By Alan Green and Kristin Welch

There are moments in our lives that are precious and that we will remember always. Introducing our newborn children to our family pet is one of them. In this issue, Dr. Kristin Welch, CVRC’s esteemed leader of our department of Emergency and Critical Care and a mother of three, takes time to advise new parents on the dos and don’ts of this process.

The human-animal bond begins in the earliest years of life and is one of the most memorable parts of childhood for many adults. In fact, building a safe and respectful relationship between dogs and children should begin even before bringing a new baby home. Planning for baby’s arrival occurs many months before the due date and concurrently working to prepare the dogs of the house for this big change is a good idea. Between a change in schedules, shared attention and lots of new baby gear, there are a many things for the pups to get used to.

It is a good time to work on behavior issues that you may have been meaning to address. Consulting your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist for recommendations is a reasonable first step. Even the most docile dog may find it unnerving to have a new human enter the house. Fear, anxiety, curiosity and even jealousy about the new member of the family are all reasonable reactions. Spending the time before baby arrives to familiarize the dogs with some of the new changes can make the actual adjustment that much easier. Introducing baby gear into the house weeks before baby comes home can help dogs get used to the sights and sounds that will accompany baby.

Take some time to push the stroller around and carry the car seat in and out of the house while the dogs are just at home relaxing. If you have a mobile or other musical toys, play those too. The more that the dogs hear and see and importantly the more they see you do with the baby gear, the less anxious they may be when you are doing this same task with baby in tow.

By playing recordings of baby sounds and cries you can desensitize the dogs to some of the sounds that will be present for many months to come. Placing a baby blanket over the car seat or other baby carrier, as you might on a cool day with baby and carrying this around while the recording is playing will allow you to see your pup’s reactions. While introducing these early techniques, remaining calm, assuring and attentive to the dogs will help to assuage any anxiety that is induced. By repeating these and other similar exercises many times before baby comes home, the dogs will be less likely to react adversely when the big day finally comes.

When baby does arrive, have a piece of clothing or cloth that has baby’s scent to which your dogs may become accustomed. If possible, have a family member bring this home the day before parents and baby are set to arrive home from the hospital. On the first day home with baby, the original four-legged denizens of the house are sure to be excited to see their owners after a day or more apart. By having the dogs outside the house when baby first arrives home, this introduction can be made slowly in a controlled manner. Dogs are apt to jump up and be excited and nervous, particularly if the new baby is crying. Remember, the dogs haven’t yet figured out that the new baby is part of the family.

Safety is always most important so be sure to have someone nearby during the initial introduction who can help if you get an overly exuberant reaction. Calming words, praise and a lot of petting can help ease your dogs into the introduction. Importantly, children should never be left alone or unsupervised with dogs. Even the most docile dog can unintentionally severely injure an infant or child. With planning and preparation, the addition of a new little bundle of joy can be a wonderful time for the four-legged family members too.