Dog and baby – tips for harmonious coexistence
When a family has a baby, it means a major change in daily life for everyone involved, including the family dog. For the dog and baby to adapt well from the start and have a safe and harmonious beginning to their longer family life, the dog should be trained during pregnancy. Only good training and solid preparation will give the dog and baby the best start together.
First dog or first child?
Whether a dog or a child should enrich a family depends on the family itself. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages, but regardless of whether a dog or a child comes first, both require work, time, and patience – for both the dog and the baby.
Plan the upcoming daily life
Daily life with a dog and a baby will be entirely different from what it was before. To ensure that the owner and the dog are well-prepared for the new daily life and its changes before the baby arrives, it makes sense to plan it out and also to „rehearse“ it a few times. This will provide more security for both the dog and the parents, and they can see in advance where the dog still needs training.
But what points should be considered when planning? Experiences from acquaintances or friendly families with dogs are a good guide, as most parents and dog owners go through similar experiences at the beginning. Even during pregnancy, it should be clear to the owners that they will not have as much time for the dog as before. However, the dog should not be neglected, as it still needs its walks and attention.
Acclimate the dog and baby to each other
Parents should come home with the baby in a natural manner and greet the dog calmly. Initially, the baby is off-limits to the dog. The dog is allowed to approach, but there should be no direct contact. If the dog gets too close to the baby, it will be sent to its place or simply pushed aside. This teaches the dog to respect the distance and understand that it should not take care of the baby. After the first few weeks, the dog may have more direct contact with the baby, but never without supervision.