Carefully introduce baby to dog

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

By Dr. Greg McGrath

Knight Ridder Newspapers

Veterinarians often are asked about how to handle the situation of a newborn baby in a home with a dog.

There are several guidelines that will help to minimize the chances of problems:

The first thing to realize is that dogs have a pack mentality with a dominance hierarchy and might be sensitive to the arrival of new individuals in the household (their “pack”) or the departure of others that they might be bonded to.

The change in the pack might cause unexpected behavior changes.
While most dogs will accept new individuals once they have time to become accustomed to them, the adjustment period will be different for different dogs.

Dogs that normally would be deferential to adults or children might not recognize an infant as a human and not have the normal inhibitions in their actions toward them.

Preparations for the arrival of the new baby should ideally begin months in advance of the birth with obedience training for the dog.

It should know how to “sit,” “stay” and follow other basic commands reliably.

It’s recommended that a piece of cloth or blanket with the new baby’s scent on it be brought into the home before the child is brought home from the hospital.

This allows the dog to start getting used to the idea that there might be a new individual in the home.

Once the baby comes home, there will be new sounds and smells and the old household routine will be changed, so the dog’s behavior may be different, too.

It’s important that the owners make some “quality time” for the dog, so that it doesn’t develop resentment for the new baby taking attention away from it. This can be a real problem in households where the dog has had attention lavished on it as a “child surrogate” and then gets much less attention when the first human child arrives.

Some dogs might have predatory instincts toward an infant. This will depend on the dog’s breed and individual tendencies.

Any dog that has demonstrated predatory behavior toward other small animals or any aggressive tendencies will require special care.

The bottom line is that dogs should never be allowed unsupervised access to a baby.

If the child is to be left unobserved for any time at all, there must be a solid physical barrier to prevent the dog’s access.

This might involve closing the door to the baby’s room or placing the dog in a crate, for a little while for example.

How long does an individual dog need to be watched for signs of problems around a baby? This varies, but typically might be a period of months, particularly if the dog has never been around an infant before.

Your pet’s doctor can advise you on managing your dog around an infant based on a behavioral evaluation of your individual pet.

Contacting the veterinarian before your baby comes home from the hospital will provide the smoothest transition.