Introducing your husky to your newborn baby
Siberian Huskies are pack dogs known for their sweet and loving nature. They are energetic, playful, and eager to have fun. Their characteristics pair well with the high energy of children. Huskies love children and becoming a part of the family is all they want. Before adopting a Siberian Husky, it’s interesting to learn about their characteristic and personality traits, as well as their reactions towards babies. If you’re expecting, it is better to put your dog under a little training to help them establish a friendly relationship with children. In this article, we will tell you to know how to introduce your newborn baby to your husky without any troublesome incidents.
Step 1
First of all, follow and learn your husky’s behavior. If your husky does not know to sit, stay, lie down, or come when called, it should be taught to do so. If you think your dog is not reliable, then instead of proper training, make it reliable by providing regular exercise and building good hobbies. A dog usually responds with interest to strange sounds, and that way, you can get your dog to listen to recordings of a baby crying, babbling, or making other normal “baby” sounds (a child’s play talking baby doll is ideal). It’s a great idea to train your Siberian Husky about manners with kids. Generally, a Siberian Husky remains unexposed to babies until it can be calm in their presence. If your baby is born in a hospital and your dog remained at home, you can familiarize your Siberian Husky to the baby by bringing blankets or clothing (hats, onesie, shirt) the baby has worn. Doing so, your husky will be able to learn to stay with your baby. If you are getting a nursery ready – put a baby gate up in the doorway of the room. Only allow the dog in when you say it’s ok. Make your dog a part of the arrival of the new baby. You’ll find that after the baby gate is up a while, that it should be done without your presence and that the dog will learn to respect that room as the baby’s room.
Step 2
Keep a close eye on your dog while they are with children and notice its reactions. See the reactions of your dog when the child touch on its (dog’s) mouth, nose or head and when it starts playing with the husky’s tail. If the dog’s reaction satisfies you and if you think they can accept the newborn easily, then it’s the time to bring the infant and your dog together in the house.
Step 3
When the mother and the child come home from the hospital, let the mother greet the dog without her child. Meanwhile, you can hold the child outside the door or in another room. By doing so, you can avoid unexpected incidents like your excited dog jumping on the mother while she’s holding the baby. You should allow your dog to get used to the smell of the newborn and the mother. When you notice your husky appearing to be relaxed, the baby and dog can be introduced to each other. One of the parents should be attentive to the baby and the other to the dog. Your Siberian Husky should be sitting or staying on a leash at that time.
Step 4
Never let the dog have unsupervised access to your baby. Be careful about the moment your baby starts screaming, crying, or waving its arms and legs as the dog can leap on the infant and some incidents can occur that you never expect. It would be a great idea to keep your Siberian Husky away from the newborn at first; keep it in another room or several feet away from the baby. Never let the dog learn that you are paying more attention to your child. A Siberian Husky can be destructive when they do not get proper attention. After 2-3 months of your child’s arrival, you can reduce your attention from it. This will help your pet accept that it is no longer alone the center of your attention.
Step 5
As a Siberian Husky tends to use its mouth for many activities, it may unintentionally harm your child. The rough housing includes biting and you must be careful about this. This behavior should be stopped during the puppy-hood. Don’t let your child pinch, tug, pull on or play aggressively with your Husky. It can snap at your child if it feels pain. Besides, you should not leave your child in the area of the ground where the dog is. The dog may unintentionally hurt the infant by trying to play with it.
All interactions between your baby and the dog should be monitored very carefully at first. You must continue this process until your dog is paying no attention to the infant or is completely friendly toward the baby. Although you should be aware of potential problems, you should not worry excessively about the potential problem of your dog injuring your infant. Most Siberian huskies can adjust to new babies easily, quietly and without any troubles. If you follow the steps above and do them with patience, love, and understanding, your dog will soon become your child’s best friend.
