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How a Baby Changes Your Pet's Life: Frequently Asked Questions
It's common for a pet to face some difficulties adjusting to the newest family addition. What can you do to ease the transition? Here's some advice from Suzanne Hetts, PhD, an animal behaviorist who, along with her husband, owns Animal Behavior Associates in Littleton, Colorado.
Can you prepare a dog or cat for a baby?While you obviously can't warn them of what's ahead, you can start, during pregnancy, to desensitize pets to life with an infant. You may have heard that it's a good idea to carry around a baby doll -- it may seem silly, but it gets a pet used to seeing you with a bundle in your arms or on your lap. You need to teach a dog, particularly, not to jump on you when you have the doll. If a dog doesn't respond to verbal commands, such as "sit" or "down," we suggest you start obedience training well before your baby's birth.
Cats and dogs are also sensitive to newborns' cries, so you might gradually get them accustomed to the sound by playing a recording (tape a friend's baby or buy a CD from animalbehaviorassociates.com). Invite friends with children to come over more often to get your pet further adjusted to life with kids. It's important to socialize a cat or dog well beforehand. Pets that are only used to you and your partner will have a harder time with the baby.
Lavishing a pet with attention during your pregnancy may be well intentioned, but it's actually not the best idea. If your pet is used to being the center of your universe, back off a bit before the baby is born. That gives your pet the opportunity to become more independent.
It also helps to bring out the baby gear early. Though you may hate the thought of a baby swing taking up space before you need it, you want your pet to be bored with it before the baby starts using it (and also not associate all the furniture-moving chaos with the newcomer). Finally, babyhood involves a lot of new odors. Start using baby lotions, powders, and soaps on yourself or on a doll before the birth.
Many experts say Dad should bring a blanket that was wrapped around the newborn home from the hospital for the pet to sniff. What does that do?You want your dog's or cat's first whiff of the baby to have a pleasant association. Try putting a blanket with your newborn's scent right in the pet's bed, under his food dish, or in his favorite nap spot.
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I have a Doberman Collie mix and I've been working with her since I found out I was pregnant. I think it'll be fine though since she seems totally uninterested in anything baby related...except the soft dolls (she's used to having soft toys so she thinks they're hers). She smells the baby powder and diapers then just leaves. In addition, she doesn't even lift her head when I play recordings of babies crying. I don't think she cares lol.
3/12/2012 11:35:45 AM Report AbuseMy female cat was a little puzzled at first, but she'd had a couple of litters, so she finally realized he was just a large kitten, and treated him like on. I learned not to freak out when she washed him, although I held the line when it came to sleeping in his bed with him.
8/22/2011 08:22:45 PM Report AbuseWe had every intention of doing similar things, but failed to get around to it. Luckily our dog took everything in relative stride. She has behaved very well with the baby, and has even been tollerant of pulled hair and tail. The major thing I would have done differently would be to heed the recorded-cry advice. Our dog looks pained when the baby cries vigerously. It wasn't until baby started to laugh more often than cry that our dog really wanted much to do with him at all.
8/22/2011 11:40:32 AM Report AbuseGreat advice! I will definitely be trying these tips out. :)
7/18/2011 01:30:23 AM Report AbuseMY inlaws got a pet looks like the baby already for how many years then the reall baby come so i think they have to think for the realy baby health all i can say to protect my baby to the pets special in our house lots of cats its not safe for the baby its makes baby sick and got allergy. so i avoid it not the baby to be around.
6/21/2011 01:38:15 PM Report AbuseWe have two LARGE dogs a Chocolate lab Husky mix, and A King Dobermin. We did not bring a blanket or anything home before our son come home. The dogs had been our fur babies before our son was born, and they have adjusted wonderfully. when we came home we let the dogs come up smell the baby and they went back to laying down, when He would cry their ears perked they came over and gave him kisses. Now at 11.5 months old the 3 of them are best friends. His first word was even the dogs name.
6/20/2011 05:36:09 PM Report AbuseWhen I had my daughter, my husband took the blanket that she was wrap in at the hospital home the day before the baby and I got home. Maxie the dog( Chihuahua and the Yorkshire Terrier) had a whole 24 hrs to get used to the scent. When we brought her home Max bark once when he first heard her cry and I pick Max up to look at her and sniff her and Max was fine. She is 9 months and they became best friends and not once has he bitten her no matter how rough she is to him.
4/5/2011 12:31:33 AM Report AbuseWe had a Shiz Tzu for 10 years before twins arrived. We used the blanket method with her and it worked fine. We kept the twins in the bassinet which meant that she was able to keep her spot sleeping at the foot of the bed. As long as the routine does not change too much, the pet should be fine.
4/4/2011 10:48:27 AM Report AbuseI don't feel comfortable with pets being around my baby. I hear too many stories of babies getting hurt or even killed by pets. There was just a news report about a 4 day old that was just killed by the family dog when the parents left him/her alone in a room. It was sooo sad.
11/3/2010 09:41:50 PM Report Abusei need to try this right now. my dog thinks is a baby and im afraid he wont like the new baby.hope it works!!
8/2/2010 11:06:47 AM Report AbuseI have tried the baby doll thing, and so far my dog just wants to chew on the baby. We have bought him a huge bone though, and that distracts him for awhile. He also likes to chew up the diaper boxes that I have bought early and brought to the house.
7/29/2010 11:54:29 AM Report AbuseI took the blanket home from the hospital that was wrapped around my newborn. My two chihuahuas went from being overprotective of me to being even more protective of the baby.
5/19/2010 11:28:21 AM Report AbuseThis is very helpful! I have two dogs and I hope it works. One lays on my stomach...well both of them lay on my stomach. I am willing to try this. Just hopefully my male dog don't grab the doll
2/17/2010 12:41:28 PM Report AbuseOur hyper dog ended up fine, even very loving to the new baby! She needs her attention though. However, our two cats (who are normally very independent) became more needy, loving and territorial. One has peed in the nursery since halfway through my pregnancy! We have now blocked off the nursery to the kitties, but it isn't easy. They key is the enzymatic cleaner...
1/21/2010 09:04:05 AM Report AbuseThis is great advice. I have been concerned about how my two dogs are going to react to the new baby arrival.
1/19/2010 10:05:41 AM Report Abuse