I have a baby coming in March and just wanted to know what anyone else has done to properly introduce your dog to a new baby. I have a 1 year old kai and a cat.
Something that worked for a friend was getting a doll and treating it like a real baby. Carrying it around, pretending to feed it and change its diaper, putting it in the car seat, etc. Makes for a safer way to train the dog boundaries.
There's also a cd you can get that is basically just the sound of crying babies. Playing that can help acclimate a dog to a distressed baby, just be sure to start off with the volume low and bring it up slowly every few sessions.
I dug up an old thread that I started regarding socializing dogs with children when you currently do not have a child. Some of the suggestions may help you out.
@brada1878 he's great with kids and puppies but I wasn't sure if him being an only dog might make him jealous. He will still get the same amount of attention though. even more for a few months since I'll be off work for the baby.
It can help a lot if you get all the baby gear way ahead of time, set it up, and teach him the new boundaries before the baby arrives. Like put a playmat on the floor and teach him that he can lay next to it, but not on it. That way he doesn't associate his space getting restricted with the baby arriving. It's already set up, he's used to it, and now there's just a cool little person occupying the space.
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There's also a cd you can get that is basically just the sound of crying babies. Playing that can help acclimate a dog to a distressed baby, just be sure to start off with the volume low and bring it up slowly every few sessions.
https://www.dreamdogproductions.com/livingwithkidsanddogs/advice.html
There is also a Dogs and Storks section for those expecting.
Great trainer and good advice.
Snf
http://www.nihonken.org/forum/index.php?p=/discussion/6746/friendly-towards-children#Item_18