Q. We have a 5-year-old miniature schnauzer who is used to receiving a lot of attention from us. But as we are now expecting our first child, we’re soon not going to have the amount of time or energy to devote to Khloe that she is used to. Any tips for making her feel less left out?
Jessica Smelley
Wahiawa, Hawaii
Dear Ms. Smelley,
A. Make sure to let your dog sniff your newborn when you bring the baby home. That will help her get comfortable right away with the scent of her new family member. In addition, while you are right that you will not be able to give Khloe the same amount of attention, do try to pet her here and there and make nice to her with food treats and gentle cooing.
Do not wait to put the baby in the crib before showing her these tokens of affection. If you pay attention to your dog only when the baby is in the crib, it will teach her that good things happen only when the baby is “out of the way,” and she could come to resent the little one. Interacting with her while the baby is awake, on the other hand, will make her feel good about your taking care of the newborn because it means that when you do, things go well for her.
As you work not to hurt your dog’s feelings, make sure the dog never hurts the baby. That means never leaving the two alone together, including at night. This is particularly true if the dog has a high predatory drive and might mistake the squirmy “thing” with the high-pitched voice in the bassinet for a squirrel or other rodent that has to be caught. A dog with a strong predatory instinct might fail to see the baby as a member of the family in its first three or four weeks of life and mistakenly identify it as wounded prey that can be pounced on with ease. Even a small dog like yours can do a lot of harm.
