Dad Life: Introducing Your Dog to Your Newborn
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The house is ready for baby to come but now the concern is, what about the dog?
How is she or he going to react to a new family member in the household?
Chapter two in Dad Life tackles how to manage taking care of your newborn and introducing your pooch to the newest member of the pack.
The Dog Knowledge owner Debbie Lange says by 9 months, your dog knows more about the baby than you do.
Lange says, introducing a toddler to a dog in the household is actually far more scary than a newborn. The key is to make sure your dog knows your dog knows where they lie in the pack.
“Always let the dog go at their own pace. One thing to remember is a dog is a pack animal, we are social animals.”, says Lange.
The Dog Knowledge trainer, Dennis Lange, says the most important thing is to try to maximize physical and mental stimulation for the dog.
“A couple thing I did to prepare, I would use a bluetooth speaker and play a baby crying just to get them used to that sound so it wasn’t something new to get used to with an actual baby”, says Lange.
Another tip is walking your dog with an empty stroller to see how your dog reacts and get used to the feel with having a stroller in play.
Positive reinforcement is also key for your dog when your baby is present. Lange says when it’s time to introduce your baby, let your dog approach the newborn on their terms.
