Dogs And Babies: How To Prepare For The Arrival Of A Baby
There are people who, when it comes to coexistence between dogs and babies, twist their mouths. How come? An attitude that is certainly unmotivated. In fact, there are many families who have raised babies in the presence of dogs or who, after having a baby, have adopted a pet.
There are many scientific researches that show that the presence of newborn babies develops and amplifies the protective instinct of our four-legged friends. They become real sentinels for our children, often intervening positively in emergency or danger situations. As we can often see in the many videos and photos posted on the Internet.
If you are pregnant and already have a dog at home, here is a series of useful tips and information to make sure that this pleasant coexistence is truly perfect.
How to prepare your dog for the arrival of a newborn
The first useful tip is not to postpone this task to the last moment. Not all dogs behave the same way. Some dogs take longer to accept the new family composition, although you can be sure that the dog will love your baby deeply. Start preparing it from pregnancy.
The sensitivity of these animals is remarkable and they are even able to know when a woman is pregnant. The contact with the animal will serve to make him understand that something special is about to happen.
Create a new resting environment
You must consider that the arrival of a new member in the family unit can cause stress and jealousy. The dog will go from being the only puppy in the house to living in an environment where there will be chaos, nocturnal alarms, disorder and long crying.
It is your concern to prepare a second place for relaxation, more peaceful, where the animal can retire and thus avoid stress. A new kennel, water and food will be the basis of a new environment suitable for removing your four-legged friend from the most pressing situations inevitably caused by the birth of a newborn.
Teach him to be patient
Even if it will take several months before your baby is able to play with your dog, it is a priority to teach him to have more calm behaviors. This serves to soften his ways : the contact with your child will therefore be less rough. Get him used to being touched in areas that could bother him, such as legs, tail, head, ears and muzzle.
He may resent this ‘treatment’ at first, but it is necessary to prepare him for near-total contact with young children. If you do not feel suitable or prepared, you can always get help or go to a professional.
Contact a trainer
Sometimes you will simply lack the time to do all of this. It might be a good idea to use the experience of training specialists.
By taking your pet to a suitable center, the results will be guaranteed and longer lasting. Your dog will learn the commands necessary to improve home hygiene and safety at the same time. There are specialized programs to prepare the coexistence of dogs and babies. They may be expensive, so inquire first.
What is essential is that, before the birth of the baby, you make sure that the dog is able to obey the most basic orders. Remember that his main tool of interaction is the sense of smell: get him used to the new smells of the baby immediately. In short, nothing but dedication and patience. We are sure that you will be very good at preparing your dog for the arrival of the baby, so that your family will be complete and always happier.
