06/03/2024
๐ถ Baby Homecoming - FAQs for Dog Families ๐พ
โ๐ฟ๐ค๐๐จ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐โ๐ข ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ?โ
Your dog likely knows that something is different about you, whether it be your behaviour, your scent, or the change in your posture. We canโt say for sure if they know exactly what is going on though - if only they could talk! It is quite common for women to report that their dog became more reactive to strangers or โprotectiveโ during their pregnancy. This does not necessarily mean that the dog is protecting the mother/baby, as many factors such as change in routine, human behaviour, and increased stress levels amongst family members can make reactivity worse. In this kind of situation, I would highly recommend reaching out to a qualified professional/Family Paws Educator and avoid encouraging the behaviour further.
โ๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐?โ
Kids, toddlers, and infants are all drastically different. Plus, your dog having been around children is one thing, but living with them is another. It is also important to brush up on dog body language to see how well you really know your dog. When they are around a child, what signs tell you that they arenโt just fine, but very comfortable around kids? Just tolerating children isnโt enough to be sure that your dog isnโt going to get fed up one day. Dogs have emotions like us, and they also have bad days. One of my favourite quotes by Family Paws Parent Education is โBabies grow, dogs age, adjust at every stageโ.
โ๐บ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐?โ
This might look a little different for each family, but it is great to start with understanding your dogโs sensitivities. What do you expect will be difficult for your dog when Baby arrives (think sounds, touch sensitivities, tight spaces/โgrowl zonesโ, less one on one time, etc)? How can you make this easier ahead of time? What management tools can be used to set them up for success?
What habits does your dog have that are fine right now, but might become an issue when the family expands? How can you address this now, so that it doesnโt become a problem later? What simple changes can you start making in the dogโs routine, so that they arenโt surprised later on?
โ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐? ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐?โ
โDog Meets Babyโ. Social media is polluted with these heartwarming video clips, many which are outright unsafe. Dogs being encouraged to โkissโ the infant with the carrier on the floor, and no adult in between. What you often miss is the dog looking up at the adult for reassurance, flicking their tongue, whites of eyes showing, lowered body posture, pinned ears, staring, and sometimes over-excitement that comes out as zoomies or jumping. Is this fair to the dog? What about the vulnerable infant? The dog might be happy, but what if they accidentally thwack the infant with their paw? Guess who will get the blame? When your baby arrives home they will be making all kinds of noises, and producing a variety of new odors. You as parents will be slightly out of character as well. Everything will be different, chaotic, exciting, and strange for your dog, so they will not be blind to the fact that a new creature has arrived in their space. Rather than focusing on an โintroductionโ, how can you promote a happy and safe coexistence? How can you reduce the pressure for your dog, and try to maintain some predictability and routine? On top of that, always remember, โDog and baby on the scene, a parent in betweenโ .
Regarding the baby blanket, there is no simple answer to this question. Many people have heard this suggestion before, which is understandable because dogs see the world through their noses. However, dogs are more complex than that and so are babies (they are always changing)! Assuming that this tiny step will determine the rest of the relationship between the dog and baby can easily set everyone up for unhealthy expectations, and possibly terrible disappointment. Babies are so much more than their scent, but even then, how can you guarantee that the dog can distinguish the babyโs scent from all of the other hospital smells? The variety of odors might even be overwhelming for the dog. If the dog sniffs and wags their tail, is it fair to assume that the dog understands what is happening? If the dog reacts negatively, why would we conclude that itโs because of the baby, and not from having a strange object being put in their face? There are more important things to be focusing on when preparing the whole family for Babyโs arrival, so donโt put all of your eggs in one basket.
๐ There are so many questions when it comes to dogs and children. Please do not hesitate to reach out for some helpful resources, or to book an appointment to come up with a plan unique for your situation.
