Dog Meets Baby Blog

Holidays, as wonderful as they are, can be stressful for parents and dogs when friends and family are visiting and routines change.
Planning ahead of time when you’re expecting visitors or you will be visiting someone who has a dog, will keep everyone safe and comfortable.

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When deciding what to do with your dog when there are visitors, consider the following:
➜the temperament of your dog
➜the type and length of visit
➜everyone’s comfort level

Here are a few ideas on how to proceed:
✓A brief greeting with the dog and visitor, then separate.
✓Separate as visitors arrive, then let the dog come out for a quick
greeting, then separate again.
✓Completely separate from the start and remain separate until
everyone leaves.
✓Let the dog hang out with everyone, but separate during tricky times
(like serving a meal, kids holding food, or kids running around).
✓Let the dog hang out depending on everyone’s (including the dog’s)
comfort level.

➜Make your guests aware of the safet...

“I have young kids, how do I choose the right dog for our family?”

I get asked this question all the time, I even asked myself the same question when we were thinking of adding a 2nd dog to the mix.
My decision process now – as a mom with two young kids with busy social life, aka many playdates – was different from when I was single and adopted Lola in 2011 from Animal Haven.

Puppy vs. Adult

Both choices have benefits and challenges. It’s important to consider how much work you want to put in initially and what will be the best fit for your family.

Puppy

One of the benefits people feel about puppies is, of course, their adorableness and fun nature. Puppies can be raised in your family from a very young age, and you will be there throughout all the stages of their life. However, puppies are a LOT of work and have a lot of energy.

Puppies need to be well socialized (teaching them to feel comfortable with people, sounds, other dogs, and objects). Socialization is about exp

...

When it comes to behavioral training, punishment works. Or at least, it appears to…at first.

But what most owners fail to realize, punishment as a training tool often comes with detrimental side effects. So, what are the side effects you can expect?
That’s the problem. We don’t know.
Dogs make associations all the time.

When I first started training dogs, I didn’t know much about various training philosophies and approaches. My mentor trainer was actively using choke collars, prong collars, physical punishment, and leash corrections. There were some treats but given very sparingly. It wasn’t until I started Academy for Dog Trainers in San Francisco, CA that I learned that you can effectively train without the use of aversive methods. I never looked back.

TO PUNISH?

If a dog growls and lunges at fast-running small children and is punished with a spray bottle, sometimes it is enough to stop that behavior. Frequently, “success” is temporary. The dog growls and lunges because they ar...

Every dog and owner have unique and sometimes subtle ways of communicating with each other. ⁠When you have a baby, it is unavoidable that the unique language you and your dog have developed together will be interrupted. Your dynamic will change.⁠

Pre-baby evening routine

Your dog brings you a toy and barks excitedly! Playtime! Yay!
Followed by snuggles on the couch, your dog’s face and paws in your lap.

Post-baby evening routine

You sit on the couch holding your newborn baby.
Your dog brings the toy over and barks! You tell your dog, “QUIET!” and take the toy away.
Your dog jumps on the couch to get attention, but your lap and hands are unavailable. You tell your dog, “OFF!”


Your dog will try the same behaviors that have worked in the past. When those behaviors don’t work, they may try other ways to get your attention, e.g., by demand barking or being jumpy and pushy. Or extra clingy.

What does it mean?

Many parents interpret these behaviors as their dog being jealous of the...

It is such an exciting milestone when your baby starts solids. But remember: 1) your baby will drop a LOT of their food, and 2) Your dog might try to snag it before it even hits the floor. Let’s talk about it!

Where should your dog be?

Main options:

➜Your dog waits under the highchair for all the dropped food.
➜Your dog stays on their dog bed or outside the kitchen during the meal but is released to clean up the floor at the end.
➜A gate or closed door separates your dog, and you let your dog clean up the floor after the baby is done eating.
➜Your dog is separated, and you clean up yourself.

My preferred option is the training option (#2). Lola is in a down - stays put until the kids are done eating. But life gets busy, and I don’t always have time to feed my kids, unload the dishwasher, cook, and train my dog.

I love using a retractable gate when my kids eat at their kids' table in the kitchen. After we clean up the table and if the leftovers are safe for her to eat, she is let i...

