Q&A on Pets and Babies!

Question:

Hey Dr. G! Hope your feeling good. Thank you for all the awesome info on Facebook! I was just wondering how you were planning on introducing your dogs to Wilson? I've done a lot of internet research on this because my dog (who was a rescue) has some mild aggression issues with other dogs and he's never really been around a baby. I'm really worried and thought I'd see what you had planned.

-Nicole

Answer:

Yes I definitely have input! I found that this is really tough because before your baby, your pets are your babies and just like older siblings, there is the potential that they can become resentful and target the baby for aggression.

There is a class at Yale New Haven which deals with pets and babies in particular, but here is what I've learned on my own so far:

1) find a CD or mp3 files that have baby sounds on them and play them in the house to get your pets aquainted and relaxed with the sound of babies,

2) start to give the dog boundaries now - for example, if they are not going to be allowed to sleep with you when the baby gets there, start doing it now, rather than later once the baby is already here - it can build resentment on the part of the dog and the baby will be the prime target.

3) bring a doll into the house at first and hold it like a baby - see how the dog reacts. Treat the doll just like you would a baby - you can allow the dog to smell the baby, but don't put the doll on the floor unsupervised to see what the dog will do. He might think you are giving him a new toy and the fact that it looks like a baby would not set a good precedent.

4) if that goes well, bring a friend's baby over - don't trust the dog too much until you really see there is no aggression on the part of the dog. Still remember to stay calm because the dog can pick up on your energy. If you feel nervous then the dog will pick up on that and try to identify why - and you don't want him to identify the baby as that reason!

5) Once you have the baby, have a friend or whoever is watching the dog bring home a blanket that the baby had on - one that smells like the baby. This will help them get aquainted with the smell and recognize it again when you get home.

Don't worry too much - the vast majority of dogs do not have issues with babies and children and actually love them. We have 3 dogs and 2 cats and they love babies so much - the hardest thing we have to deal with is stopping them from licking our friend's baby.

And finally - don't forget about your dog when the new baby comes - make sure, just like an older sibling, you give them a role and continue to show them love and affection. They don't understand what is changing and need your support to understand they are still loved.

Hope this helps!

-M