4 Tips For Adjusting Your Family Pet To Your New Baby

Before having a baby many people consider their pets like a baby. They see them as a member of their family who gets all of the doting and attention. However, when you decide to have kids this can abruptly throw off the house’s dynamic. Since pets are extremely intuitive and can pick up on emotions and energy, it’s important to make sure that you go about introducing the new member of your family the right way.

It is an entirely different circumstance if you welcome home a child and puppy within a short timeline. They tend to grow together and have a more cohesive relationship. Besides, some breeds even grow up to be better family dogs. That is Why it’s worth waiting for a well bred Goldendoodle, Lab, Bernese Mountain Dog, or even a Rottweiler. When pups spend plenty of time around children, they tend to get accustomed to the family dynamics more easily.

But it may not always be the case. Some couples may already have dogs while expecting a baby. They may make the mistake of assuming that their perfect vision will play out flawlessly. That they will bring home their new bundle of joy and their dog will bark excitedly, and welcome the new arrival as if it were their sibling. However, this is very rarely the case. Since dogs are naturally territorial creatures they are unlikely to accept this new creature with open paws. Here are some of the best tips for adjusting your pet to the new baby so that you can all live in harmony.

Stay Consistent With Your Routine

It’s important to keep your routine going with your dog. This means that you should continue taking your dog for daily walks, meals at the same time, and give them the same daily activities. This can be a little challenging at first when you have a baby to look after who requires around the clock attention, however, you should try your absolute best to try to keep up with making sure that your dog is given the proper routine.

Introduce The Scent

Before coming home with your baby from the hospital, try to bring home a toy or piece of fabric which has the smell of the baby on it. This way you can start to slowly introduce the scent of the new arrival.

Make sure that the dog knows that you own this object which has the scent of the new baby and it must be treated with respect. This way you can define the rules from the beginning.

Set Clear Boundaries

Your dog needs to know that they are not in charge of the household and certainly not higher on the totem pole than the new baby. Make sure that your dog knows they can only approach when you allow it, and that they need to remain calm and controlled when around your baby.

By setting clear boundaries you are not being cruel to your pet but in fact giving them the tools to be able to live peacefully with your family.

Don’t Ignore Your Pet

It’s important to remember to give your pet attention during the transition of becoming new parents. It can become easy to feel like all of your attention needs to go to your new baby, however taking a moment every day to give your undivided attention to your pet will pay off in the long run and avoid behavioral issues on their part.