Leadership and Energy: Newborn Babies and Dogs: Stage 2: The Sitter and the Food Thief

At this stage, your baby is sitting without support, so you’ve likely begun feeding purees and may even be ready to start solid foods.

Pretty soon your dog will discover just how rewarding having this new family member around can be.

All babies enjoy throwing their food to see what happens, but your baby gets an added benefit:

The entertainment of watching your dog beg, jump, and dive for tasty morsels. In fact, your baby may enjoy offering food directly to your dog, making it even harder to discourage this kind of thievery.

So what can you do to keep baby’s mealtime under control?
Know your dog. Is he the type to sneak a treat from the kitchen table? Does she get possessive over particularly delectable snacks?

Recognizing the issues you may confront before the first feeding can help prepare you for that first meal.

Claim the high chair. Set clear rules, boundaries, and limitations from day one. Bring it out before you’re even considering feeding your baby anything besides breast milk and formula, and let your dog know who owns it. Then take things up a notch by adding some food to the tray.

Get help. It can be hard to keep track of an unruly dog and an unruly baby at the same time.

Even if you don’t expect to have any issues with your dog, plan for the first meal to be at a time when there’s someone else at home, so one of you can focus on correcting the dog and one of you can focus on the baby’s needs.

Beware of dangerous human foods. Most of the food that you will be feeding your baby at this stage will be mild on the stomach.

In fact, some veterinarians even recommend feeding baby food to a dog with a troubled tummy. But that doesn’t mean that all food you feed to your baby is safe for your dog.

For example, avocado is a great treat for a baby — but potentially dangerous for your pup and any sudden shift in diet can wreak havoc on a dog’s tummy.

Keep a list of foods to beware of near the fridge as a reminder, and talk to your veterinarian about any concerns you have.

Put the dog away. If you have any fears about your baby being hurt by an overexcited or possessive pup, make dinner a time when the dog goes away for a while but be aware that this issue won’t go away over time.

Eventually, your baby will grow into a toddler who will want to walk and snack. Consider hiring a professional to work through the issue.

Leadership and energy: 5 Stages of Baby, Canine Friendship - Part 1

You spent the last nine months preparing your dog for this new family member, and the introduction and initial meeting went well but that’s just the beginning!

Your dog’s relationship with your baby will change over time. At each stage of your baby’s development, you’ll encounter new joys and new challenges.

The key is to be alert to changes and to monitor interactions between them so you can step in and correct problem behaviour — from either your dog or your baby!

Here are a few of the dynamics you may encounter as your baby grows — and how to get through them as a pack.

Stage 1: Newborn and the Baby Alarm
A newborn brings a whole range of new smells and sounds into your home, and perhaps the most worrying is crying.

Remember, your dog picks up on energy, and the energy that your baby is giving off while crying is anything but calm and assertive. Your dog may become distressed, too, whimpering, whining, and barking.

This may be endearing at times (“Aww, look — Spot is worried about you, too!”), but it can also be a problem.

A barking dog can get in the way when you’re trying to get a baby to sleep, and often those crying jags happen in the middle of the night, when your neighbors may not appreciate the commotion.

You can help accustom your canine (and human!) family members to the sounds of crying before the new arrival by playing the sound on your computer at loud volumes for extended periods of time.

If possible, keep your dog some place where the noises of the baby can’t reach him at night. (That way, at least someone is the house is getting a good night’s sleep!)

NB: If you have issues with your newborn baby sleeping go to www.dream-angus.com for solutions and counselling.

One of the most important things you can do during this stage is maintain a regular routine of walks with the whole pack — mom and baby out the door first and at the front of the pack.

This not only helps send a message about your baby’s role as a pack leader, but also helps drain your dog’s energy, leading to better behavior overall.

With all the changes of having a new baby, many new parents put dog walks on the back burner, resorting to just letting the dog out in the backyard or a quick stop to the corner.

Of course, you may have days where this is simply a necessity, but make that the exception to the rule. Consider dog walks a priority. It’s not just good for your dog; it’s good for you, too.

Leadership and energy: Prepare your dog for the New Baby - Cesar Milan

Our dogs are very in tune with us, so with an event as monumental as a pregnancy, your dog has already sensed that something is up.

But just because she has picked up on the new feelings hanging in the air, doesn't mean that she understands what they mean.

Here are a few tips for preparing your dog for the new arrival.

Focus on leadership. 
Nine months is more than enough time for you and your pet to work through most issues and smooth out any unwanted habits, and for you to establish yourself as the unwavering pack leader.

If necessary, hire a professional to work with you. You will appreciate the work you put in now when you bring your newborn home to a calm, well-behaved dog.

Be aware of your energy.
A pregnancy affects the entire household. You may feel excited, anxious, or worried. Remember, your dog will mirror your emotions.

Claim your baby's scent.
Bring an item that contains your baby's scent, such as a burp cloth, from the hospital before bringing home the baby. During this exercise, it is crucial that you set clear boundaries.

Challenge the dog to sniff from a distance, while you are holding the item. By doing so, you are communicating to your dog that the item is yours and then giving permission for the dog to sniff.

"This new item belongs to me, and you will need to follow my rules when around it." This helps start the process of creating respect for the baby.

