Before your baby was born, you played newborn crying videos on YouTube<\/a> so your dog could get used to the sound. You had someone drop off the receiving blanket before you came home from the hospital. And when the time came to introduce the two, you remained calm and collected. It went swimmingly, and the dog quickly accepted your tiny human.<\/p>\n Related: <\/strong>How to Prepare Your Dog for the New Baby: Tips From a Trainer<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Then your tiny human morphed into a toddler, started crawling and walking and pulling on the dog\u2019s fur. Suddenly, what seemed to be a budding friendship has turned into something of a circus.<\/p>\n Parents often focus so much on the first time a dog meets his human sibling but get blindsided by how the relationship changes as the baby gets more mobile.<\/p>\n \u201cThe dogs and toddlers need to learn what the other likes, how they want to be treated so they can not only tolerate each other but really like each other,\u201d says Marina Selinger, a certified trainer for Tractive<\/a>.<\/p>\n Marina shares ways to keep the peace between toddlers and dogs.<\/p>\n Dogs and toddlers can be best friends. Photo: LightFieldStudios\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Your pup has likely gotten used to the sound of a baby crying, but toddlers start to make new noises as they find their voices. These sounds can include high-pitch screeches and squeaks the dog may find upsetting.<\/p>\n Solution: Positive Reinforcement. <\/b>Have the dog associate the loud noise with something good. \u201cIf there is a loud noise, the dog gets a treat,\u201d suggests Marina.<\/p>\n Your dog may have naturally taken to your newborn, but babies need to learn how to interact with dogs. They often start by pulling on their tails and fur \u2014 they\u2019re not trying to hurt the dog, but they don\u2019t know any better.<\/p>\n Solution: <\/b>\u201cWith toddlers, it\u2019s best to show to tell,\u201d Marina says. Place your hand on top of the child\u2019s and show them how to pet the dog gently. If you notice your kid grabbing the dog\u2019s face or pulling his fur or tail, try redirecting them to something else or telling them, \u201cNo. That will hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n Parents often focus so much on the first time a dog meets his human sibling but get blindsided by how the relationship changes as the baby gets more mobile.\u00a0Here are tips for keeping the peace between dogs and toddlers. Photo: warrengoldswain\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Dog toys and child toys are similar \u2014 they\u2019re often stuffed or textured and make noises. But you don\u2019t want the dog chewing up the lovey your kid relies on for comfort.<\/p>\n Solution: <\/b>Train your dog to only go after toys at your command. Marina tells her dogs to \u201cget it\u201d if she is OK with them picking up a toy. \u201cLeave it\u201d also works if a child drops a toy, and the dog is going after it (this also works if the toddler drops food on the floor). Marina says it\u2019s best to try to teach these commands before the baby is even born. \u201cSome of these things take a long time,\u201d she says. But if you didn\u2019t, don\u2019t be so hard on yourself \u2014 you had a ton of things to do to get ready for baby. Consistently work with your dog on the command, and consider hiring a trainer to help.<\/p>\n Your dog and toddler love going everywhere together \u2014 almost. A dog may be sensitive about having anyone invade their \u201cspace,\u201d such as a crate or bed. And as cute as it is to see your pup and baby snuggled up and napping together, it\u2019s not particularly safe for either if the dog climbs into the crib.<\/p>\n Solution: <\/b>Help the two learn that they each have a safe space. \u201cTeach the baby to leave the dog alone if he\u2019s in his bed,\u201d Marina says. If the toddler is high-tailing it towards the pup\u2019s bed, try redirecting with a toy. Or, explain, \u201cThe dog shouldn\u2019t go in your bed because it\u2019s yours. We\u2019re going to stay away from the dog\u2019s bed because it\u2019s his special space.\u201d You can also redirect the dog with treats. \u201cGive a dog a treat to go somewhere else than the baby\u2019s room if he\u2019s headed there,\u201d Marina suggests. \u201cThat way, he knows you like it better when he [goes to this room] instead of [baby\u2019s].\u201d<\/b>Or, block the spaces with a baby gate to prevent either from entering.<\/p>\n Dogs and young children can be impulsive. As cute as they are and as much as they may love each other, sometimes, things get out of hand. It\u2019s important there\u2019s always an adult in the room to prevent (or quickly stop) and scuffles.<\/p>\n \u201cYou cannot trust both of them 100 percent,\u201d Marina says.<\/p>\n Featured photo: Antonio_Diaz<\/a>\/Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n Read Next: This Program Wants Kids To Read To Their Dogs<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The post How to Keep the Peace Between Your Toddler and Dog<\/a> by Beth Ann Mayer<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post How to Keep the Peace Between Your Toddler and Dog<\/a> by Beth Ann Mayer<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n Before your baby was born, you played newborn crying videos on YouTube<\/a> so your dog could get used to the sound. You had someone drop off the receiving blanket before you came home from the hospital. And when the time came to introduce the two, you remained calm and collected. It went swimmingly, and the dog quickly accepted your tiny human.