How To Introduce Your Dog To Your Baby: Leadership
Preparing your 4 legged baby for a 2 legged baby
Expecting a baby is an amazing time for all family members. There are many new and exciting emotions that will be shared and experienced. All too often our canine family members are not included. Many families believe it best that they re-home their dog due to the changes and not knowing how to manage it all. Concerns about safety and time spent with their dog are on the mind. Good News! There are many proactive steps that can be taken ahead of time to help things go smoothly. Obedience, leadership as well as management are all essential keys to providing a safe and comfortable environment for all.
I strongly recommended that you attend an obedience class regardless of the age of the dog. Obedience encourages bonding, self control and mental stimulation. English Shepherds are enthusiastic, energetic, clever and dedicated workers. They love jobs that compliment their physical and mental needs. The more commands they know the more mental stimulation they get!. Shop around and find a program that fits your goals and needs. A helpful website is The Association of Pet Dog Trainers. (www.apdt.com). Here you will obtain much information and will know a bit more of what to look for in regards to a training and manners program. There are many wonderful trainers. Take your time and select the one that listens and understands your family goals.
Leadership is essential to our canine companions. It is important that your dog knows he can trust you to be the "leader." In times of stress or uncertainty a dog that defers to you is getting effective leadership. The leaders communicate a sense of safety and trust that make it clear to the dog that things are under control. It is important that the dog knows that his leader is capable of handling this role or the dog may decide to take charge himself. Many times confusion about leadership roles can lead to undesirable behavior and sometimes injury.
Leaders: Control the resources the dogs need, crave and enjoy. Here are some examples for leadership opportunities.
- You choose when, where and what your dog/s will eat. Ignore demands to be fed such as whining, pawing, barking and the "dinner dance." Require your dog sit, down, wait or do several commands before giving the release command to eat.
- Have your dog/s sit and wait for a release command before entering or exiting your home.
- Having your dog walk close vs. ahead of you allows you to monitor the environment and keeps your dog where you want him in case of a passer by, loose dog, running child or any other potential situation. Controlling the pace and direction of the walk puts you in the lead.
- Ignore demanding behavior for your attention such as pawing, nudging, whining. Instead look or turn away from your dog until he moves onto something else. Then call him over, have him sit and then give attention. You initiate vs. your dog.
- Keep playtime fun but under control. Your ability to regain your dogs attention when excited is very important and a great demonstration of leadership. You begin play and end play.
- Demonstrate overall confidence in expectations. Ex. say command one time and expect your dog to SIT the first time!
- After being away, calmly return without a fuss or huge greeting celebration. Calm reuniting is important as leaders come and go as they please.
If you are having issues with your dog you may want to consider how leadership is represented in your home. This combined with obedience can lead to a successful and harmonious relationship. If you feel that you may be having issues regarding leadership in your home, I suggest you contact a canine behavior consultant or trainer prior to the arrival of your baby. If you have experienced aggressive behavior with your dog please consult your vet first to rule out any medical considerations. You may need to seek the help of a behaviorist in your area. Your vet can help guide you in the right direction. Many dogs respond extremely well with obedience and leadership well established. There may still be times however that management is necessary for all.
Management sometimes is the best option during hectic and stressful times. There will be many visitors and lots of commotion during the time of the baby's arrival. If you have a dog that is fearful of guests plan ahead for the many guests that will visit once the baby arrives. You may choose to "manage" the situation and provide your dog with a quiet secure space where he feels safe. Get your dog used to this space well ahead of time. Establishing this ahead of time sets your dog up for a positive and successful situation. There are times that crating and removing the dog may be temporarily a better solution instead of risking a negative consequence or a chance to practice unwanted behavior. If you choose to crate the dog please keep in mind that this is not punishment. It is allowing a safe place for your dog. Reinforce this by providing a special treat for them each time they are in their crate. Stuffing a toy with peanut butter and kibble is one idea. There are many ways to make this a positive and welcoming den for your dog.
It has been our experience that with leadership, obedience and management, canine family members welcome the arrival of a baby with wagging tails! After all, their leaders are happy so they should be too! Congratulations and enjoy!
Family Paws encourages you to never leave an infant or child unsupervised with a dog or puppy! Even good dogs have tolerance limits. Expecting a child and dog to "work it out" is not realistic and can be extremely dangerous! Always be aware of the interaction between your child and any dog. Any dog no matter their breed, color, size, age and past experiences can lead to an amazingly great outcome or potentially dangerous outcome. Your involvement and instincts play an important role!
Created by Jennifer Shryock
Please contact us about our phone consultation and other services at www.familypaws.com.
Jennifer is the Founder of "Dogs & StorksTM" workshop. Jennifer is a Canine behavior consultant that specializes in safe kid & k9 harmony from the start. For information about a Dogs & Storks program near you contact Family Paws.com
Other resources can be found at www.familypaws.com
Reprinted with permission
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