Establish boundaries around the nursery.
I recommend starting with the nursery off-limits. Condition your dog to understand that there is an invisible barrier that she may not cross without your permission.

Eventually, you can allow your dog to explore and sniff certain things in the room with your supervision. Then you decide when she needs to leave.

Repeat this activity a few times before the baby arrives. This will let your dog know that this room belongs to its pack leader and must be respected at all times.

Control the introduction.
Start by taking your dog on a long walk. Be sure to drain all of your dog's energy.

Before returning, wait at the door step; make sure your dog is in a calm-submissive state before inviting her in.

Upon entering, your dog will instantly know there is a new scent in the house. If you have already introduced the scent, it will be somewhat familiar.

The mother or father holding the baby must be in a completely calm state. The dog should be allowed to sniff the baby, but at a respectful distance.

During this first meeting, do not bring the baby too close. Eventually, the dog can be allowed to get closer and closer to the baby.

By doing this, you are teaching the dog to respect the baby as another pack leader.

Teach your baby.
Once your child is in the exploratory state, it is important to supervise all interactions between him or her and the dog.

This is a great opportunity to teach your child not to bother the dog, yank her tail, etc. These lessons on mutual respect cannot begin early enough.

Too many children have inadvertently provoked an otherwise peaceful dog, simply because they were unsupervised or their parents had not given them proper instruction.

Don't forget the dog.
A dog does not need toys or special attention to feel important; you simply need to maintain the routine, providing exercise and control, daily walks and consistent leadership.

This will help your dog feel secure and allow her to relax about the new addition to the family.

Forget breed. 
Don't assume your dog will (or will not) pose a problem based on breed alone. Sure, babies have been bitten by Rottweilers and pit bulls, but they have also been injured by labs, chows, and mixed breeds.

A baby in Rhode Island, NY was killed by a so-called cute little Pomeranian.

What is the key? 
Leadership. Be honest with yourself. Can you control your dog at all times in all situations?

Your child's safety comes first. If, after working with a professional and on your own, you are still not 100% confident about the safety of your baby with your dog, then finding your dog another home to protect the well-being of your child and pet is a step you may have to take.

Read more on Leadership, Dogs and babies at Cesar Milan website

Cesar Milan - The Dog Whisperer speaks about Kids connection with Dogs

I have great respect for Cesar Milan and the work he does. He is an example to all dog owners and parents.

He has taught me so much through his programs and writings that I feel I should share this article with you and invite you to read more of his sage advice on his Blog site. -

"Friday was National Kids and Pets Day in the US. If you’ve had both at the same time, then you know that children, especially toddlers, are naturally drawn to animals, particularly dogs, and that calm, balanced dogs have a natural affinity for children."

Most of you reading this probably know that my life-long love for animals also goes back to my childhood, and I was even nicknamed “Dog Boy” because of it. My sons are the same way, especially Calvin, who is growing into a fine Pack Leader.

Here’s my question to you: Why do you think that most kids and dogs get along so well?

The reason is simple: Young children, like dogs, tend to be instinctual. They are very direct in their communication, and they do it through energy, intention, and body language. Dogs can understand and relate to this, because that’s how they communicate, too.

Facial Expressions
Some studies indicate that dogs can read human facial expressions as well, and if there’s one thing young children are not good at, it’s hiding their thoughts or emotions — if a kid thinks it or feels it, it shows up on their face.

Perhaps this is why dogs don’t necessarily react nervously or aggressively when that giggly toddler comes running up to them screaming in delight — they can instinctively understand that the gesture is the same as another dog initiating play, rather than a threat.

Dogs Can Bite
However... there are plenty of stories in the news about children being bitten, maimed, or worse by dogs, whether it was the beloved family pet or a strange dog on the loose, and it is very important from early on to teach our children basic dog safety.

Even an adult can be bitten by taking the wrong approach with a dog (it’s happened to me a time or two!), and it’s much easier for kids to accidentally take the wrong approach.

While I do teach that we should relate to our dogs instinctively,  that’s something for much older kids and grown-ups.

With young kids, we have to teach them to approach dogs intellectually first, then let them re-discover their instincts later.

Respect Their Space
We have to begin by teaching our children to respect a dog’s space, and never approach in a way that might startle or frighten the dog. They should never run at a dog with excited energy, and never chase a dog that is trying to avoid them.

When petting a dog, they should do it gently, and always under the chin or on the chest, never by reaching over the dog’s back and, most importantly, they should never, ever approach a strange dog, especially if it’s alone; otherwise, they should ask the dog’s caretaker first if it’s all right.

Supervision
These rules apply to the pets in your own home as well, and you should never leave your dogs and young children together unsupervised.

Infants especially like to grab things — remember, to humans, touch is a very important way of learning about the world — and even the friendliest dog can react badly to suddenly having its tail or ears yanked.

Respect and Care
If you teach your very young children to approach animals with respect and care, it will not only help keep them safe, but educate them on how to treat animals for life, so they can have many rewarding experiences with them as they get older. Pets are also the perfect way to teach older children empathy and responsibility — two of the most important skills they can have as adults.

And, as adults, we can learn from our young children all over again how to approach the world with that sense of instinctual joy and curiosity that draws them to animals in the first place, but to do it in a way that is safe and rewarding for everyone involved, human and dog alike.

Read more of Cesar's articles here