The latest headline to catch my eye was the story about the family dog in Kentucky who snatched a newborn, premie baby from it’s crib and dragged it outside onto the owners ¾ acre property. The parents realized what had happened and managed to get the child back before he was killed, but he did suffer some pretty serious and potentially life-threatening injuries on this, his forth day of life. I will provide links for anyone who hasn’t read the story, because I don’t wish to rehash the details here.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32027117/ns/us_news-life/ or
http://www.insideedition.com/news.aspx?storyID=3181
When I first read this story, I was inclined to sit down and write about introducing a new baby to your home. I will still do this, but not right now. There are so many things already written about introducing new baby to Fido…on the internet, in books, and certainly most dog trainers are knowledgeable about the types of things that should be done to keep dog and baby safe. I know that I as well as several of my dog training friends have dispensed this information, both in paid sessions and also freely to relatives, friends and acquaintances. Sometimes people listen and follow through with what they are told; these people rarely experience problems with their dogs. The perplexing thing is the amount of people who don’t listen, or don’t seek out any kind of advice, believing that the situation will simply work itself out. This possibly stems from the myth that dogs and children are a natural combination. Or maybe it’s that they just can’t bring themselves to believe that their sweet dog could do anything inappropriate. Whatever the reason, it's a mistake to skip the steps necessary to help your dog ready for the addition of a new baby in the house.
The truth is, you never know how your dog is going to react to a new infant being brought into your home. Babies are loud, they smell strange, they tend to be the total focus of everybody and they cause lots of change and a huge uproar in the status quo. This isn’t me baby-bashing; I’m looking at this from the perspective of a dog. Some dogs handle the addition of a baby seemingly without a care, but ALL are dramatically impacted by the addition of a newborn. They can become frightened, unpredictable, over-protective, depressed, and even seemingly jealous of the new addition. ANYONE with ANY DOG, should think about working with their dog prior to a new baby coming into the house; NOBODY, with ANY DOG should ever assume they know what their dog’s reaction to a new baby will be. It’s impossible for anyone to be 100% sure of how their dogs is going to respond to such a new and unfamiliar situation even if they have had the dog for years and have seen them around other children. Babies can be a little like bringing home an alien, to your dog.
If you or somebody you know is going to be bringing a new baby home in the near future, please take the time to educate yourself on the things you can do to help your dog deal with this change. The best thing to do is to have a qualified dog trainer come in and help you with tips on preparing your dog for the new arrival.
If you choose not to consult a trainer, then you can go to the ASPCA website for helpful tips on introducing a new baby to your dog: http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/152/Preparing-Your-Dog-for-a-New-Baby.aspx
You owe it to your dog...and your baby!
Don't make assumptions about your dog's ability to cope with this new and exciting event. Learn about the steps you can take to help your dog to accept the changes and then follow through with what you learn. And remember, no matter how much you've done to train him, and no matter how much you trust your pet, dogs and children should never be left together without supervision.
Visit my website to read an upcoming article about dogs and children.
http://www.aintmisbehavink9.com
I'd love to hear your opinions, ideas, stories or comments about the Kentucky story or related situations. Please feel free to "weigh in" on this "weighty" issue!
This is a very sad situation and one, that I expect happens often. Unfortunately, there
ReplyDeleteare no winners in many cases.
Education and knowledge a very important combination...thank you for sharing your experience.
Wow, I had never thought about that.
ReplyDeleteSome friends are having thier first child they are really excited about it and have been doing all sorts of stuff to get the house ready.
You can bet that I'm going to let them know about this.
Thanks!
I think it important to know this. We have one year old daughter and were very careful when we bring her home. Lucky for us the dog is very friendly and nothing happend.
ReplyDeleteWe spend much time working with the dog and never let out of our vision. We always make sure my wife or I are in the room with the baby so she is not alone with the dog.
We love our dog very much and want him to be happy part of family. We will be sure to be careful for time he spends with our daughter.
Thanks you for these informations they are very helpfull.