A baby is a huge, wonderful, challenging change in a family. Preparation is helpful to minimize the challenge and maximize the wonderful, particularly if you have a dog in your household.
In this series on ThatMutt.com, I wrote detailed posts describing how to deal with the variety of situations people may encounter when a baby joins their family and how to best prepare your dog for the new addition. Throughout my own pregnancy and the birth of my daughter, I shared my training process and my dog’s progress.
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Drawing on advice from professional dog trainers, other new parents and my own experience, I give people techniques to make the transition as smooth as possible for parents, baby and dog.
- How to prepare your dog for baby – The kick-off post where I shared my goals, concerns and philosophy for dogs and babies
- Who will care for your dog on delivery day?
- How to change your dog’s routine in advance of a new baby
- Preparing your dog for the sights, sounds and smells of a baby
- The birth announcement – Including an update on how our dog was doing so far
- Creating safe spaces for dog and baby
- How to introduce your dog to a new baby
- How to stop your dog from stealing baby toys
- How to teach your dog to walk with a stroller
- How to keep a dog and baby safe on car rides
- Q&A with Oh My Dog Blog – Considerations for adoption
- Q&A with Yellow Brick Home – A multi-dog household
- Q&A with Puppy In Training – What to do when baby arrives early
- Our favourite gear for babies and dogs
- Wrap-up post – The results of our training, additional resources and lessons learned
- My dog’s first year with a baby
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