A lot of biting incidents happen at home. And most of these accidents have to do with the communication between dogs and babies/small children. The body language of babies and small children is different than that of dogs. This can confuse dogs a lot. As a dog owner and parent you are responsible for a great relationship between the two of them (or more if you have more kids in your household).
Babies and kids are pack leaders too
No matter how small a baby or toddler is, you can
teach your dog to accept him/her as a new leader in your pack. Dogs don’t
realize their size and don’t realize the yours or how small your baby/young
child is. It’s the same with other dogs. Often you see that tiny chihuahua
barking at a huge Rottweiler. A small dog has no idea he’s so small. And it
works the same way the other way around. Thinking in sizes is a human thing.
Dogs respect other values. If you know how to introduce your dog to the new
situation, he will soon learn how to respect your newborn baby and/or toddler as
a new leader of the pack.
Before the baby arrives
It all starts
before the baby arrives. In other words: when your family is expecting a baby
in the house your preparations start. Not only for the things your baby needs,
but also for the dog. The rules are changing, your dog needs time to get used
to that.
- Don’t encourage your dog to protect his pregnant owner
A lot of
dogs sense a different energy when their owner is pregnant. They realize you
are pregnant, just like they know when a female dog is pregnant. Dogs are
protective with other pack member. And he might feel the need to protect his
pregnant pack leader too. Don’t let him. Often people think this is very cute
and sweet. They even laugh about it. Please don’t do this. You are the leader. You
protect your dog and not the other way around. So no laughing when you see
that your dog wants to protect you from other people, children and/or even your
partner. Ignore his behavior and if he goes too far, then you need to correct
it!
- Teach your dog to walk next to the stroller
One of the
new things that will soon be introduced after the baby has arrived is the
stroller. Your dog needs to accept this, in his eyes, strange new object.
Especially if you want to walk your dog and your baby at the same time. You
can’t expect from your dog, that he accepts the stroller ones you start putting
your baby into it. So you need to practice with your dog before the baby
arrived! If you have already bought one, start taking small walks with him.
If your dog feels relaxed and isn't pulling the leash praise him and reward him
with a snack. If your dog is nervous or pulling the leash, you need to distract
your dog. You can do this by making him sit for example. Wait until he is not
paying attention to the stroller anymore and continue your walk together.
- Introducing the “baby stuff” to your dog
Before the
delivery of the baby parents buy all kind of stuff, from toys to cloth and of
course baby furniture. Make your dog feel comfortable with all these new items,
let him sniff them. Dogs always use their nose first. This way he gets used to
the changes inside your house. One important rule is that your dog is not
allowed to be in the room of your baby. Not before and not after the
delivery. This way you teach him the baby room is not his territory.
- Introduce your dog to the sounds of babies and small children
It is
important to make your dog feel comfortable with the sounds babies and small
children make. This way he will know it’s okay, he won’t feel so nervous. Human
babies make different sounds than puppies do. A dog that isn't familiar with
these sounds and he can get really confused if your baby has arrived. There are great
CD’s available with all kinds of baby sounds and kids sounds. And you can
of course find them for free on YouTube too.
Crying baby
sounds can be found here:
And here you
can find another one with sounds of talking and laughing small children:
Screaming
and crying children can be found here:
- Walking your dog
You dog
needs exercise, not only when a baby is about to come, but in general. In the
situation of a newborn you need to walk your dog at different times than he is
used to. Because this will be the same situation after your baby is born. Make
sure he gets more exercise than just a quick walk around the corner. Take at
least a 30 minutes walk every single day. You can put on roller blades or you
can make your dog run by taking him out on your bike. Make sure he’s tired in
the end.
After your baby is born
It’s party for you and your family, your baby is born
and you’re all so very happy. But for the dog this is a different situation. It
means he needs to take some steps back. There are other people around than he
is used to and he gets less attention too. It is important that the birth of
your baby is not a negative thing to your dog. It should be a happy experience
to him too. This is what you can do to make sure he gets positive impressions
and associations:
- Coming home
If you gave
birth in the hospital, it is important to greet your dog when you come back
home. Do this in a calm and assertive way. Not over enthusiastic or so. But
relaxed and friendly.
- Ask your visitors to give your dog attention too
You visitors
shouldn't ignore your dog! He deserves their attention, but only in this order:
greeting you as the parents first, then greeting the baby and if around the
other kids in your family, and the dog last. This is extremely important! Your
dogs learns his position towards the baby. It helps in the process to accept
your baby as his pack leader!
Tip:
Put a note
on the door for your visitors to read: Greet parents first, then baby/kids, and
last but not least our dog(s)
- Stay calm
It is very
important that you stay calm in the presence of your dog. For example when your
baby is crying. Dogs copy the behavior of their owner. If you panic or feel
nervous when you baby cries, your dog will think this is a bad thing. And you
don’t want your dog to think bad about your baby. So relax and pet your dog
when he is relaxed to.
- Feeding and taking care of your baby
Whenever you
feed or take care of your baby make sure you take care of your dog too. Of
course you first give your attention to your baby and after that the dog. Only
do this when he’s relaxed and happy. If he’s nervous then don’t. But the moment
he relaxes you praise him, preferably with your baby present. After you have
fed your baby, give your dog a snack. This way feeding your baby will become a pleasant social event for your dog and he will associate this with your baby. Happy baby
and happy dog, that is what you want!
Teaching your dog that your baby is a pack leader
Keep in mind
that your dog only accepts the baby as a leader of the pack when other pack
leaders are around. If you and/or your partner aren't around, your dog will
think different about that. You should never leave your baby alone with your
dog(s), even if it’s for a few seconds.
Your dog
needs time to get used to the new situation, that is normal. Your baby should
always be in a higher position than your dog. Your baby is in a higher position
in a chair, on your lap, in a playpen, etc.
Of course
babies crawl on the ground, but this is very confusing for your dog. Make sure
your dog can’t touch your baby when you get him/her out of the playpen on the
flour. Always be in the same room when your baby is crawling around. Make sure
your dog is involved, he needs to see it happening and you need to give your
dog attention too, when he feels relaxed with this to your dog “strange moving”
baby.
Never allow
your dog to be protective over your baby. YOU are the person to protect the
family, not your dog! Especially if you laugh about your dogs attempts to
protect your newborn, will trigger dominant behavior. Your dog needs to know he
is submissive to all family members.
Be patient.
In time your dog will get used to your baby! Enjoy your baby and your dog! Be a
responsible dog owner and you will never have any problems between your baby
and your dog. Dogs and babies can be best friends if the introduction of your
dog to your baby is successful.
Do you have
a baby and a dog in the family? Do they get along fine? Share your experiences!
Also feel free to ask any question you want.
This is very interesting. I never thought about discouraging protective behavior.
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