Anytime a child enters your home–with or without their parent – you are liable if a dog-related incident occurs. Playdates can be tricky to navigate, even if you have a great system at home with your child and dog.

I love to organize playdates, inside and outside our house. Pre-pandemic, we used to host drop-off playdates when my kids turned 3.5 years old. Me, Lola, often another dog (for training), and 4 to 5 young children.

Our first playdate:

I assumed supervision and going over the rules would be enough. Boy, was I wrong!

What I didn't expect:

• I learned very quickly that peer pressure is real. Your child who knows not to hug your dog might suddenly start doing it because another kid does it.

What is important to remember:

• Many children are afraid of dogs and may have a reaction that would definitely get your dog’s interest. Or scare them.
• Some children assume all dogs like physical attention.
• Some dogs get hyper around small running kids and could knock them
...

The dog training industry is unregulated in many countries. Literally, anyone can call themselves a dog behaviorist or a dog trainer. When looking for a trainer, ask for certifications*, especially if you don’t know much about that trainer.⁠

*At the end of this blog post, you’ll find a list of the recommended certifications (the US and some international).
⁠

In-person or online?

If you have a local trainer you like a lot, great! But if you don’t–or prefer remote meetings–many trainers work online. During the pandemic, it was often the only way to “see a trainer.” Many behaviors can be successfully addressed with cameras during online training sessions or group classes. Some trainers work exclusively online and offer training packages and programs.

In some cases, online sessions are more beneficial than in-person sessions. For example:

✔Easily distracted pups
SF Puppy Prep is a reputable dayschool for young puppies in San Francisco, CA. At first, the school offered a 60-minute com...

Meet Michelle: Michelle is a sought-after dog trainer and mom to a 4-year-old girl, two dogs, and one cat.

Meet her fur babies: Her dog Izzy is friendly with all people BUT nervous with younger kids and barks if young kids come too close. Frankie is neutral with kids but nervous of adult strangers if they rush her. She will bark if strangers are looming, staring, and trying to pet or touch her.

I asked Michelle to share her story and what she did to overcome the obstacles that come with introducing a baby to your pet-friendly home, as I know it could help many parents who are nervous about that transition.

Michelle’s story:

✔ will give you many ideas
✔ will help you to have realistic expectations about your baby and your dogs
✔ will give you HOPE!

Disclaimer: If your dog has displayed aggressive behaviors toward children, reach out to a certified dog trainer or veterinary behaviorist.

Pregnancy

I started prep work in the second trimester and focused on separating the dogs...

“My son can’t stop trying to pull the dog’s hair and tail, even if I repeat a thousand times that he’s hurting the dog. I feel like I’m constantly correcting one or both of them.”

“I have a 2.5-year-old who will not leave my English lab alone - grabs her face, tries to touch her eyes, grabs her fur really tight. All of these are uncomfortable for the dog.”

“My toddler is extremely rough with our dog. We don't let them alone together. We never let him rough handle her. But even when we are right there, he is super quick to grab her paw or jump on her when she is sitting. I am concerned that she'll snap at some point, or it's negatively affecting her.”

Does this sound familiar?

I asked Caley Kukla, M.Ed., for her advice, as a behavior specialist and parent coach who integrates brain science and empathy into discipline practices. Caley is also a mom to two young children and a dog. Here’s what she has to say:

To toddlers, dog tails are a funny sensory toy that moves. Because toddl...

Did you decide to get a dog as a couple before having a child, or did you and your pup come as a “package deal”?

Or, are you a single parent or a couple with young children looking to add a dog to your family but not sure when and how?

I’ll walk you through different scenarios to help you prepare your dog for future kids or help you choose the best moment for your family to get your dream dog.

Option 1: First dog, then child

Many couples get a dog before they decide to have children. It's a good way to learn responsibility and selflessness. Dogs teach us better planning skills and to be more flexible. And, if you get your dog as a puppy, you’ll also get a taste of the inevitable sleep deprivation that comes with a baby.

If you plan on kids entering the picture at some point -no matter how far down the line- getting your dog comfortable around children is important. ⁠
When socializing a dog with unfamiliar or familiar children, it is extremely important you do it right.

Here’...