When Your Baby Arrives Home
October 12, 2008 by Paris and John
Filed under Children & Dogs, Tips
In our previous post, we talked about tips from the American Veterinary Medical about things you can do for your dog before your baby comes home. Today we look at the AVMA’s tips on what to do when the baby arrives home:
• When the baby comes home, include your pet. Let your dog greet the new mom, who has been missed while she was at the hospital, and then sniff the baby as well.
• Keep your dog on a leash or just let your dog “meet” the baby using a used baby blanket.
• Once home, doggie and junior shouldn’t live separate lives. Don’t ban the dog from the baby’s room, but never leave them together unsupervised.
• Teach the dog that good things happen around the baby. For example, when bathing your baby, give your dog a treat.
• Crying is a time to pay special attention. “When a baby cries, it can be extremely disturbing and upsetting to the dog. If the dog is pacing, the dog is saying, ‘make it be quiet.’ It’s not saying, ‘I’m concerned about the baby,’” says Dr. Bonnie Beaver, an AVMA past president and a professor at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine. “The dog is in distress, and if you ignore the upsetting situation, the screeching, the dog might act on its own to stop the noise.”
• Similarly, Dr. Beaver says the time when the child starts crawling and walking is also a time to be especially away. When mobile, the child could corner the pet, and the pet could nip. Baby gates can be useful in keeping both the dog and the baby safe.
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