Babies and Dogs - Introducing a Newborn to the Pack
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by Brianna - Online Dog Coach
After 8 years of marriage and raising our 4 four-legged children (TJ, Shiner, Kelvin, and Rankine), my husband and I decided it was time to welcome a human baby to our pack. We were very excited for our new arrival, but also concerned about the response from our dogs and we wanted to make this as smooth a transition as possible. Our biggest concern was the reaction of our Cocker Spaniel, TJ, to the baby as he does not care for children and he is definitely mom’s dog. We were least concerned with our two golden retrievers (Kelvin and Rankine) because they love children. 
Prior to baby’s arrival, we did several things to desensitize our dogs to the sights and sounds of a baby.
- We invested in an inexpensive (~$15) baby doll that made noises. For several months, both mom and dad carried the baby doll around the house activating the noises periodically. At first, the dogs were somewhat scared of the baby doll, so we rewarded approaching the baby doll with treats and praise. The baby doll became a non-event after a few weeks.
- We purchased the stroller a couple months early and starting walking each dog with the stroller. We put bite-size cookies in the adult drink holder which just happens to line up the dogs nose such that he or she is in a proper heeling position. We rewarded frequently for walking calmly next the stroller.
- We used the baby doll to desensitize the dogs during their dinner time. While the dogs were eating, I put the baby doll’s hands into their bowl and praised for no reaction. NOTE: It is advisable to keep your baby away from the food bowl to prevent accidental bites. However, it is still good to train your dog not to guard food in the event that baby does find his or her way to the food bowl during dinnertime.
- Once the baby was born, we had a friend pick up baby caps from the hospital and bring them home for the dogs to sniff.
On the day we came home from the hospital, we had a friend exercise all four dogs to keep their energy levels low. I entered the house first without the baby and greeted all the dogs. We then put all four dogs outside and brought the baby into the dining room. I sat with the baby on my lap at the dining room table. We brought each dog into the dining room individually and allowed them to smell the baby’s feet. The introductions went well with the exception of Kelvin who was very pushy and jumpy around the baby. Both Aaron and I did some mild corrections to keep Kelvin from jumping at the baby.
Reactions to baby’s arrival… TJ seemed to really like the baby much to our surprise. He sits on the recliner with me as I feed the baby and gives the baby gentle kisses on the hands. Shiner is mostly indifferent going about his business as usual. In contrast to our prediction, both Kelvin and Rankine started to act depressed and refused to eat food. Kelvin was so upset that we had to admit him to the veterinary clinic for an evening to be re-hydrated with an IV. To encourage eating, we added tasty canned dog food to their dry food. We also made a conscious effort to keep their routine as normal as possible including walks, playing fetch, going to agility class, and alone time with mom. After 2 weeks, both golden retrievers have adjusted and appear to be OK with our new arrival. Overall, despite a few bumps in the road, I think our pack has survived the addition of a new family member.
About the Author
Brianna has had dogs as companions for over 20 years. She has been formally training her dogs for over seven years including agility, obedience, and trick training. Her dogs have competed and have earned titles in AKC and USDAA agility. She has also volunteered at the local shelter to train the “un-trainable” dogs.
Brianna’s Dogs
TJ (Cocker Spaniel, “USDAA”: http://www.usdaa.com Agility Dog Champion), Shiner Bock (Carolina Dog), Kelvin Jay (Golden Retriever Rescue), Rankine on the Rise (Golden Retriever)