Pets and the New Baby

Read Up on the Subject

Check out these books if you need advice about introducing your current pets to your new baby.

• There's a Baby in the House by Michael Wombacher
• Child Proofing Your Dog by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson
• Your Dog and Your Baby: A Practical Guide by Silvia Hartmann-Kent
• Cat Be Good: A Common Sense Approach to Training Your Cat by Annie Bruce
• How to Talk to Your Cat by Patricia Moyes
• The Tao of Meow: Understanding and Training Your Cat the Taoist Way by Debrah Wood
• The Girlfriends' Guide to Surviving the First Year of Motherhood by Vicki Iovine
• Caring for Your Baby and Young Child by The American Academy of Pediatrics
• The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two by William and Martha Sears

A new baby means changes for everyone—and that includes your pets, says Becky Kauffman, R.N., a nurse on the mother/baby unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. She suggests you start early to make the transition easier for everyone.

That’s what Stacey and John Frank of Willow Grove did before the arrivals of Aaron, now age 3, and Samantha, 7 months. Their children and terriers are getting along fine because they made smart moves like these:

Before the baby is born

• Train your dog to sit and lie down on command and to wait for permission to get on your lap.
• Use your voice and facial expressions instead of touch as positive reinforcement.
• Establish new feeding, playing or walking routines, if necessary.
• Let your pet explore the baby’s room, then restrict access to it and any other areas that will be off-limits.
• Make a special place for your pet.
• Acquaint your pet with the smells of baby powder, ointment, shampoo, etc.
• Record a baby crying and play the tape around your pet.
• Before you come home from the hospital, let your pet sniff a T-shirt your baby has worn.

After the baby is born

• When you come home from the hospital, greet your pet before introducing him to the baby.
• Watch your tone of voice. Don’t be negative all the time.
• Spend time alone with your pet each day.
• Include your pet. Take the dog along on walks, or have the cat next to you when you sit and hold the baby.
• Obedience classes are in order if your dog growls, snaps, ignores your commands or gets pushy.

No matter how good your pet is, never leave him alone with your baby. “They may be wonderful, but they are animals, and you can’t always be sure nothing’s going to happen,” Kauffman says.

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