Introducing a baby to the family dog

When bringing home a new baby, having the dogs at home sniff her scent before baby comes home. How important and how valuable is this for the animals?

 Bringing Baby Home: Is a very important day for both Human and any animal in the home. Prior to bringing your newborn home introduce the smells of the baby to your dogs. The smell of a diaper, lotion, baby powder, butt cream, formula, the baby's clothing, car seat, stroller and also introduce them to the nursery. Make a family decision if the dogs are allowed in the nursery or not. If NOT, then start giving those boundaries NOW. Not allowing them to follow you into the nursery when you walk in. Stopping them at the door and making them Sit & Stay. If the ARE allowed in the room make sure you give them direction of HOW to BEHAVE in the room. Making them enter the room calmly and have them Sit & Lay Down in one place. The goal is to make sure the dogs understand that the baby WILL be apart of the PACK. It is a MUST that all dogs accept the baby as a new pack member or there can be trouble in the future. When the baby arrives you can also help with providing the baby a form of Pack Leader mentality. YOU must let the dogs know when it is ok to be close to the baby and when its NOT ok ESPECIALLY when you are holding the baby. Once the roles are put in place and the dogs have become comfortable with the new scents, sounds and changes everything will run smooth.  

Important Note: Take the dogs for a walk with you and the baby. Have them walk beside the stroller or even behind. The nice thing is 90% of the time the protective side will come out of the dogs and they will have this sense of protecting the baby and you from any harm. Most dogs automatically HEEL right beside the stroller and walk in a calm submissive matter. If not then you can contact a local trainer to help with this process.