Introducing your newborn to the family pet

Your pet is sure to notice he’s no longer the baby of the family. To soften the blow, start preparing him well ahead of time.  He will likely become one of your child’s best friends and fondest of memories.

In the months preceding your baby’s arrival, establish a routine – something your pet can anticipate and rely on after the baby arrives.  Even though your life will be completely turned around for a few months, try to make an effort to continue your pet's routine.

Be realistic: If your pet is used to a daily one-hour jog, start gradually to decrease her exercise time before the baby arrives.

Investigate other avenues of exercise: Hire a dog walker (or a neighbor kid), or set up play dates with doggie friends. Your community will likely have a dog park of some sort. It is a wonderful way to sit down, relax and allow your dog to run and play with other dogs in a safe and secure area.

Stock up on the food and biscuits your pet is used to (now is not the time for a diet change).

Stockpile toys, so that your pet will have something to busy herself with.

Ready the nursery well ahead of time. Establish room rules and regulations before the baby is present (no need to fuel rivalry). Cats can jump into cribs (and no, they won't suck the air out of your baby and no, your dog will not eat the baby, but most likely to become one of your best guardians of the newborn if properly introduced). Allow your pet in the nursery when you are present.

Assemble baby furniture ahead of time, so your pets can adjust to space changes. Some pets may even enjoy these changes. 

Easing the transition

When the big day arrives (and while you're still at the hospital), have your mate bring home something that has the baby's scent on it. A good choice is the cap the nurses place on a newborn's head or anything with a strong baby’s smell. Place it down in front of your pet and allow him to sniff it. Once the pet has become familiar with it, reward him /her in a soft loving voice for being good to the article and periodically repeat this.

When the baby comes home, allow your pet to see and sniff him, but be sure to hold the baby safely your arms. Now is not the time to leave your pet alone with the baby, or to let your pet approach the newborn without your being right there to guarantee the baby's safety.

Now that your baby is home, allow for reasonable together time with your pet. It is especially important that your pet get to spend time with the parent she is closest to.

When you are comfortable nursing or bottle-feeding your baby, your pet can sit nearby and enjoy that bonding and quiet time.

As soon as your baby is old enough, teach him to give your pets their treats. 

Pets ultimately will adjust to their new circumstances—just as you will. Some thought and planning may make the transition a LOT easier.

THERE IS NO REASON WORTH YOUR TIME TO GET RID OF THE DOG!  It will ultimately become one of the best friends your child has ever had.

When everyone returns home at once, bringing in an unfamiliar bundle, a dog can easily get overexcited. Ideally, when mother and baby come home, the mother should greet the dog WITHOUT the baby. After all, you've been gone for a day or so, and the dog probably misses you. If possible, get someone else to hold the baby, in another room, while you give the dog some attention.  Remember, the dog has already put in some time and deserves this easy transition.

Wait for the dog to settle down before the baby is brought into the room. One person should attend to the baby, and one to the dog. Whoever is holding the baby should be seated, to appear less threatening.

At first, let the dog see and smell the baby from about ten to fifteen feet away. As mentioned above, if you have any concern that the dog will misbehave, use a muzzle or leash.

Slowly bring the dog toward the baby. If the dog is too excited, don't let him get close to the baby, and you may want to wait until later if you have any qualms about how the dog is behaving. DO NOT BECOME SPASTIC OR OVER REACTIVE!  This will only fuel misunderstandings on both your and the pets part. It may even take several days for the dog to become calm enough. Reward good behavior, and avoid harsh punishments.

Doggy Issues

Usually dogs are protective and will accept a baby as part of the family "pack". However, problems occasionally occur when it has not been made clear to the animal that the new bundle is a family member the dog needs to protect and respect. Parents might not be concerned that the dog would see the newborn as an intruder or threat, but even if your dog gets along with older children, don't leave him alone with a new baby.

Taking the steps outlined above to prepare your pet will help him understand baby is part of the family.

Be alert when the child starts to crawl or walk, as your dog may react in self-defense to these new behaviors. And keep soiled diapers in a securely sealed container. It's normal maternal behavior for a dog to lick up her puppies' waste, and your dog may try to do this for your baby.

 BE VERY REALISTIC when it comes to your small 2-4 year old children and their treatment of the family pets.  They are small children and unless you have spent quality time and stressed to them that this in NOT a play toy, but a living animal who has feeling and emotions, your children can, in a short millisecond do something to the pet that will annoy or surprise him/her, causing a reactive warning signal that may harm your child.  In the case that this should occur, understand that the likelihood of the offset of this occurrence being the fault of one or more of your child’s actions is fairly strong.  This is certainly not the time to jump to conclusions and hastily get rid of the dog.  If you haven’t spent the time guiding the children to the simple points of being around the family pet, then it’s highly unlikely that you have successfully spent the time to educate the dog on the same points.  When playing and child comes to you with a small puncture which is bleeding and you have a large dog, understand that this was likely an accident of action or motion.  Not the time for punishment and is not likely to happen again once additional guidelines are set for that form of play and activity between the two.

Check out some other good examples of what can happen when no training is implemented or little guidance provided.  Both photos from families where religion, involvement and education is foremost.  Things will happen to test the patience of a saint.  Prepare yourself.

Assuming that your children ‘know’ and understand what is and isn’t appropriate for the handling, playing and subsequent behavior of their tactics and techniques is a fault that could cost your pet his life tragically.  The worst part of this ‘assumptive’ behavior on your part is that the child now assumes that is ‘acceptable’ behavior for him

or her and would do that again to another dog in the future.  BE HONEST with reality and do not over protect the child from injury in  a normal life experience.

