A common question that would come up during my pregnancy was “What are you going to do about your pets?” You see, when we decided to welcome a human child into our home, we already had several “babies.” I’m the loving mother of a German Shepherd, a Pit Mix, and a cat. Naturally, you can see how people were terrified. I own not one, but two “aggressive” dog breeds and a cat who could (and apparently would) suffocate my baby. Clearly, I was setting myself up for complete failure and would end up re-homing my pets.
Well you know what they say about assuming…..my pets, my baby, my husband and I are all still happily co-habituating six months later. It was in no way an easy transition, but we’ve done it. With pre-planning and dedication, you too can welcome your baby into a home with pets.
Here are a few steps we took in order to have a happy home together:
- PREPARE YOUR PETS IN ADVANCE:
Give your pets a heads up that someone is joining the house hold. Do you plan on having your dog’s play in the backyard? Are you going to have to kick them out of your bedroom once the baby has arrived? Do all of these changes well in advance of bringing your baby home. Reinforce with treats and praise. This will keep them from having a negative association with the baby. Also, if you’re pets aren’t trained, go ahead and hire a trainer or dedicate time to do it yourself. You’ll be grateful they have the basics down when you’re short on time. If you need guidance on training or what is safe regarding pets/babies consult your Vet, your OB, and your Pediatrician (if you already have one). They will all give you different perspectives and help you to make the right decision for your child and your pet.
- COMING HOME WITH BABY:
While you are still in the hospital, have your husband bring home a blanket the baby has spent some time in. Allow the pets to sniff it and get the baby’s scent. Also, if you live close enough to the hospital and you and baby are doing well, I encourage you to have your spouse spend a few hours at home each day with the animals. Once it’s time for everyone to come home, keep it to the humans that live there. Ask anyone who is coming to help to give you a few hours to introduce everyone and establish that this baby is with you. Introduce pets one at a time and give them treats or maybe even a new toy “from the baby.”
- THE FIRST FEW WEEKS:
It’s going to be bad. I can’t lie to you guys. If you have help, let that person take the dogs out and feed everyone. I tried to “visit” my pets every day. My recovery was difficult so I spent a minimal amount of time out of the bed for a few months. Still every day when my baby was napping, I would go into the living room and spend a few quality minutes talking to and petting all of my animals. They will probably act out during this time (one of our dogs decided to start eating walls) Punish appropriately and then make like Elsa and “Let It Go.”
- AS BABY GROWS:
As baby grows, you’ll have to adapt. For example, we got a playpen when my daughter was 4 months old. It wasn’t to keep her in, it was to keep our dogs out. This allowed her to have plenty of floor time and still allow us to all be together. When she starts crawling, we’ll have to adjust again. Then we’ll adjust again when she starts walking. Try not to think too far in advance, it will be overwhelming. Always, always, always teach your child how to behave with pets. Now that my daughter has started reaching for our pets, we help her to pet them. We say “gentle” as we stroke their fur. Remember that at the end of the day your pets are animals. They will act accordingly. You can’t expect them to not snap at a toddler who is pulling their fur or hitting or kicking them. Just like you trained your puppy, you’re going to have to train your kid.
- LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER:
After your body as healed and your baby gains a few months under their feet, you will see how much they adore their pets. You’ll be so grateful that you’ve kept them under your roof. I say this for the happy ending. Unfortunately, sometimes there isn’t one. If you pet show aggression towards your child, you need to do something. I know I spent this entire article in defense of pets, but there is a big difference between an animal being an inconvenience and an animal being a threat to your child. We had several plans in place for our dogs. One was if they were simply too hyper and we felt the baby was in danger from an accident, NOT intentional harm, we would get them a pen and they would be outside during the day. One of my friends was even kind enough to offer to temporarily home our pets if the first few months were overwhelming. If at any time our animals had shown aggression towards our daughter, we would have re-homed them regardless of how much it would break our hearts.
My days can still get pretty crazy. The dogs are barking to go out, the baby is crying for a bottle, and the cat is meowing loudly from the dining room because she doesn’t like where the stroller is placed. Even though it’s a lot of work for me, I see the excitement on my child’s face when her puppies come over to say hello. I feel my body relax as I pet my cat at the end of the day, and I laugh at the crazy things our animals do. They bring me so much joy and I’m forever grateful that we kept them in our home.
