Introducing Baby to Dog: Transition Tips

If you’re expecting or thinking about having a baby, Rover may be the last being on your mind. You’re probably already busy planning for baby’s arrival – arranging for time off of work, thinking about nannies and day care, buying clothes, furniture and baby gear, and reading up on what to expect during pregnancy and afterwards.

You might simply expect Rover to adjust automatically to the new family member and all the big changes coming his and your way. But that expectation isn’t realistic. Like everyone else in the home, Rover needs time, help, and preparation to transition as smoothly as possible to life with baby.

The good news is that with proactive detailed planning, hands-on preparation and training, you can start preparing Rover for baby’s arrival long before the due date. In fact, the best time to prepare Rover is months and months before baby’s here. Waiting until baby’s already here to start a training program for Rover is too late. You won’t have time, energy or the inclination to train Rover -- you’ll have a new baby to take care of!

Not preparing or training Rover ahead of time may spell major problems and frustration for him and you. It’s surprisingly common for people to give up their untrained and unprepared dogs soon after a human baby arrives. It’s easy to see reasons for this trend. Babies make an enormous impact on one’s lifestyle. They require tons of energy, attention and care. New parents are notoriously sleep-deprived and overwhelmed. Against that backdrop, very often family pets fall last on the list of things new parents attend to.


Photo Credit: Henry Dame (Henry the beagle with baby Cooper)
Dogs are creatures of habit. Most thrive on routine. Without it, many dogs become stressed. Just like humans, it takes time for dogs to adjust to big changes in routine. A new baby means huge changes in day-to-day life for all family members, including dogs.

Like any other creature, dogs have physical and behavioral needs. Besides food and water, dogs need daily off-leash exercise, leash walks, daily mental stimulation, companionship and affection. When those needs aren’t met, dogs suffer and so does their behavior. Boredom, inadequate exercise and little to no attention and affection breed a host of behavioral problems such as boredom or frustration barking, destructive digging and chewing, inappropriate indoor elimination.

So how do you prepare Rover for baby? Oh Behave! is excited to announce Doggie & Diaper, a series of workshops and training classes to help you do just that. I’ll be leading two informational workshops that will help you come up with a detailed prep plan for Rover, and teaching some classes to train him in behaviors that are sure to come in handy after baby makes her debut. You can find more information about and register for Doggie & Diaper at www.ohbehave-dogtraining.com/classes.

In the meantime, here are some tips to help you get started:

• Help Rover get used to changes in routine now. What’s Rover’s daily routine now? When and where is he fed? How often is he walked? Who walks him? Who takes him out for off-leash exercise? How will those things change after baby’s arrival? If you don’t know, make a plan now and start implementing it so Rover has plenty of time to adjust.
• Train Rover now. What’s Rover’s behavior like now? What does he do that you like? What behaviors might become problems once your baby’s here? (Common problems include jumping up on people, barking for attention, not dropping things when you ask him to, and pulling on leash.) If you have an answer to the last question -- and almost everyone does -- start training now.
• Consider getting professional help. If Rover’s undesirable behaviors go beyond lack of basic manners, he may need professional help. Behavioral issues that are best addressed in private positive training include fearful/ aggressive behavior towards kids/babies; moderate to severe sensitivity to body-handling; possessive or aggressive behavior towards people who approach Rover when he has food, toys, bones, or when he’s with you; sensitivities to noise. Make sure you consult with a positive reinforcement trainer. Punishment-based training usually backfires and makes Rover’s behavior worse. If you don’t have time to train, some trainers will do most of the training for you.
• Socialize Rover to babies, toddlers and kids. Not all dogs are comfortable around babies or kids. Babies and small children don’t look or act like adults. Babies and kids are noisy and move unpredictably and quite differently from adults. Babies/kids scare many dogs, particularly if they haven’t been around babies often, especially during puppyhood and adolescence. If Rover is afraid of kids or behaves aggressively around them, consult with a positive private trainer as soon as possible.
• Help Rover make a positive association with babies and kids. Make all experiences with babies and kids positive ones for Rover so that he enjoys being around them. Don’t punish Rover around kids or babies, including your own. Otherwise, he’ll learn that babies mean bad things happen to him, and he’ll form a negative association with them. That’s the last thing you want. A dog that has a negative association with kids may always be uncomfortable, nervous and stressed around kids. That usually results in fearful or aggressive behaviors.
• Get Rover used to baby sounds, smells, gear, furniture and other baby stuff. The more familiar these things are to Rover, the less likely he is to pay attention to them.
• Bone up on basic manners. Managing Rover when your hands are full will be much easier if Rover knows some basics like how to walk on a loose leash, to come when called, stay, wait at doors, sit, lie down, leave things alone when you ask him to and drop objects he’s picked up. Most basic obedience courses cover all these skills.
• Make a delivery plan that includes Rover. Where will he stay during delivery? Who will feed, walk, exercise and care for him while you’re away? Then do at least one test drive before delivery. If you’re going to board Rover or he’s going to stay with friends, delivery shouldn’t be the very first time he’s away from home or in new surroundings.
• Never leave Rover or any other dog alone unsupervised with babies or children. Dogs and kids can get a little out of control easily. To keep interactions safe, dogs and kids should always be supervised closely by adults.

Preparing Rover for baby will take work, but the payoffs are rich. Taking the time to prepare Rover well before baby comes means that once baby’s here you’ll be happier, Rover will be happier, and your home will be more harmonious than if you don’t prepare him beforehand. Best of all, you’ll be setting up your baby for years of love and joy that come with having a close relationship with Rover.

Lisa-Anne Manolius is the multi- talented owner/trainer of Oh Behave! in San Francisco. A graduate of the S.F. SPCA's Academy for Dog Trainers and U.C. Berkeley's Boalt School of Law, she's available for dog behavior consultations, private training sessions, and to teach a variety of group classes. She can be reached at lisaohbehave@gmail.com.