We have two dogs and a cat, and they are used to things being their own way. So when we first brought Baby H home, obviously that disrupted their lifestyle. The good thing is, my pets took well to the addition. If they felt uncomfortable with the noise or something else, they simply went off to their corners and stayed away. If they were curious, they stayed close and observed. So let’s chat about preparing pets for a new baby and specifically introducing dogs to baby!
Tips for Introducing Pets to Baby
Preparation
This will really depend on the temperament of your pets, but if you have a rescue like we do, some preparation in advance is important. We started out by pulling our dogs’ tails and ears to see how they would react.
Obviously, with cats, you can’t really train them not to snap or scratch, but we did try to make her run off instead of attack. The dogs had the same conditioning exercises and any snapping behavior was corrected.
The preferred behavior is for the pets to just turn around and walk off if they don’t want to be messed with, and that is what we encourage them to do. Of course, now, that means the toddler chases them around. But that is still ok.
Slow Transition
We gradually allowed the pets to actually get close to the little guy, and really didn’t allow them to interact much until he could sit up, showing some sort of control. By that time, they were used to his scent, his cries, and his overall presence in the house.
I’ve also read some tips about bringing home a blanket the baby was wrapped in during the hospital stay and letting the animals smell that. We didn’t do that, but it is a tip I hear quite a bit.
Guided Interaction
When Baby H started spending more time on the floor, we started letting the pets play with him. We’d be right there on the floor with them to control any reactions and protect both the pets and the baby from each other. Since Baby H wasn’t at a hitting-things point yet, he just sat and leaned against them, so the pets were just fine with that.
When he started being rough and tumble, the pets would just run away. Sure, he’s gotten a few cat scratches, but those are not serious issues and can teach a good lesson – like don’t grab kitty’s face when she is napping.
Pets are great companions for kids
I have a lovely photo from our first days home with the baby and the kitty sleeping in my lap. I also have photos of the dogs guarding the baby’s bassinet. Animals are good at sensing the emotions of their humans, and they can adapt well to new additions when it is made clear they are here to stay.
What are some of your tips for introducing pets to a baby?
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A Cornish Mum says
Great tips here, I have neither a puppy nor a baby but I’d like someone I know to get both for me to cuddle 😉 Thanks for linking up to #PicknMix
Stevie x
Julie says
Haha a certain someone isn’t ready to give you grandkids yet?
Cascia Talbert says
Those are great tips. The last time we had to introduce a baby to our pets was over six years ago. We just had two cats back then. I think all we did was let them sniff the baby a few times and eventually they got used to him. Enjoy the rest of you weekend!
Julie says
Thanks Cascia, you too! Sniffing and just giving it time is really all you need to do. By the time the baby is on the ground and mobile, the pets are used to him or he 🙂
Jen says
These are great tips! My dogs were largely indifferent to newborns but then were kind of obsessed with both our babies when they were just starting solid food and dropping tidbits … funny that! Visiting from #picknMix
Julie says
Haha oh yea, the dogs wait for him to drop or throw food all the time:)
Brandyn says
Great tips! We only had a cat when my daughter was born, and he adjusted just fine (until she started moving around more and chasing him!). Now we have a dog, too, so I’ll be sure to keep these in mind next time around!
Thank you for sharing with us at #MommyMeetupMondays!
Julie says
Thanks Brandyn. Oh yea, kitties get their curious tails pulled a lot by mobile babies heh.
tori says
One big thing that we made sure to do was to ensure that our puppy learned to respect both us and our daughter before our son came. Then when we brought our son home, we only introduced him slowly, by only allowing him to sniff and lick his feet even though he wanted to be all up in his face. We made sure that their interactions were always on our terms to ensure that the respect was there. So far so good! The only worry I have now is teaching my toddling one year old to pet the puppy gently 🙂 Great tips!
Tori
http://www.themamanurse.com
Julie says
That is definitely important Tori, great point! The dogs do need to respect you and they learn to respect the baby with the slow introduction and seeing how important the baby is to the master.
Samantha says
Great tips! We’ve been really lucky with our dogs and babies. We introduced everyone slowly, and they’re all learning to get along. (It’s a little hard to tell a one-year-old that smacking the dog is not the same as petting it.) But these kids can literally do anything to the dogs, and the dogs don’t care one bit.
Julie says
That’s awesome Samantha! Sounds like your doggies have great temperaments.
Healing Mama says
These are some great tips. We don’t have any pets but my MIL does, and she followed these steps. The dogs seem to have taken to my kids really well. One is especially protective of our kids. LOL.
Julie says
I love seeing the relationship that forms between pets and their adopted humans 🙂 I love when doggies are protective over babies, so sweet!
kid can doodle says
We never had pets growing up (well, not for very long), but we got a cat not too long ago, and I really think they’re a good idea for kids.
Julie says
I agree, pets are great for kids 🙂
Renee says
This is great advice and shows parents how to be balanced with pets and babies 🙂 Thanks for linking up at Over The Moon!
Julie says
Thanks Renee 🙂 I keep hearing about people wanting to re-home their pets once they have children, and it really makes me sad, especially since it isn’t necessary unless the pet has behavior issues.
Erin @ Stay At Home Yogi says
Solid advice. We had a kitty at home when our first baby was born. I was just extra vigilant the first couple months and everyone adjusted fine. There was a second adjustment period when baby became mobile, but luckily most cats know to get up high when they are being bothered. 🙂
Julie says
Kitty is like a celeb around here. When she chooses to show herself, it is all baby squeals haha
Yvonne says
Good advice here! I hope people who are in this position find this post, I have shared it on twitter 🙂 Just popping in from WkendBlogShare
Julie says
Thanks for sharing Yvonne 🙂