Dogs and Babies:

Most shelter workers can tell you that a very common reason for dogs being turned in is a new baby in the home. Sometimes the family dog acts aggressively or fearfully towards the new arrival, or the parents find themselves overwhelmed with caring for the dog, particularly if the dog has no training. The good news is, you don’t have to give up your dog if you become pregnant. The key is to start early with your dog to train him or her to accept the new baby, and on obedience training in general. Below are some tips on how to help your dog interact well with you and the baby. Remember, start now, don’t wait until the day before you give birth!

Teach your dog basic obedience commands such as sit and down and how to hold a stay for at least 30 minutes.

Teach your dog the "leave it" command to give up objects on command.

Place your dog on a "Nothing in Life is Free" program. Have your dog sit or down for you for everything they want in life — food, treats, walks, petting, toys, etc. You are providing your dog with a more structured existence which will become important later on when you have the baby.

If you feed your dog at the same time every day, start to vary slowly when you feed your dog. Vary the times by 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, and so on. You want your dog to learn that he will get fed, but not to expect it at a certain time every day. If you find yourself overwhelmed with the baby, you will not have the added stress of an upset dog that is desperately wondering where his dinner or breakfast is because he has been taught he gets it at 6 am and 6 pm every day.

Exercise your dog as much as possible. If you can, arrange for a dog walker or a neighbor or family member to come walk the dog while you are dealing with the baby’s arrival for the first few weeks or months.

If your dog is allowed on the furniture, teach them an "off" command so that you can get them to relinquish the couch or a favorite chair easily. You may want to lay the baby down on that same place and don’t want to struggle with the dog to get them to leave. Provide your dog with a nice soft dog bed to lie on instead, so that getting off the furniture is still pleasant for them.

If your dog displays any nipping or mouthing behaviors, work on eliminating these behaviors as soon as possible and before the baby is born.

As you get close to the baby’s arrival, start ignoring your dog and decreasing the amount of attention the dog gets. Remain unemotional and calm. When the baby arrives, increase the amount of attention and petting the dog receives. The dog will perceive the baby as "bringing good things" like attention, or some particularly good food treats or an awesome toy.

If your dog has not been around children at all, start socializing them immediately. Find friends who have children who can play with your dog, and bring the dog on walks past playgrounds, school yards, nursery schools, etc. Bring your dog places where there will be screaming babies and running children. Expose your dog as much as possible to the sights and sounds that he or she will soon be experiencing when your baby is born. If your dog appears fearful or aggressive during these outings, contact a professional trainer for assistance on helping your dog acclimate.

Teach your dog to accept all types of handling and touch. Work on desensitizing the dog to being held and poked and prodded.

Crate train your dog so that you can crate the dog in case of emergency. Crate training is an excellent way of providing your dog a safe place that is "his". You can make the crate pleasant by putting in a nice soft dog bed, chew toys and bones, and some towels or blankets that smell like you and the baby. You should never crate the dog for more than 4-5 hours though!

You can purchase your baby’s toys ahead of time and teach the dog the "leave it" command in conjunction with these toys.

If your dog has a habit of jumping up, work on eliminating this behavior now. Teach your dog the sit command and reinforce the dog heavily for sitting and ignore all attempts to jump up. Do not pet or hug the dog unless all four paws are on the ground.

If you still are finding it difficult work with your dog, or experience fearful or aggressive behavior from your dog, consult with a professional trainer immediately. Some problems are indeed fixable and you should investigate all possibilities before making the decision to give up your dog.