| THE PET TEACHER In-YOUR-Home Dog Training 248-232-3655 |
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| REMEMBER ... 8 out of 10 dogs end up in a shelter due to behavior issues, primarily from the lack of proper training or the mis-use of training techniques. If you can afford the dog you must also afford the training! Keep your dog from becoming another sad shelter statistic! Start working with a professional trainer knowledgeable in the proper use of positive reinforcement methodology. Start the week you bring your dog to your home. |
| DO THIS BEFORE THE BABY ARRIVES! Ideally you will teach your dog these behaviors before you get pregnant. Once you're pregnant you might be tired, feeling cranky, uncomfortable all due to the changes your body is going through. If you are already pregnant, then start these immediately so you and your dog have as much time as possible. Shelters are crowded with dogs who ended up there because the training was started too late or not at all, and the dog didn't understand how to live peacefully with this new "baby" creature. WHAT YOU NEED TO TEACH YOUR DOG The basic behaviors that your dog needs to know:
Get a doll and set up the baby’s room and things now. Setting up the baby’s room will allow your dog to become accustomed to the different surroundings. Dogs like things to be stable and unchanged. Even a minor re-arranging of furniture can trigger stress in your dog no matter their age. Teach your dog to wait at the baby’s room door to watch you while you are interacting with the baby. Your dog should NEVER be in the baby's room for any reason without your permission. Start putting your dog into a crate now in the middle of the day while you are home so the dog learns that you decide when she takes an enforced rest … so you are able to do this when it’s baby’s or momma’s rest time. If you are going to move the dog’s crate to a different area, then do it now so the dog has plenty of time to get used to it before the baby arrives … or if you want to introduce a second crate in some other spot in the house. Make sure that the dog has easy access to her crate so that when company starts to arrive to visit the new baby, she has a place to retreat to get away from the commotion … as well as a place to get away from the baby’s crying. The baby’s crying can be just as agitating to a dog as can be to a human, especially because your dog's hearing is more sensitive than our hearing. Start carrying around the doll now and feeding it, change diapers, rock the doll, etc. You want to learn where the dog might get under your feet (such as the stairway) so you can teach the dog how to behave. You might want to teach the dog to walk behind you in hallways, or to wait at one end of the hallway until you call her to the other end. Teach the dog to wait calmly while you change the baby’s diapers or feed the baby. Find a place for the diaper disposal where the dog can’t get to it … AND practice ‘leave it’ with the diaper pail. You might want to have a friend with a baby donate some of their used diapers so you can start to practice that right now because the scent will be very attracting to the dog. Review ALL of the behaviors that your dog knows and practice them from every piece of furniture, from your bed, while you are standing, sitting, on the floor and lying down. You might find yourself holding the baby on the couch while you are lying down and have to tell the dog to sit or leave it, etc. Remember dogs are very sensitive to body language, so if you’ve never told your dog to sit while you were across the room or while you were laying down or while your back was turned to the dog – start practicing now. BOTH mom and dad need to practice this with the dog while holding the doll because both of you will be carrying the baby. Teach your dog to go to a specific spot while you answer the door. The last thing you want to deal with is a dog trying to push her way around you at the front door while you are holding a baby and trying to answer the doorbell. You might want to consider teaching the dog that the doorbell automatically means to head to that specific spot. Dog should wait at bottom of steps until you reach the top and call for her to come to you. Dog should wait at top of steps until you reach the bottom and call for her to come to you. Dog should become familiar with baby things so they are normal parts of the environment:
Dog should learn to walk NEXT to stroller (not in front of it – the dog is NOT the leader) without pulling. Practice ‘leave it’ with baby things that drop on the floor, like the toys, bottles, pacifiers. Dog should learn to SIT and REMAIN CALM when the swing and bouncy seats are moving. Remember that dogs have prey drive, and moving furniture (like the swing and bouncy seat) automatically put your baby into motion … plus babies make little noises that sound like noises that prey animals make. The combination of the movement and noise can trigger your dog to want to pounce on the “prey”. Put the doll in the swing and bouncy seat to practice with the dog. Put the doll in the highchair and “feed’ the doll. Teach your dog to sit calmly away from the highchair, or to go in her crate with a stuffed Kong while you are feeding. Babies with sticky fingers from food are easy targets for dogs to jump up to try to lick the food. Socialize your dog around children