one of the first thing I thought about was how was my fur baby going to get along with my real life baby. I needed to come up with ways to introduce my dog to the baby. We have had our dog for over 5 years. She is a Cocker Spaniel, we rescued her. When we got her she was about 12 pounds, she was literally skin and bones. We nurtured and groomed her back to a nice healthy state. Today she was about 25 lbs and looks nothing she did 5 years ago.
She is full of energy and she is the most happiest dog we have ever owned. We love her dearly and she was spoiled, therefore, we had to make sure she knew and understood that there was going to be a new baby in town and that baby was not going anywhere.
How to Introduce Dog to Baby
Baby Sounds
Play different sounds of baby noises, such as baby crying, laughing or cooing. Your dog will become intrigued and familiar with these noises making it not seem so surprising when he or she actually hears the baby making noises when at home. This will definitely aid to introduce dog to baby.
Limit Play Time
When your due date is approaching, try to limit the amount of play time you give your dog. Your dog will notice a difference if you do not continue to give him or her the usual play time when the baby arrives and may have some resentment.
Greet Dog Alone
Upon your arrival from the hospital with the baby, you should greet your dog alone so that it does not accidentally jump on the baby and cause harm due to overly being excited to see you.
Baby Scents
Let your dog become acquainted with baby scents. Have your dog sniff and smell something from the baby so that he or she can get familiar to the baby’s scent. Before allowing your dog to be closer to your baby, you should give your dog some time to get accustom to the smell, sound and sight of the baby.
Give Dog Attention
Do not outright neglect your dog. While you should limit play time, it is still necessary to continue to give your dog as much attention as you can while maintaining a healthy balance between the dog and baby. You should give your dog attention primarily while the baby is around to aid in introducing the baby to the dog.
Allow Dog to Smell Baby
Once comfortable, you can allow your dog to sniff and smell baby with or without the leash, whichever you feel comfortable with. Use your discretion.
Give Treats
Once your baby is a little older, allow your baby to feed the dog a treat while being supervised by you. Your baby will enjoy doing this. My baby absolutely loves to feed our dog treats. My baby giggles and laughs each and every time he gives her a treat. Our favorite treat to give her is the Milk-Bone Brushing Chews Daily Dental Dog Treats. Our dog loves it when our baby gives her a treat.
Supervise Baby Around Dog At All Times
When your baby becomes mobile, it is important that he or she is supervised around the dog, as babies tend to pull on dogs ears or tails causing the dog to become angry with the baby. Set boundaries wherever the baby will be. This allows the dog to establish a level of respect for the baby’s belongings and space.
Reward Your Dog
After you have introduced dog to baby and everything went well, your dog should be rewarded with a doggy subscription box from Surprise My Pet or Bark Box.
After all your dog deserves to be rewarded for being a good sport and being accepting of the new baby. The surprise my pet subscription box allows you to choose what type of pet you have and the size of the pet. This way the subscription box is tailored to your specific pet. Every month your pet will receive a box filled with natural treats, toys and bones. Surprise My Pet box is shipped in the U.S. as well as internationally. All of Click here treats are made in the USA and the box is filled with 5 – 7 items each month. Subscription starts at between $24 and $26 per month depending on what pet and term you choose, whether it is 1 month, 3 month or yearly.
Guess what? If you use the code LOVE you will save 10% on any subscription plan you chose with Surprise My Pet. This is a great opportunity to try out the pet box while saving some money.
Check out video below to find out more about Surprise My Pet.
Your pet will love you and your little one even more with this monthly subscription box. Give it a try!
Have you claimed your free eBook yet? This free eBook shares tips on how to soothe your baby using sound and music. Click here to get it.