<\/p>\n Related: <\/strong>How to Prepare Your Dog for the New Baby: Tips From a Trainer<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Then your tiny human morphed into a toddler, started crawling and walking and pulling on the dog\u2019s fur. Suddenly, what seemed to be a budding friendship has turned into something of a circus.<\/p>\n Parents often focus so much on the first time a dog meets his human sibling but get blindsided by how the relationship changes as the baby gets more mobile.<\/p>\n \u201cThe dogs and toddlers need to learn what the other likes, how they want to be treated so they can not only tolerate each other but really like each other,\u201d says Marina Selinger, a certified trainer for Tractive<\/a>.<\/p>\n Marina shares ways to keep the peace between toddlers and dogs.<\/p>\n Dogs and toddlers can be best friends. Photo: LightFieldStudios\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Your pup has likely gotten used to the sound of a baby crying, but toddlers start to make new noises as they find their voices. These sounds can include high-pitch screeches and squeaks the dog may find upsetting.<\/p>\n Solution: Positive Reinforcement. <\/b>Have the dog associate the loud noise with something good. \u201cIf there is a loud noise, the dog gets a treat,\u201d suggests Marina.<\/p>\n Your dog may have naturally taken to your newborn, but babies need to learn how to interact with dogs. They often start by pulling on their tails and fur \u2014 they\u2019re not trying to hurt the dog, but they don\u2019t know any better.<\/p>\n Solution: <\/b>\u201cWith toddlers, it\u2019s best to show to tell,\u201d Marina says. Place your hand on top of the child\u2019s and show them how to pet the dog gently. If you notice your kid grabbing the dog\u2019s face or pulling his fur or tail, try redirecting them to something else or telling them, \u201cNo. That will hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n Parents often focus so much on the first time a dog meets his human sibling but get blindsided by how the relationship changes as the baby gets more mobile.\u00a0Here are tips for keeping the peace between dogs and toddlers. Photo: warrengoldswain\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Dog toys and child toys are similar \u2014 they\u2019re often stuffed or textured and make noises. But you don\u2019t want the dog chewing up the lovey your kid relies on for comfort.<\/p>\n Solution: <\/b>Train your dog to only go after toys at your command. Marina tells her dogs to \u201cget it\u201d if she is OK with them picking up a toy. \u201cLeave it\u201d also works if a child drops a toy, and the dog is going after it (this also works if the toddler drops food on the floor). Marina says it\u2019s best to try to teach these commands before the baby is even born. \u201cSome of these things take a long time,\u201d she says. But if you didn\u2019t, don\u2019t be so hard on yourself \u2014 you had a ton of things to do to get ready for baby. Consistently work with your dog on the command, and consider hiring a trainer to help.<\/p>\n Your dog and toddler love going everywhere together \u2014 almost. A dog may be sensitive about having anyone invade their \u201cspace,\u201d such as a crate or bed. And as cute as it is to see your pup and baby snuggled up and napping together, it\u2019s not particularly safe for either if the dog climbs into the crib.<\/p>\n Solution: <\/b>Help the two learn that they each have a safe space. \u201cTeach the baby to leave the dog alone if he\u2019s in his bed,\u201d Marina says. If the toddler is high-tailing it towards the pup\u2019s bed, try redirecting with a toy. Or, explain, \u201cThe dog shouldn\u2019t go in your bed because it\u2019s yours. We\u2019re going to stay away from the dog\u2019s bed because it\u2019s his special space.\u201d You can also redirect the dog with treats. \u201cGive a dog a treat to go somewhere else than the baby\u2019s room if he\u2019s headed there,\u201d Marina suggests. \u201cThat way, he knows you like it better when he [goes to this room] instead of [baby\u2019s].\u201d<\/b>Or, block the spaces with a baby gate to prevent either from entering.<\/p>\n Dogs and young children can be impulsive. As cute as they are and as much as they may love each other, sometimes, things get out of hand. It\u2019s important there\u2019s always an adult in the room to prevent (or quickly stop) and scuffles.<\/p>\n \u201cYou cannot trust both of them 100 percent,\u201d Marina says.<\/p>\n Featured photo: Antonio_Diaz<\/a>\/Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n Read Next: This Program Wants Kids To Read To Their Dogs<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The post How to Keep the Peace Between Your Toddler and Dog<\/a> by Beth Ann Mayer<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"dogs](\"http:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/GettyImages-1044929380.jpg\")
<\/p>\nProblem: Noisy Toddlers<\/b><\/h2>\n
Problem: Your Kid Grabs at the Dog\u2019s Fur<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"dogs](\"http:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/GettyImages-1135954367.jpg\")
<\/p>\nProblem: Your Dog Thinks the Kids\u2019s Toys are Their Toys<\/b><\/h3>\n
Problem: The Toddler or Dog Needs Space<\/b><\/h3>\n
Remember: Keep an Eye Out<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nProblem: Noisy Toddlers<\/b><\/h2>\n
Problem: Your Kid Grabs at the Dog\u2019s Fur<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nProblem: Your Dog Thinks the Kids\u2019s Toys are Their Toys<\/b><\/h3>\n
Problem: The Toddler or Dog Needs Space<\/b><\/h3>\n
Remember: Keep an Eye Out<\/b><\/h3>\n