starting now. Know your dog’s sensitivities – does she startle at certain noises or sounds? Will that be a problem when the baby arrives? If so, take steps now on behavior modification for the dog. Does your dog do things to get your attention like barking or nudging your hand or arm? Start a program now to change that behavior. It’s not safe for a dog to be nudging your hand or arm when you’re holding a baby. Determine your schedule when the baby arrives so if you need to change your dog’s schedule, as in feeding times or going outdoors, you start those changes now. If you’re going to use a baby carrier, put the doll in it and start to practice commands with your dog. If you are going to be transporting your dog and baby in the car at the same time, teach your dog now to get used to being crated in the back of the car. Or use a safety grate in your car to keep your dog separated from the baby. Or get your dog used to wearing a dog seat belt. Get the dog familiar with the scent of baby lotions and soaps now. Reward the dog when she smells the lotion so you teach that the scent is good. Put the same scent on the baby’s clothing and blankets. Put some on the baby’s blanket when the baby is born and bring it home from the hospital so the dog can get used to the combination of the familiar smell of the lotion with the baby’s smell. Reward the dog when she smells the blanket(s). Use the baby’s name when the dog investigates the blanket. Put this blanket (or more than one) in the swing, bouncy seat, crib, car seat, baby carrier, etc. so the dog can learn to connect all of these things with the familiar scent. Rub the blanket on the dog’s food dish. It will help her better comprehend when the baby comes home. Practice commands around the blanket. Have all vet visits completed before the baby is born and have plenty of food and applicable medications on hand. If you are going to use a dog walker and/or pet sitter to help you exercise the dog or even just play with the dog when you’re so busy with the new baby, start that now so everyone is comfortable with each other before the baby is born. Be sure that someone exercises your dog before you come home from the hospital so the dog doesn’t have pent-up energy that first time you come in the door with your new baby. If you are going to use a dog day care facility, start that now so you know if your dog is comfortable attending. Also take your dog to an overnight kennel facility several times in case you have to use one to allow your dog time to adapt. Get a CD or baby sounds from http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DTB865. Reward calm behavior when the dog hears these new sounds. Learn dog body language! We’ve all seen photos of dogs “snuggling” the baby by putting their head on the baby’s neck. This is NOT snuggling – this is resource guarding and while it may appear cute, it is actually potentially dangerous. Purchase Turid Rugaas’s book and accompanying DVD, Calming Signals, and start to watch for these behaviors in your dog so you know when your dog is getting uncomfortable. And uncomfortable dog is likely to bite in order to get away from the discomfort. Remember, dogs DO NOT like hugs! When you come home from the hospital, let dad carry in the baby while mom greets the dog. These greetings should be calm and low-key. There is no reason to get your dog wound up before coming in with a new baby. YOU control your dog's interactions with your baby, such as sniffing and licking. Personally, I suggest that you never allow your dog to lick your baby because of potential germs. Sniffing is your choice, however you should teach your dog ahead of time to wait until you give permission and when you say "enough" the dog immediately stops and backs away into a sit. If you normally have visiting dogs, such as the new grandparent's dog, be sure to practice these steps with that dog. Be sure to stock up on toys for your dog that will stimulate her brain and problem- solving skills. Toys such as Kongs, Kong Bounzer, Kong Dental, Buster Cubes, Tug-a-Jug, Buddy Bone, Funny Bone, Kibble Nibble, Twist 'n Treat. Click for Kong selection or Premiere selection. When your baby becomes a toddler, there will be more new behaviors to teach your dog. Your toddler will not be old enough to comprehend their actions around your dog. The dog will be nothing more than a stuffed toy that comes to life in the eyes of your toddler. So you will need to teach your dog how to calmly interact with your toddler, as well as CONSTANTLY SUPERVISING your toddler around the dog. Your dog should never be alone with your baby/toddler for even one minute! Even though your toddler will not understand, it is also still imperative that you teach the toddler some responsible behaviors because it can't all be up to the dog. Mom and dad must always supervise. A word on cat behavior: cats can be trained these same behaviors, but it may take you longer with a cat than with a dog depending on how much you've worked with your cat. Cats often like to curl up in the baby's crib for the warmth. You might want to consider installing an inexpensive and temporary on the door to your baby's room in order to prevent access to the room by the cat. |
| GETTING YOUR DOG READY FOR YOUR NEW BABY |
| Your relationship with your dog is unique and special - your dog training should be just as exceptional. |
