How to Prepare Your Pet for the Arrival of Your Baby

One of the most essential things you should do at the very beginning is to take your pet to the veterinarian for a routine check-up and all necessary vaccinations. Your dog must be healthy and this is the very first step to prepare your dog for baby arrival. You also need to get your pet accustomed to nail trims. Animals tend to be calmer and are also less likely to bite if they are sprayed or neutered. If your dog has any behavioral problems, you should address them before the baby comes. Therefore take your dog to a trainer or enroll a pet in an obedience class. For example it is very important to train your pet not to jump into your lap and to remain calmly on the floor beside you until you invite him on your lap. Your lap will soon become cradle a newborn and you have to train your pet this is not his usually place to be.

You also need to train your dog from jumping on the baby's crib and changing table. The easiest way to discourage him is to apply double-stick tape to the furniture. Another way to get your dog or cat accustomed is to carry a baby doll around the house, or when talking a walk you could take a doll in a stroller. This is are the small tricks to get your pet accustomed to activities that involve arrival of a new family member. Next step for a dog would be getting him used to baby-related noises and movement. Of course make sure to make these experiences pleasant for your dog or cat. For example, you could play recordings of a baby crying. Or you could start using rocking chair. A great way for your pet to become accustomed to baby smells is to sprinkle baby powder on your skin so your dog or cat becomes familiar with usual baby smells. You could also encourage friends with babies to visit your home so your pet becomes more familiar with babies. Of course, you should make 100% sure these interactions are closely supervised.