Many couples will have a dog long before they have a baby. While your baby will of course take priority, it is important not to neglect the feelings of your dog at this time. A new addition to the home will be an extremely disruptive experience for them too, especially if they’ve lived there for a number of years. Luckily, if you follow a few simple tips, there’s no reason you can’t all live together as one happy family.
1. Greet your dog separately before it meets the baby
When you return home with your newborn, it is important to greet your dog separately. Your protection dog will be excited to see you, especially if you’ve been away for a while, and will probably jump on you. For the baby’s safety, make sure that you are not holding it when this happens.
2. Give the dog time to adjust
Don’t rush things! Allow your dog a few days to get used to the presence of your baby in the home before allowing it to get close. Let it acclimatise to the baby’s sight and sound before you go any further.
3. Introduce the baby in a controlled way
After a few days, allow your dog to sniff the baby but make sure you keep it on a lead at all times. Don’t force this but, when your guard dog is ready, make sure you praise it for interacting with the baby.
4. Don’t scold the dog for picking up the baby’s toys
This will cause the dog to associate the baby’s smell with negative feelings which will harm their relationship in the long run.
5. Give the dog plenty of attention
Your hands will be pretty full in the early days but it’s important not to neglect your dog. Continue to give it attention so that it doesn’t resent the new baby.
6. Call in the experts
If you continue to struggle with your dog’s behaviour, you might want to consider residential dog training. Our expert dog trainers have years of experience and a proven track record when it comes to improving canine behaviour. Get in touch today for more details or see more about our protection dogs for sale.
