10 tips to introduce your dog to your baby

Introducing your baby to your first baby, aka your dog, is a big deal for both parties involved. And it’s becoming more and more common as time goes on, with more couples choosing to get a dog before starting a family.

A survey by Blue Cross found that three in 10 couples choose to have a pet before having children.

At Nuby, we want to help pawrents become the best parents and ensure their fur baby gets on well with their new human sibling. So, we’ve shared 10 tips to introduce your dog to your baby safely and give them the best chance of becoming besties.

Don’t leave preparing your dog for the baby until they arrive. Ideally, start making changes months in advance so your dog has plenty of time to adjust. Introducing anything new into the home can be a big deal for a dog, but a baby brings a whole new set of sights, sounds and smells, as well as changing your dog’s routine and the amount of attention they receive.

You don’t want your dog to be startled by your baby’s crying when they first arrive, so you can help them get used to the sound beforehand. Months before your baby’s arrival, play recordings of babies crying at a very low volume while you’re going about your normal daily routine at home. If your dog seems unsettled, stop the recording and try again another day at a lower volume. Gradually increase the volume over time as your dog becomes comfortable, so they can eventually hear a baby crying without becoming distressed.

Weeks before your baby arrives, set up some of their equipment, such as a baby bouncer, play gym, toys and pram. The last thing you want is for your dog to feel overwhelmed by both a new tiny human and an abundance of new things appearing around the house at the same time. Allow your dog to get used to the equipment before your baby arrives. If you have distracting items, such as noisy toys or a moving baby bouncer, let your dog see and hear them in action before your baby uses them, so they don’t come as a shock.

It’s important for both your dog and your baby that your dog has a safe space where they can get away from the baby. For your dog, this gives them somewhere quiet to relax if they need some space. It’s also useful for you, as there may be times when you need to separate your dog and baby because you can’t supervise them both. If your dog is crate trained, their crate can be a great safe space. If not, set up a comfortable bed area somewhere quiet in the house and practise your dog going there before the baby arrives. You could even teach your dog a command such as “place”, so you can calmly ask them to go to their safe space when needed. Importantly, make sure this is somewhere your dog can choose to retreat to and where they won’t be followed by the baby.

Research by MoneySuperMarket found that almost half (44%) of dog and cat owners let their pet sleep in their bed. If your dog currently sleeps in your bedroom or bed, you must change this before your baby arrives. This gives your dog time to adjust to their new sleeping arrangements so that you only have to wake up in the night for your baby and not your dog too.

Pushing a pram and walking a dog at the same time is a skill to be learnt, not just for you but for your dog too. You may feel a little silly walking your dog with an empty pram, but it gives them a chance to get used to walking alongside it before there’s a baby inside. Your dog may initially be nervous around the pram or struggle to walk alongside it, so practise at home and on walks before your baby arrives.

Once your baby has arrived, try to bring something that smells like them home to your dog before their first meeting. This could be a sleepsuit, blanket or muslin that has your baby’s scent on it. Let your dog investigate the item at their own pace rather than putting it directly in front of their face. This means your baby’s scent will be something familiar when they meet for the first time.

Your dog’s first meeting with the baby doesn’t need to be a big deal. Try to avoid lots of people crowding around, excited voices or encouraging your dog to immediately go over and say hello. Keeping things calm and uneventful can help your dog understand that the baby is simply another new part of their normal environment. Ideally, have one person responsible for the baby and another responsible for the dog, so neither person has to try to manage both at once.

If your dog isn’t interested in your baby when they first meet, don’t force them to interact. It isn’t a bad thing if your dog has a quick sniff of the baby and then carries on with their normal activities. Allow your dog to approach at their own pace and give them the option to move away. Choosing to calmly walk away can actually be a positive sign. Your dog doesn’t need to be fascinated by the baby to be comfortable around them.

Reward your dog for remaining calm around your baby so they learn that relaxed behaviour is positive. This doesn't necessarily mean rewarding them for interacting with the baby. You can also reward your dog for calmly lying down, settling nearby or simply ignoring the baby. Teaching your dog that they don’t need to approach the baby to receive attention, or treats can help create positive associations.

Hayley Reynolds, PR Manager at Nuby, recently went through this experience herself. Her dog Dixie was five when they introduced her to her newborn and this is the advice she would give:

“My dog Dixie is great with young children, so my husband and I always assumed that when we had a baby, she would be great with them too. However, after doing our research, we found that this isn’t always the case. Being around children in short bursts is very different to living with a baby.

“Once our baby arrived, instead of having the fairy-tale moment we often see on social media, where dogs meet a baby for the first time and are instantly besotted with them, we very quickly realised that our dog was actually scared of our baby. She spent the first three months of our baby’s life avoiding her at all costs, so we made sure she had her own space where she could retreat and relax away from the baby.

"However, now that our daughter is 12 months old, they get on really well. Our daughter has even learnt how to throw the ball for her, and it's lovely to see their relationship developing in its own time."

You should also watch your dog’s body language for signs that they are uncomfortable. Things to watch out for are them licking their lips when not eating food, yawning when they’re not tired and flattened and pinned-back ears. These are all signs that your dog is anxious and uncomfortable. If this happens when your dog is around your baby, calmly separate them and send your dog to their safe space. If your dog's behaviour worsens around your baby, consult your vet or a dog behaviourist. It goes without saying that whether your dog is anxious around your baby or not, you should never leave your dog unattended with your baby, even if it’s only for ten seconds.