Introducing a Baby into the Family with a Pet

Tis' the season to be jolly! Are you expecting a baby sometime in the near future? If so, read the following to learn a bit more on how to adjust your pet to these big changes. The most important thing about these adjustments is to make sure that they are gradual and positive. 

Looking at and preparing your dog for changes with your environment, the smells and sounds, routine, and rules will aid the process. For sounds and smells, pay attention to what your pet is familiar too. Is it a quiet home? Or, a noisy home? Try to keep things similar.

If you cannot, make the transition smooth and positive. Buying a CD with baby noises on, and playing it daily, starting quiet and increasing volume over the weeks will certainly help. Also, get your pet used to new baby smells, which includes: baby powders, lotions, shampoos, and even dirty diapers. Try and borrow some of these from your friends and family, if available.

After you have spent time working on sounds and smells, also try and borrow an actual baby. This could be excellent practice for both you and your pet.

Next, make sure to redecorate your home before the baby arrives. If you need to block off any spaces from your pet, let your pet "say goodbye" to them first. If you need to block off a specific room that was once your pets', try and put everything that was in that room elsewhere for the pet to have a safe spot he can retreat too.

Make sure to spend time with your pet daily, even when the new baby arrives, so your pet does not feel forgotten. He will then think the baby is competition and this could be bad. Allowing daily time with your pet is good for you as well.

Keeping to a routine is very important. Establish any new routines early and again, spend time daily with your pet—schedule this time into your planners, so you don't forget.

Lastly, if you have a dog, make sure it knows basic commands early on. If he is not trained, train him to at least, "sit", "stay", "drop it", and "leave it". With praise and treats, these are easy for any dog to learn with patience. For any pet that enjoys lap time with you, work on teaching them how to ask to sit in your lap. You can work on spending time just being able to talk to your pet, without petting them. This way, if you are caring for the baby, you can speak calmly which will soothe your pet and child.

Do not forget to involve your pet in your daily life still, and encourage him to come on walks with your baby and you, or even make watching TV or reading a book a group activity. The more you do together, the better off the relationship will be for your whole family.

Congratulations and good luck!

Valley Humane Society

Valley Humane Society is a no-kill, non-profit animal shelter in Pleasanton. We have over two hundred volunteers and six staff members. We pride ourselves in being a resource center for the community, providing knowledge of responsible pet ownership and humane education.

Adopting and owning a pet is a life time commitment. Here at Valley Humane Society, we assure that before we adopt out any animal, they are vaccinated, micro chipped, spayed or neutered, and tested for a feline aids, feline leukemia, and heartworm.

All of our adoptable animals can be found on the Valley Humane Society website at www.valleyhumane.org, or you can come meet them at 3670 Nevada Street, Pleasanton, CA 94566. Our phone number is 925-426-8656.