“This dogs and babies post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and The J.M. Smucker Company, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #miloskitchen http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”
One of my biggest concerns when I was pregnant with Harper was how my old pup, Scout, would welcome her into our life. I got him when he was only 10 weeks old, and he had years of having me all to himself. So of course, he’s always been very attached to me, and pretty protective. (And by “pretty protective,” I mean extremely very over-protective.)
I Googled, ordered books and asked anyone I could for tips on how to make sure my old dog would learn to love my new baby. And while it’s not always been smooth sailing, they have found their groove and have what could totally be considered a brother/sister relationship. (And let me tell you, these treats have helped!)
Here are a couple of tips to help prepare your pup for life with a new baby:
- Bring home a blanket from the hospital for your pup to smell and snuggle before the baby comes home.
- Have them “meet” outside the house, on neutral territory.
- Continue with your pup’s normal routines as much as possible.
- Make time for one-on-one snuggle and play time with your pup, away from the baby.
- Have patience and know they might not be best friends right away, but it will happen with time.
- Oh, and a little treat goes a long way… 😉
Like any man, the way to Scout’s heart is through his stomach. We learned early on that letting Harper give him treats helped ease his stress of having to share his mama.
And of course, since Scout is my first baby, I always want to give him the best. Dogs deserve treats made with the same quality of ingredients and care that we want with our food. Enter: Milo’s Kitchen home-style dog treats available at Meijer. They are made totally free of artificial flavors or colors, right here in the USA, and have 100% real chicken, beef, duck or sweet potato as the #1 ingredient. If that doesn’t tell my boy I love him, I don’t know what will.
I picked up the treats at Meijer and guess what? You can take advantage of this mPerks offer of 30% off Milo’s Kitchen home-style dog treats now through 10/7 (while supplies last) before you head into Meijer today!
Do you have any other tips to getting your pup and kiddos to live together in harmony? I would love to hear them!
Thanks for stopping by, sweet friends!
XO
(This girl is too busy to have pretty nails.)
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September 20th, 2017 at 8:21 am
We brought home a blanket while our son was in the NICU and our dog sniffed it FOREVER! Then once the baby came home she was very protective. Now that there are two and the oldest is almost 2 she just sighs constantly but is such a good sport – always runs to him/us when called and gets teased with food by our toddler but comes back for more and has NEVER bit either baby. Such a good dog and such a big part of our lives.
September 20th, 2017 at 8:28 am
These are great tips. I’ve had several friends have problems with new babies and older fur babies!
September 20th, 2017 at 7:50 pm
These are great ideas. Not being a parent, I didn’t think about the interaction and introduction of a newborn with a dog–yet purely makes sense!
September 20th, 2017 at 9:35 pm
These are great tips for new parents! I think a lot of people don’t take the proper steps to introduce their new baby to the dog, which causes problems and they think it is the dog’s fault. Its a big change for the dog too. Thanks for sharing these tips!
September 21st, 2017 at 7:31 pm
This sounds like a great way to help dogs and babies exist happily together. I have a friend who hasn’t always been loved by my dog, before. I have no idea why. Dogs always love her and my dog hasn’t encountered someone she hasn’t liked, but there was a time when my friend came over and my dog literally draped herself over the arm of the couch with and looked over her shoulder periodically like, “Oh, you’re still there.” It was so weird! This friend is also really paranoid about the health and safety of dogs when she dogsits for people, so I decided she was the perfect person to dogsit for a paranoid dog owner (me) when my entire family is out of town soon. She came over to make sure my dog would warm up to her and the first thing I did was hand her a treat. Worked like a charm! Soon my pup was rolling over for tummy rubs and they’re besties now. 🙂
September 21st, 2017 at 8:01 pm
I think this is the way I’d have to introduce my cats to my kids, too! These look like a great option for dog treats!