Even before baby arrives, make sure that during your pregnancy, your pet gets regular veterinarian checkups and vaccinations. During the last few weeks of pregnancy, begin the process of familiarizing your pet with the sights, sounds, and smells the baby will bring. Here are a few ideas:

Spread a baby blanket scented with baby powder or lotion on your lap, then let your pet rest on your lap to feel the baby moving inside you. Pet and talk to the animal to reassure him. 

Wrap a doll in the same blanket, and perform baby-care tasks such as feeding and changing diapers. If you have a dog, practice having him sit or stay. Offer your pet a food treat, petting, and kind words after you've finished the "chore." 

Several times a day play a short recording of a baby's crying; talk calmly to your pet while the tape is running.

As your house and/or baby's room fills with clothes and furniture, allow your pet to sniff and inspect everything. 

Have a friend or relative bring their baby to your house. While someone holds the baby, carefully allow your pet to see and smell the baby; for safety's sake, you should hold your pet during this visit (a friendly dog can simply get overexcited, for example). 

If you have any concern that your dog will misbehave when he first meets your baby, you should plan to have him muzzled or on a leash. If he's not accustomed to these devices, use them periodically now -- but don't limit their use to times when you're familiarizing him with baby's world. It's hard for most dogs to get used to a muzzle, and it may take some time before the animal is comfortable with it.

Victoria L. Voith, DVM, PhD, and Peter L. Borchelt, PhD, of the Gaines Dog Care Center, in Chicago, recommend that you and your dog attend obedience classes months before your baby is due. An uncontrollable dog can easily injure a baby, just by accident. 

"It's important that the mother attends the classes," adds Linda Votaw, DVM, of the Rosewood Pet Hospital, in Rosewood Heights, Illinois. Dogs are most likely to obey a man's deep voice, so classes will probably be most helpful if they train the dog to listen to Mom too. This is especially true if your spouse usually gives the dog commands but you (or later, a female caregiver) will be the one home alone with baby and dog.

The Big Meeting

Feed your pet prior to baby's arrival home; he'll be in a better mood after a meal, and more receptive to meeting the baby. And he'll also be more receptive to your baby if she's not crying when they meet. 

Talk calmly, and offer petting, praise, and treats for good behavior. Do not force the animal toward the baby.

When everyone returns home at once, bringing in an unfamiliar bundle, a dog can easily get overexcited. Ideally, when mother and baby come home, the mother should greet the dog without the baby. After all, you've been gone for a day or so, and the dog probably misses you. If possible, get someone else to hold the baby, in another room, while you give the dog some attention. 

Wait for the dog to settle down before the baby is brought into the room. One person should attend to the baby, and one to the dog. Whoever is holding the baby should be seated, to appear less threatening.

At first, let the dog see and smell the baby from about ten to fifteen feet away. As mentioned above, if you have any concern that the dog will misbehave, use a muzzle or leash.

Slowly bring the dog toward the baby. If the dog is too excited, don't let him get close to the baby, and you may want to wait until later if you have any qualms about how the dog is behaving. It may even take several days for the dog to become calm enough. Reward good behavior, and avoid harsh punishments.

Doggy Issues

Usually dogs are protective and will accept a baby as part of the family "pack". However, problems occasionally occur when it has not been made clear to the animal that the new bundle is a family member the dog needs to protect and respect. Parents might not be concerned that the dog would see the newborn as an intruder or threat, but even if your dog gets along with older children, don't leave him alone with a new baby.

Taking the steps outlined above to prepare your pet will help him understand baby is part of the family.

Be alert when the child starts to crawl or walk, as your dog may react in self-defense to these new behaviors. And keep soiled diapers in a securely sealed container. It's normal maternal behavior for a dog to lick up her puppies' waste, and your dog may try to do this for your baby.

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For a Cat:

Sit down with the baby, and allow the cat to inspect him. Unlike dogs, cats may not want to sniff the baby right away.

A Happy Family

After baby is home, be sure to give your pet extra attention so he will not feel neglected. If ignored too long, he will act naughty to receive any attention from you (in much the same manner that older siblings often do).

It's not a good idea to leave your pet and baby together unsupervised. Even though they may seem to get along, it's best to be completely sure they "play nice" -- for your baby's sake and for your pet's. So shut the baby's bedroom door, or install a gate or screen door. Use a room monitor for extra protection.

Catty Remarks

According to Dr. Votaw, there is usually almost no trouble when introducing a cat to a baby. Yet old wives' tales abound. The most common one is that cats suck the breath out of babies, because they smell milk on their mouth. 

"This is false," says Dr. Votaw, adding that more realistic reasons a cat may want to be close to a baby are "because it is curious and [because] it wants to get warm."

Since cats are jumpers, crib rails are no obstacle for them. Place a screen or taut netting over the crib to keep the cat from sleeping with the baby. (Remove the screen once the baby is able to reach it.) 

Be aware that a cat might scratch or urinate on baby's belongings. This behavior in a cat can symbolize a number of things -- affection, a sense of possessiveness, are the most likely. 

In any case spraying is a habit you want to discourage; if you have this problem with your cat, keep him out of baby's room. When you must reprimand your cat, experts recommend spraying him with water from a plant mister or clapping your hands and shouting, "No!" 

Keep the cat's litter box out of children's reach; a number of infections can be contracted from animal waste. If the litter box is kept behind a closed door, and the cat is shown where it is, he will quickly learn ways to let you know he needs to use it. 

All animal bites should be washed promptly with soap and water. To be on the safe side, bites that break the skin should be treated by a doctor within eight hours; severe infections can develop if the wound is not properly cleaned. Infections are ten times more likely after a cat bite than after a dog bite, because the wound is deep and narrow. Antibiotics are usually prescribed.

Reprinted from American Baby, "Will our Pet Like the Baby?", by Cathy Edler, March, 1994