puppies

My children currently are of the four legged variety. White, fluffy and completely adorable I would be lost without them. Whilst they play such a huge part in my life I am conscious of the role they will play in bubba’s life and the importance of introducing them to each other in a way that won’t make my ever loving yet attention grabbing puppy dogs jealous.

Some tricks I have learnt from Cesar the Dog trainer:

Claim your baby’s scent. By bringing home a cloth the baby has been wrapped in and introducing it to the dogs a few days before babies arrival. Challenge your dog to sniff from a distance whilst holding the item. By keeping control in the situation you are showing the dog the item is yours and only offering them permission to sniff the item.

Establish boundaries around the nursery. I have read a lot about sectioning off the house, allowing the dogs in certain rooms or banishing them to outside. I have decided in the beginning to set decent boundaries that separate animals from humans to allow for some adjustments. My intention is to slowly introduce more ‘even ground’ gradually. Initially before bubba arrives I plan to allow the dogs access to the nursery on a few occasions to sniff around and learn their surroundings, yet not make the room too familiar nor allow them time to setup a comfortable home.

Control the introduction. From what I understand a dog will really feed off your behaviour so keeping calm and happy will assist with the introduction. Allowing the dogs to be warn out by a long walk will help to downplay the excitement of their first meeting. Cesar advises to allow dogs to sniff the baby but from a respectable distance, slowly a closer encounter can occur over time.

Don’t forget the dog. This is a key instruction in my mind as I am aware of just how jealous my two can be. Keeping the dogs active and entertained with toys and walks is equally important to assist their restlessness and need for attention. I know the first few weeks are going to be one hell of a juggling act but hopefully I can keep this all in mind.

Your child’s safety comes first. Last but not least, the babies safety comes first!!!