Do You Need a Doggie Doula?

• Posted on nbl
• in Pets
• on June 10, 2012
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You may have heard of a birth doula — a trained labor assistant who aides an expectant woman during childbirth and the immediate postpartum period. But did you know that you could enlist the services of a doggie doula to prepare your favorite canine for the arrival of your newborn baby? They actually exist!  Whether you enlist the help of a professional dog trainer or a doggie doula making these preparations well in advance of your baby’s birth is an important part of your newborn checklist.

According to the, American Humane Society, proper consideration needs to be paid to how the pet’s in your family will adjust to a new baby.  A newborn has the ability to turn-upside-down the normal routines of a household. It is important that those routines that relate to pet care stay on schedule. Pet’s that experience fluctuations in care and attention along with sensing the new stresses of a newborn may start to display negative behaviors, such as aggression, destruction of household items or soiling inside the house.

Colleen Safford, owner of New York City’s Doggie Doula, Colleen Safford offers dog behavior instruction that helps prepare your entire family for the successful co-existence of baby and dog. Safford points out that it is important to understand the mechanisms of these interactions early on as babies quickly grow into toddlers and children. Instruction generally begins before the baby is born and lasts into the first weeks post birth.

Safford stresses to expectant and new parents that all dogs have the capacity to inflict harmful bites. The better you understand dog behavior and the more you prepare your household for life with both a dog and baby —the  likelihood of  bite injuries or other undesirable behaviors decreases. Doggie Doula’s instruction has a strong focus on instituting and polishing canine obedience.  Even the jumping and pawing of a small dogs has the capacity to harm a tiny newborn baby. Training also includes introducing the pet to the smells, sights and sounds of babyhood.  Many innocent items, such as an automatic baby swing, might be scary to a dog.  Safford’s guided process helps families slowly introduce the family dog to the new baby surrounds.

Doggie Doula services also include dog walking and boarding.  Such offerings are very valuable to new parents when they are away at the hospital or during the immediate postpartum period.

Here are some guidelines based on the American Humane Society suggestions for introducing a pet  to a newborn:

Schedule a Vet Appointment

Make sure that your pet is in good health prior to the arrival of your baby.  Pet’s that are plagued by health problems can often display behavioral problems or exhibit aggression. Some pet health conditions can also impact the wellness of humans. A newborn has a fragile immune system and would be the family member most at risk for such transmission.

Be sure that your pet has all current vaccinations, such as rabies and has been recently treated with flea and tick medication. Talk with your vet about spaying or neutering your pet, as studies have shown that this promotes calm behavior.

Discuss any concerning pet behaviors with your vet as they are displayed.

Obedience Training

The willful ways of your cute canine baby may be downright dangerous during pregnancy and once your newborn arrives.  Consulting with a professional dog trainer with enable you to have a well behaved family that is less prone to jumping, pawing, pulling while walking, or apt to engage in unnecessary barking or whining.

A dog that is accustomed to jumping uninvited onto your lap needs to be retrained. Such an action could be harmful if you or anyone else is holding the baby.

A disobedient pet introduces further chaos into the newborn period that new parents simply will not have the time nor patience to tolerate.  Take the time prior to your baby’s arrival to ensure a smooth transition by correcting destructive or aggressive behavior problems.

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Any dog that exhibits the tendency to snap, growl, or bite needs to professionally evaluated to see if such behavior can be reversed. If not, your family needs to consider measures to keep the animal separated from the baby. Considerations of permanently relocating the pet may also need to be discussed.

Grooming

If your dog resides inside your home you should pay close attention to his grooming.  Keeping your pet regularly washed and brushed will decrease the amount of dirt, dander and fur that is released within the home environment. Newborns are very sensitive to such allergens. You may want to consider purchasing a quality HEPA air filter for your home to mitigate these exposures.

Additionally, a pet’s nails should be kept short to avoid accidentally scratching the baby.

Barrier Protection

Before the birth of your baby may be the best time to decide if your dog will continue to have the-run-of-the-house or whether certain areas are now off limit.

You may specifically decide that you want the baby’s nursery to be off limit to pets. If so, start training your pet early that entry is no longer allowed.

Installation of baby gates is a popular way to restrict access. Such gates allow the pet to still view the family without being shuttered in a kennel.  Today’s baby gates come in a variety of sizes, heights and come in decorative woods as well as the standard plastic.

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Baby 101

Prior to the birth, get your dog used to all of the new baby things in your household.  Let him smell the baby wipes, diapers and potions . Take him for a walk with you pushing the stroller or wearing the  sling. Let him sit outside the nursery as you fold baby clothes.  Turn on musical mobiles, chiming toys and mechanical swings. Let him get an up close and personal look at the wee ones by inviting friends with babies to visit or by walking near a playground.

All of these things will show and reassure him that this is what the new normal looks like.

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Get a Doggy Sitter

As you began to feel the first pangs of labor, is not when you want to start worrying about who will feed and care for your pet.  Cross these responsibilities off of your list in advance. Enlist the help of friends and family.  Or consider hiring a dog walker or boarding your pet.

Have an extra set of keys, plenty of pet food, leashes, pet medications and an instruction list at the ready.

Welcome Home Baby

Once your little one is at home give your canine baby plenty of space and time to adjust to the new little gal or little guy in the home. Let your dog get his first scent of a the baby from a hat or blanket or undershirt that the baby has worn.

Be sure that one of the regular members of the household gives some quality time to your pet. Keep feeding and walks at their regular times. Make sure that when well wishers visit that that your pet has a quiet place to retreat. Also, consider buying new dog toys to occupy your pet’s time and potential anxiety.

Never rush an introduction between a new baby and pet.  As your baby grows you must always monitor interactions between your pet and baby. Especially, in the beginning never leave a newborn alone with a pet.

Following these tips will gift your dog and your baby with the beginning of a beautiful relationship!