So you are gonna have a baby! Congratulations, what an exciting time. What should you do to prepare your dog for your newborn baby? We want them to get along and avoid any jealousies so they can have a happy loving relationship together.
If we are holding our baby, we want to have our furry loved ones respect some boundaries. There will be times when you want your dog to come and say hello and times when you want them to go lay down on their bed. We achieve this by teaching our dogs the “Place” command and the “Down” command. When we want our dogs to move away from the baby we can say “Place” which will mean their dog bed, a chair or any defined object and then “Down”.
With Sit Means Sit training, we teach the dogs that “Down” means “Down” and or “Sit” means “Sit”, hence the name, until we give them a release command “Ok, Break”. By using these commands efficiently we avoid telling the dogs to “Stay”. If the dog is sitting or downing then they are learning stay. This is a clear way to communicate with the dog to let them know what you expect from them. “Ok, Break” means they get to be a dog and move around as they please. This gives the dog a lot of direction so they know how to be good as they really want to please us.
Another command that we don’t use at Sit Means Sit is “No”. Instead of telling the dog “No” we use other commands that help to communicate what we do want more clearly such as “Off”, “Quiet” or “Out”. If we are sitting on the couch with the baby and we want the dog to move off then we simply say “Off”. If the dog doesn’t listen then you can give them a little nudge to show them the desired behavior.
High pitch noises can upset a dog. For example if the baby cries it’s possible that the dog will start barking or start chewing on something to show their frustration. In these situations we’ll say “Quiet” or “Out” to keep the dog calm. It’s very important for you to stay calm in these situations and very directly say the desired command without raising your voice. We never yell at our dogs or talk louder than a speaking tone. This helps to raise a well-balanced dog. If your dog starts to chew on a shoe or some other undesired object simply say “Out” and then make a noise like clapping your hands or shaking pennies in a jar.
When training our dogs we train with distractions to make sure our dogs listen to us even when we are outside. One distraction that happens in the house a lot is the doorbell. Does your dog go bananas when the doorbell rings? When training your dog, you can practice ringing the doorbell and then say “Quiet”. With enough repetition you will teach your dog not to react to the doorbell.
Another important thing to teach your dog is how to behave on a leash. We never want to see the dog pulling on the leash, especially when you are pushing a baby stroller and trying to walk the dog at the same time. From our experience we see most moms in this situation walk the baby and then go on another walk to walk the dog. This seems like a lot of extra work to us and there’s no reason why you can’t take both the baby and the dog if you teach your dog some leash manners.
In the beginning you will have to go on a walk with out the baby to get your dog trained first. Put your dog in a “Heel” position which is the dog standing next to your left leg, and then walk with your dog on a loose leash. If the dog gets ahead of you then tell them “Heel” again and change directions. Practice “Heeling” at different speeds, go slow and then pick up speed and then go at a medium pace. Mix up the speeds so the dog knows they need to stay next to your leg at all times when walking or running. This will take some practice in the beginning but it will make your life A LOT easier if you spend the time up front to teach your dog leash manners. Practice with distractions and if your dog jumps up at another dog then stop and “Sit” your dog. NEVER let your dog sniff another dog without asking the other owner if it is ok first. Some dogs don’t like other dogs or strange people. Avoid possible problems and ask first.
Another place to practice “Heeling” is on the stairs. Does your dog get so excited to go outside that they pull you down the stairs? Practice “heeling” on the stairs by going slow and if the dog gets ahead of you then “Sit” the dog. This seems tedious but slowly in time your dog will know not to pull on the leash and this will avoid any accidents walking your dog or going down stairs.
Doorways and car doors are another area to practice dog manners with your dog. Practice making your dog sit before you open a house door or car door then open the door, keeping the dog in a “Sit”. Then call your dog by their name and let the dog go through the door and tell the dog to “Sit” again on the other side of the door. This teaches the dog that an open doorway does not mean take off. If you have more than one dog then practice sitting all of your dogs first and then practice opening the door, keeping your dog in a “Sit” and then call each dog by it’s name. By calling each dog by their name, they learn their names and we avoid multiple dogs running through a doorway if we say “Come”. There can be a lot of competition with dogs to run through doorways to see who can be first. By keeping your dog calm, you can avoid a possible dog fight. It is good doggie manners to not let your dog push you out of the way by the door so they can get out faster, instead “Sit” first, open the door and then call their name, one at a time.
The “Kennel” command is another useful command. There will be times when you have a baby where you will want to put your dog in a kennel. Have you ever had to pull really hard to get your dog in a kennel? This is a command that the dog should be able to do without resistance. Practice putting your dog in the kennel by showing them what “Kennel” means with a leash. If your dog is upset in the kennel then do not let them out of the kennel until they are calm and practice putting them in a “Sit” before you open the door. When they are sitting it’s really hard for them to jump and scratch at the door. Also practice the kennel command with the door open. If the dog comes out of then kennel then put them back in and tell them “Kennel”. Over time your dogs “Kennel” will be a safe place for them, like their den. My dogs freely go in their kennels if we ask them or not just because they’ve learned to like their kennel.
All of these commands help us practice safety so that our dogs and babies have a happy life together. If you would like more guidance on how to perform these commands then please call your closest Sit Means Sit Dog Trainer and sign up for our popular dog training classes:) Thank you and I hope this was helpful.
Amy Hendricks
