6 Ways to Prepare Your Dog Before Your Baby Arrives

by Kate Barrington

Published: October 7th, 2018

6 ways to prepare your dog before your baby arrives

Congrats on the new human addition! How is your dog taking to the changes? Here are some things to do to get your dog ready before baby comes home.

If you are expecting a new baby, you already know that big changes are on their way. When you bring new life into the world, it is a huge responsibility to care for and love that baby.

During the first few months, you’ll be devoting almost all of your time to the new baby and that means other things may fall to the wayside. If you have a dog, there are certain preparations you should make to ensure that everything goes smoothly for the whole family. Keep reading to learn more.

Tips to Prepare Your Dog for a New Arrival

When you first find out that you are expecting, it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of making the announcement and preparing your home for the new arrival. Amidst all of the excitement, however, you need to be practical.

Adding a new baby to your family is going to change your life, of course, but don’t forget about your dog! Significant changes like adding a new member to the family can be stressful for a dog and the new baby will take a lot of your attention. Follow these tips to prepare your dog for your new baby:

Make sure your dog is up to date on obedience training – you need to know that he will listen if you tell him to sit and stay.
Address any behavioral concerns sooner rather than later (like jumping up on people).
Give your dog some extra socialization to get him used to being around babies and small children (as well as baby accessories like strollers and cribs).
Start using a stroller when taking your dog for walks so he gets used to it.
Think about who is going to take care of your dog when you head to the hospital to deliver – you should make sure he is set for a couple of days, just in case.

Related: Dogs Respond to Baby Talk

In addition to following these tips, you should spend as much time with your dog as you can in the weeks leading up to your delivery. The stronger your bond with your dog, the more likely he is to adjust well to a new addition to the family. You also just want to make sure he knows he isn’t being replaced.

How to Introduce Your Dog to Your Baby

When you are ready to bring your new baby home, you should think through the details of introducing him to your dog. You will probably already have the nursery set up, so make sure your dog is respectful of the space by making sure he has a comfortable space of his own – set up an area of the house with his crate or bed, his food bowls, and his favorite toys.

In terms of the actual introduction, keep it short and sweet at first. Your dog will be curious and maybe a little cautious, so try sitting down with your baby and let your dog come up and sniff him when he’s ready. Over the next few days you can let your dog spend more time with the baby, but always supervise the interactions just in case. Eventually, you can let your baby interact with the dog directly so the two of them can start forming a bond.

By following the tips provided above, you can improve the chances that your dog will adjust well to the new addition and will come to form a positive bond with your new baby. Keep in mind, however, that every dog is unique in terms of his personality – some dogs simply do not like or get along with children. So, do your best to smooth out the bumps in the road and follow the tips above to prepare your dog for your new addition to the family. Good luck!

Kate Barrington

Kate Barrington is the loving owner of two cats (Bagel and Munchkin) and a noisy herd of guinea pigs. Having grown up with golden retrievers, Kate has a great deal of experience with dogs but labels herself a lover of all pets. Having received a Bachelor's degree in English, Kate has combined her love for pets and her passion for writing to create her own freelance writing business, specializing in the pet niche.

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Pet Owners Distraught After Nationwide Drops Their Insurance Claims

Nationwide, the nation's largest pet insurance company, is canceling coverage for around 100,000 pets across the country, blaming inflation, rising costs of veterinary care, and other factors threatening the profitability of its pet insurance business. “ As pet lovers ourselves, we understand the emotions connected to the protection of our family pets. Inflation in the cost of veterinary care and other factors have led to recent underwriting changes and plan availability in some states - difficult actions necessary to ensure a financially sustainable future for our pet insurance line of business,” the company shared in a statement. This decision is leaving thousands of pet owners in a difficult situation. Although Nationwide insists that prior claims history and age aren’t a factor, most of the canceled policies are for older pets with pre-existing medical conditions that may not be insurable elsewhere. Nationwide, which insures around 1.2 million pets nationwide, began sending letters to the affected policyholders this spring and will continue to do so into the summer of 2025. The company’s statement comes only after policyholders started to complain on social media about the letters they received, especially owners of pets with pre-existing health problems that require several hundred dollars a month for veterinary care and medicine to treat. “Pet owners are contemplating euthanizing sick pets because they are uninsured, and all they can say is they need to make more money, so too bad,” said Robin Tobias of Aventura, Florida. She is one of tens of thousands of owners who received a letter from Nationwide in April notifying her that the policy for her dog Ginger won’t be renewed. Tobias shared the letter she received from Nationwide with The Columbus Dispatch. “After careful review of our products, we have elected to discontinue certain plans, including Whole Pet, which will no longer be offered in your state,” the letter said. “The same economic pressures from inflation, higher interest rates, and rising that have caused unprecedented losses for the American insurance industry are affecting the pet industry as well, leading to difficult decisions such as this.” Ginger’s insurance policy ends July 23. Tobias bought the policy when Ginger was just a puppy and pays $160 a month for insurance to cover a seven-year-old dog with a heart murmur. Nationwide’s latest move is concerning for many reasons and can even put additional pressure on already overcrowded animal shelters across the country. Owners of older pets with health problems may be forced to abandon their pets because they can’t afford to pay for medication and care and can’t get coverage from another pet insurance company. “That’s the reason why you take insurance,” said Tobias. “Down the road, you’re going to need it. It’s horrifying really.”“For us, dogs have been our children. Everything we do is to protect our children.” Tobias believes she has found a company that will cover Ginger, but she fears others won’t be as lucky. For Christie Keith who has been paying more than $700 a month in pet insurance premiums to insure her three dogs, the news came as a shock. The company’s decision to cancel her claims is particularly troubling because her older dogs both needed medical treatment recently. Nationwide notified Keith that policies for her dogs would expire at renewal dates and that she couldn’t purchase lesser policies for her dogs. Owners of pets with pre-existing medical conditions might be better off with other options, like saving up in advance for potential medical emergencies that can happen in the future. Another option is to find a vet willing to work on a payment plan. Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

Which Spring Flowers Are Toxic to Dogs?

Springtime is such a joyful time of the year. The harsh and gloomy winter days are finally over, and nature is awakening – the sun is shining, trees are blooming, and life erupts all over again. But that doesn’t mean that there are no downsides to this season. From spring allergies to spring shedding, there are also quite a few things that don’t spark joy when spring comes. One of those unexpected things that become a downside of spring when you’re a dog is flowers. Yup. Those gorgeous, lush-smelling blooms that appear in the spring can pose a threat to your dog, as many spring flowers are toxic to our canine friends.So without further ado, let’s see which of these pretty, colorful flowers are potentially dangerous for dogs – so you’ll know exactly which of them to avoid planting in your garden or putting in a vase.Which Spring Flowers Are Toxic to Dogs?As we all know, dogs are inquisitive and love to nibble and sniff all sorts of odd things, flowers included. This is why you should be vigilant in the spring when many potentially toxic plant varieties are in season. Keep an eye out for the following flowers when walking your pet out and about or when picking out seeds for your flower beds!Daffodils

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