When a family has a child, it means a major change in everyday life for everyone involved – including the dog in the family. In order for the dog and baby to do well right from the start and both have a safe and harmonious start into extended family life, the dog should already be trained during pregnancy. Only good training and solid preparation will give the dog and baby the best start together. In this guide, we show the best tips and tricks for practicing with the dog before birth.
First dog or first child?
Whether a dog or only a child should enrich a family depends on the respective family. Both ways have their advantages and disadvantages, but regardless of whether a dog moves in first or a child is born first, both require work, time, and patience – for both the dog and the baby.
First a dog
If a couple first decides to have a dog before daring to have their own child, this has several advantages. The future parents and owners already know their four-legged friends and can assess them even in stressful situations. There is a strong bond between owner and dog. Due to the bond and the good assessment of the owners, baby training can usually take place more quickly and easily than if the dog first had to get involved with its people.
In addition, the dog usually already knows the basic commands and has enjoyed a certain amount of training, which of course significantly shortens the training for the child. When the four-legged friend first comes into the family, it is usually no longer a puppy when the child is born. This also saves the bipeds a lot of stress and work, because a puppy can mean almost as much work as a toddler. For example, puppies are not housebroken and sometimes have to be walked every few hours at night. An adult dog usually only needs to be walked three to four times a day, which is much easier to reconcile with a toddler.
First the child
If the child is born before the dog moves in, there can be benefits as well. The parents are already familiar with the child’s everyday life and usually, it is no longer a newborn baby, but a toddler or even an older child. As a result, the parents can also concentrate very well on a puppy. Although it can be hard to convince the small child and pup not to constantly interact with each other. Because this can quickly lead to minor accidents – on both sides. A toddler can pinch the dog roughly, grab its eyes or pull its ears, and a playing young dog can run over the child very quickly or, in the worst case, even knock it over. Therefore, special caution and vigilance is required from the parents. An older dog that no longer plays so wildly is usually a better decision than a puppy.
Are dogs dangerous for babies?
Dogs are not dangerous to babies as long as the parents are responsible with both and never leave the dog and baby alone or even on the floor together without being directly there.
Why you should train your dog before it is born
If a family is expecting their first child and there is already a dog in the family, it makes sense to train the dog before the child is born. This is because the desired behaviors are already established when the child comes home. The parents will be primarily occupied with the baby immediately after the birth and also in the first few weeks and months and therefore only rarely have time to train the dog. In addition, commands such as sending on a blanket should be trained before the child is born. Otherwise, dangerous situations could arise if, for example, the dog steps over the child lying on the ground or drops one of its toys on the child.
The dog should also be taught to walk on the stroller before birth, so that dog and baby can go on excursions together. Likewise, the dog should be accustomed to the fact that its owner is carrying something in his arms, so that later he does not try to jump up on his human when they are holding the baby in their arms.
How do you bring dog and baby together?
It is best to train the dog before birth and slowly prepare it for the baby to move in. It is important to let the whole thing go very naturally, not to make a big fuss about the new family member and, above all, to be calm with the dog and to set clear rules.
Prepare yourself: plan the coming everyday life
Everyday life with a dog and baby will be completely different from everyday life. So that the owner and dog are well prepared for the new everyday life and its changes before the actual birth, it makes sense to plan everyday life with dog and baby and also to “play through” it a few times. This will give the dog but also the parents more security and they can see early on where the dog still needs training.
But which points should be considered when planning? The experiences of known or friendly parents with a dog are a good guideline here because most parents and dog owners go through the same experiences and times in the beginning. It should already be clear to the owners during pregnancy that they will not have as much time for the dog as was the case before. But the dog must not be neglected and still needs his walks and the time together with his owners and the small new family.
The planning of everyday life for the child includes the time it needs for breastfeeding, diaper changing, and of course cuddling, but the walks must also find their place. The dog should continue to go outside at least three times a day for half an hour or better an hour. Here the baby can be taken in a stroller or with a sling. Lack of sleep from taking care of the baby at night and other times when getting up should also be taken into account. Ideally, the dog learns to be sent to a fixed place, for example, its blanket or basket, and to stay there when the parents are busy with the child. This is also ideal if the doorbell suddenly rings. The dog is sent to its place, the baby is placed in the bed and a parent can open the door in peace.
How does my dog react to the baby?
Dogs are usually curious or even ignorant when a baby moves in.
Prepare the dog for the coming baby
The dog should be prepared early for the baby. This will make it easier for him not to be the only additional family member. He should be accustomed to walking quietly next to the pram early on so that he doesn’t pull on the leash or even try to jump into the pram when he encounters dogs. Similar to walking on a leash, this is trained very slowly and worked with positive reinforcement. This behavior is further encouraged and strengthened with treats.
Another important behavior that needs to be trained before birth is the blanket command, in which the dog lies down in a certain place and remains relaxed until the command is released. This exercise is also slowly built up with treats. The dog should initially only lie down on the square and this will already be rewarded. Then the owner should slowly move away from the spot and the dog stays where it is. This is always rewarded. Then the distance and duration can be increased.
Which dog suits a baby?
First and foremost, any dog will suit a baby who has had a solid basic education. Of course, there are also typical family dog breeds.
Get the dog and baby used to each other
The parents should come home with the child as a matter of course and greet the dog calmly. The baby is initially taboo for the dog. The four-legged friend is allowed to come close, but should not have direct contact. He will be sent to his seat or simply pushed aside if he gets too close to the child. This teaches the dog that the baby is just a part of it, but that he should respectfully keep his distance and that it’s not his job to take care of the baby. After the first few weeks, the dog may also have more direct contact with the baby, but never without supervision.
Hygiene for dogs and babies: what to watch out for
A clear rule of hygiene is that the dog must not lick the child’s face, because dog saliva contains many bacteria and pollutants that should not get into the child’s body. Parents must ensure that the dog only licks its hands if they are cleaned immediately afterward. Otherwise, the child could put its fingers in its mouth and thereby also ingest the dog’s saliva. A thorough cleaning of the home to keep dog hair from collecting is also necessary, as is making sure the baby doesn’t put dog toys in their mouth once they start crawling and don’t nibble on the dog (babies in the oral stages take it also like to put a dog’s ear in his mouth!).
Is a Dog Good for a Child?
A dog can positively influence a child’s development. The children learn from the start how to deal with other living beings and therefore usually become very empathetic and responsible people.
Tips & rules for dog and baby living together
The most important things to consider are:
Rule 1: The dog is never left alone with the child!
Rule 2: In the first few weeks, the dog is not allowed to go directly to the child, but only in the vicinity.
Rule 3: The four-legged friend has a permanent place where he can rest and where the crawling and running child is not allowed to go later.
Rule 4: Despite all the stress and lack of sleep, the dog has to be walked regularly and he also needs time when he is the center of attention – preferably when the child is sleeping or the partner is looking after the little one.
What to do if the dog does not get along with baby
The most common problem is that the dog previously knew very little about the rules, was more of a substitute for children, and is now unable to cope with receiving less attention. In short – the dog is jealous of the baby. In such a case, a dog trainer should be called in quickly, who can look at the situation on-site and set up a training session with the owner.
The most important things at a glance
As long as parents act responsibly, a dog is not dangerous to a baby. It should be noted that the dog and baby should never be left alone.
Dogs usually react curiously or ignorantly to the arrival of a baby.
Ideally, the dog is trained before the baby is born and prepared for moving in. No big fuss should be made about the new family member moving in and the dog should be treated calmly.
