Babies And Dogs At Home: How To Prepare The Environment?

Pets, especially dogs, have become part of the family, but how to integrate babies and animals in the home as safely as possible for children? The relationship between a child and their pet begins to build from the baby’s first days of life. 

If the baby arrives when the pet already lived with you, there must be preparation for the animal to receive a new person in the family. With these advices you will be able to do this more easily.

How to make babies and dogs friends at home?

With the arrival of the baby, your dog will face a large number of changes, auditory and olfactory signs that he has never known before, which can cause changes in his behavior in many situations, especially when he has never had contact with children before.

Another big change pets face is that you will now have much less time for play and walks, which will change your daily routine.

• Prepare your dog for the changes. Not only do we humans suffer from anxiety; dogs also feel anxious when their lifestyle changes. From before your baby arrives, start the change in the family’s daily life.
• Look for the mascot to interact with small children. If your pet has had positive contact with children, it will know how to behave with your baby. Let him get close to the children and share play experiences with them.
• From the first months of life, teach your child to respect animals. As the child grows, show him that he should treat the animal’s body with care and respect its things. It is essential that your example demonstrates how children should treat animals.

• Give the dog his own toys. If your pet has its own objects to play with and knows they are yours, it is unlikely to take anything from your baby.
• Help the animal become familiar with the baby’s scent. To make a presentation of the pet to the baby, put a towel, clothing or anything near the dog that smells like your baby. That way the dog will not be indifferent to the baby once they are together.
• Allow him to be close during baby-related activities. Avoid moving the dog away during these familiar times. Teach them to be gentle when dealing with the baby, don’t exclude him from everyday activities.
• Always supervise. There will be times when the baby may be frightened by the dog’s effusiveness or the animal may feel attacked by the child’s movement. To avoid adverse reactions from one or the other, always supervise the baby’s relationship with the pet.

Why is sharing between babies and dogs at home convenient?

When a child has a pet, he learns to deal with an additional responsibility: the attention and well-being of another being; some of the benefits of having babies and dogs at home are:

• Children feel so much affection for their pets that it becomes an ideal way to keep them physically active. The care that animals require reinforces a sense of responsibility in children.

• Babies and dogs at home can be great friends and companions in life. Another of the main benefits for children who grow up with a pet is that they improve self-esteem. When your child feels loved by the pet, it strengthens their leadership skills.

• Pets are also good for the health of adults and teenagers. Exposure to certain bacteria from an early age makes the immune system stronger. The exception is in cases where children are allergic to some animals.
• The socialization process of children who have pets can be more spontaneous than that of children who have never had a pet. A dog is constant companion and makes children feel less stressed and anxious.
• Physical activity is another of the great advantages that the company of a pet offers the family. A family where there are animals exercises more often than one that doesn’t. Family walks and walks become a routine.