Babies and Dogs
Fewer things are more adorable than seeing a baby interacting with a puppy or a dog. These ‘melt your heart’ moments are the things many parents, grandparents, and friends, intentionally try to make for photo opportunities. Unfortunately, these scenarios can actually be rather dangerous and place both the baby, and dog, in unnecessarily stressful situations. Your dog will face an overwhelming number of novel sights, sounds, and smells with the introduction of a baby. You’ll drastically alter your daily routine, so your dog’s schedule will change, too. And, out of necessity, your pup will get less of your time and attention. It may be a difficult time for your dog, especially if he or she has been the “only child” for a while.
Thankfully, this is something you can plan for and help to go more smoothly. If you are expecting your first child, or maybe you have a family visiting with their kids and you have dogs that have never been around kids, you’ll need to start teaching your dog the necessary skills to safely interact with them. Additionally, if age appropriate, you can start teaching your kids how to interact with the dogs in their life.
Start with the basics! Does your dog know how to sit and stay? What about ‘leave it’? These are essential for helping guide your dog through their first interactions with a new baby. You will also want to start working on training to wait at doors and, if they’re not already, having their crate as a safe, baby free zone. Another essential command is something like, “Go lay down”, where you give a command and they go away. This helps you get more space in a situation where you’re needing to work with the baby and not be interrupted.
While you’re working on the basic obedience skills, start introducing your pup to some of your new routine, baby gear, and even sights and smells of a baby. We would play the sounds of a baby crying to get our dog, Kobe, prepared. Additionally, let them sniff things like the stroller, high chair, crib, and other things you’re bringing in. Reward their interactions with these so they associate them as a positive experience.
When you do bring the baby over, the last thing you want is to force your dog into a situation for which they’re not ready. Some dogs are nervous about babies, or even a bit afraid of them, and go out of their way to avoid contact. If your dog seems a little worried about the new member of your family, you can teach her how to touch the baby with her nose, on cue. This exercise will give your dog a safe way to interact with your baby and get used to his scent, appearance and sounds—without being forced to stay close for more than a few seconds at a time.
Dogs who show aggression toward a new baby in the home often do so because they have not been well socialized to children and find them foreign and frightening. Some dogs don’t fear babies, but they become aggressive when guarding their food, toys, or chew bones. Babies and young children can’t understand that they should leave the dog’s things alone. They may also have difficulty recognizing a dog’s warning signs, or find growling and barking amusing. A child’s failure to heed such warnings can have disastrous consequences. A small percentage of dogs seem to react to babies as though they’re squeaky toys, and this response can be extremely dangerous, too. All of these situations put children at great risk of receiving a bite.
As your child develops, teach him to respect your dog’s body, safe zones, and belongings. Talk to them about what the dog’s body language means and how to respond. By pointing out the small cues, you’ll show them how to pay attention to a dog, and stay safe. Always supervise interactions so that you can guide your child as he learns to communicate and play with your dog appropriately. Playing an active role in the development of a relationship between your child and your dog will benefit everyone.
Show your child what gentle, enjoyable petting looks like. Teach him to stroke and scratch your dog in her favorite spots. Explain that hitting, kicking, or pinching dogs, as well as riding, teasing and intentionally scaring them are NOT okay. Teach your child to play structured games with your dog, like fetch, tug-of war, and hide-and-seek. Training games, trick training, and clicker training are also a lot of fun for both kids and dogs.
Looking for more resources? Listen to an interview we did with a pet sitter who specializes in families with dogs and kids. There are a ton of resources out there for training advice like The Family Dog, Family Paws, and Doggone Safe. If you’re needing help with preparing your home and dog for the introduction of a baby or young child, we’d be happy to help out! You can also check out our list of trainers in the area.
