[CorkyMax]

Off the 'net'
My husband and I have a little girl that just turned 1. We also have a dog that will soon be 3. When I found out I was pregnant I knew that we would need to do some things to get our fur-baby ready for our human-baby.
I'd say we started doing these things a few months before my daughter was due, though you can start as early as you would like to prepare your dog for your new baby.

These are the things that we did:

Find a way to record a baby crying, or buy a CD like Preparing Fido. Play the sounds at different times, including the middle of the night, so that your dog can become familiar. When the crying is on you can say to your dog that the baby is crying or that baby X is crying, etc. Go and pretend that you are taking care of the baby, you may even want a baby doll. This will go a long way in preparing your dog for your new baby.

Watch shows on TLC like 'A Baby Story and Bringing Home Baby.' Not only will you learn something but the sounds and sights will help prepare your dog for your new baby.

As you buy things and receive gifts, show them to your dog. Let the dog smell them and look at them. This goes for diapers, clothes, etc. Set things up as soon as you can. For example: nursery items, the swing, bouncer, stroller, etc. For some reason it seemed our dog took a little longer to get used to the stroller than the rest. I suppose it's just the simple fact that it moves everywhere and I was getting used to it in the house. To this day, it still scares him.

A few times, put some baby lotion on yourself or wipe your hands with a baby wipe. This will help your dog become familiar with the scent of your little one. You need to prepare your dog for the smells of your new baby.

Work on doing some re-training. Sometimes a dog can use this even when there isn't a baby on the way!

We put a baby gate up in the doorway of the nursery hoping that our dog would learn that this room was going to be different then, say the living room. We only let him in there when we invited him. This prepared the dog to respect the new baby's space.

I'm sure we did other things but for now these are what I've got. When my due date got closer I feel like I showed the dog more love and attention and spoiling. While I was in the hospital the dog stayed with some of my
family. I recommend you plan ahead of time who will take your dog while you're gone.

Here's what we did when baby came home:

My husband and I got home with the baby and, not sure how much later, either my husband went and got the dog or my family dropped him off. First the dog was allowed to do some sniffing, which I'm thinking was a hat or blanket. Then we showed the dog the baby through the baby gate, which was between the kitchen and living room. Then I sat on the couch and my husband brought the dog over so he could check our daughter out. Everything went great! The first night she was home our dog was the baby monitor!

Hopefully some of these ideas will help you if you are preparing your pet for your new addition. Best of luck!

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If you are able to bring your dog a blanket from the hospital prior to binging the baby home, he may have a chance to get used to the scent. Cats can be more challenging. If they are used to sleeping in your bed or having all the attention, the new arrival may come as quite the intrusion.

While your pet will most likely not intend to hurt or harm you baby, it is a good idea to keep close watch. Cats are quite the culprits of searching for a warm place to nap so they should be kept out of baby’s crib, bouncy seat, bassinet, etc. The old wives tale that cats will steal a baby’s breath is not exactly true, but they could suffocate a baby unintentionally while looking for a snuggly place to sleep.

There are other safety and hygiene issues, however, where your pets are concerns. Pets can carry fleas, worms and diseases, so a trip to your vet and making sure vaccinations are up-to-date before
baby arrives would be in order. As your baby begins to spend time on the floor and crawling, you will need to keep the pet’s food and water away from baby’s reach. It is also advisable that you not use the same can opener to open formula as you do canned pet food, and wash your pet’s food dishes separately from the rest of the family’s.

Once baby is mobile, it will be important to keep the floors regularly vacuumed and disinfected - especially areas where your pet(s)frequent to help minimize the health risk.

As for behavior, expect your pet(s) to be jealous and a bit out of sorts when you bring the baby home. You should prepare a quiet place for your dog or cat to get out of the way if you are expecting increased human traffic. If possible, spend some “quality time” with your pet when you bring the baby home and let the pet get a good look at the baby. Don’t be surprised if your cat runs and hides for the first few days - even if he or she has been previously gregarious. Reassuring talk and petting may help, as it may also help to bring the pet a new chew or catnip toy as a special treat. Try to keep feeding time on schedule and if you are changing or moving any of your pet’s favorite bedding, food dish, etc. - do it far in advance of bringing the baby home.
As your baby ages, look for ways to nurture positive interactions between the baby and the pet. Encourage your baby to learn safe and “nice” ways of dealing with the pet and make sure that the baby does not go near the animals while they are eating as this could be quite dangerous. Most pets become quite used to their new babies, and some are actually very protective, but it will take time and sensitivity to help your pet(s) make the adjustment to changes in the family structure.