As an expectant mother, you would already have a birthing plan which includes the outfit your baby is going to wear, the music that has to be on your playlist and a list of things to be carried to the hospital. On the other hand, dogs also need a birthing plan as they don’t understand the changes that are taking place within the household. It can be quite overwhelming as dogs are used to being the only children of the family. This means that you need to come up with a plan so that your canines can adapt to the changes. Here are five tips you can use to ensure that your four-legged friends are ready for your baby.
- Obedience trainingYou want to have good control over your canine at all times. Do this by polishing the basic obedience skills of your dog. If you haven’t gotten around to training your four-legged friend, now is the time to do so. Your canine should be able to sit, lie down, and stay when you tell it to do so. By establishing yourself as the leader of the pack, your dog will begin to listen to you. Practice as often as possible so that you won’t have to raise your voice when you need to control your canine.
- Differentiating between the dog’s and baby’s toysThe toys you buy for your baby will look like your dog’s toys in its eye, making it harder to differentiate between the two. If it sees your baby’s toys on the ground, it will try to play with it. When you see your dog moving towards your baby’s toys, firmly tell your canine to stop doing so. If your canine has already picked up the toy, ask it to drop it. Slowly, your canine will be able to differentiate between its toys and the baby’s toys.
- Capture baby sounds and smellsYou need to make sure that your four-legged friend is comfortable with the baby before it has arrived. For example, your dog may get anxious when it hears your baby cry in the middle of the night. To move past this problem, play a few recordings of a baby crying. Look at how it is responding to those sounds. If it is getting worried, start off at a lower volume and slowly build your way up. After a while, your dog will get used to listening to the baby crying. You would have also bought a wide variety of products for your baby. Make your dog comfortable with those products by allowing it smell them. This way it will get familiar with those smells and associate them with you. If you have any clothes that smell like your baby, introduce it to your canine so that they know what your baby smells like.
- Doll trainingDoll training is one of the best ways to make your dog comfortable with having a new member around. You can pretend like the doll is a real baby and indulge in activities such as nursing, playing and carrying the doll. This way, you can make sure that your dog is okay when there is a baby in the house.
By following these simple tips, you will be able to get your dog ready for your baby. If you have any queries about this topic, do leave a comment below.