Preparing Our Dog for the Arrival of Our New Baby

As we get closer to welcoming our new baby, preparing our dog is just as important as preparing the nursery. He's a huge part of our family, and this new chapter will be a big adjustment for him too.

Our dog is independent, incredibly food motivated, and has shown some fear around children in the past. Because of that, we've started preparing well before the baby arrives. My goal isn't simply for him to accept the baby. I want him to feel confident, safe, and successful as our family grows.

One of the biggest changes we've made is where he sleeps. For years, he slept in our bed. As much as we loved the cuddles, we knew that bringing home a newborn would change our nighttime routine. Rather than waiting until the baby arrived, we transitioned him to sleeping in his crate.

We took it slowly, making the crate a place he genuinely enjoys. We added comfortable bedding, gave him special treats and chews that he only gets in the crate, and rewarded him for choosing to go inside on his own. Now, his crate is a safe space instead of a punishment, and that gives us one less major change for him to process once the baby is here.

We've also been brushing up on everyday training. We're practicing place, stay, leave it, and settling quietly while there are distractions around him. These skills may seem simple, but they'll make a big difference when I'm feeding the baby, changing diapers, or trying to calm a crying newborn.

Since he's so food motivated, we're leaning heavily on positive reinforcement. Every calm choice earns praise or a treat. Every successful training session helps build confidence. Keeping sessions short and fun has made training something we both enjoy instead of another item on the to do list.

We're also introducing him to baby gear before it's actually in use. The stroller has become part of our walks. The baby swing, bassinet, and play mat have been set up around the house so they aren't strange new objects overnight. The goal is for these things to simply become part of his environment.

Another part of our preparation has been exposing him to baby sounds at a low volume. We've played recordings of crying, cooing, and other infant noises while rewarding calm behavior. Over time, we've gradually increased the volume so the sounds become familiar instead of startling.

Because he's been fearful around children before, we're being especially thoughtful about management. We're not trying to force interactions or prove that he "likes" kids. Instead, we're focusing on helping him stay relaxed and giving him choices. He'll always have a quiet place to retreat if he needs a break, and we'll be careful to respect those boundaries.

We're also working on making our routine a little less predictable. Walks, meals, and playtime won't always happen at the exact same minute every day once we have a newborn, so introducing some flexibility now feels like a small way to help him adjust later.

I know there will be an adjustment period. There will be moments where everything clicks and moments where we need to slow down and reassess. That's okay. Progress matters more than perfection.

At the end of the day, he's still our boy. Many of my clients with kids call their dog their firstborn :) He still deserves walks, enrichment, training, affection, and time with us. Soon our family will be growing by one tiny human, and with patience, preparation, and plenty of treats, he'll learn that this new little person is simply another member of his pack.

The Problem With Social Media in Dog Training

I use social media in my work. There are so many helpful tutorials, creative training ideas, and accessible ways for dog owners to learn. It can be an incredible tool.

And also… it can really mess with your head!

One of the biggest issues I see is comparison. You are not comparing your real, messy, in-progress dog to someone else’s real life. You are comparing them to a final product. A highly edited clip of a dog performing perfectly, often after weeks or months of training that you do not see. This creates a pressure that your dog should be “there” already, and if they are not, you are doing something wrong.

Another trend that honestly concerns me is how much content is built on shaming other dog owners. Calling people lazy, dumb, or evil. Creating a mob mentality to shame folks who make honest mistakes or who just don't know better. Framing things in a way that makes viewers feel like they are failing their dog. It gets attention, it drives engagement, and it spreads quickly. But it does not create better learning. It creates fear, guilt, and confusion.

Real life dog training is not a 10 second clip. It is inconsistent, nuanced, and deeply dependent on the individual dog and human in front of you. It involves trial and error that might not look impressive on camera but matters a lot in real life. Social media tends to flatten all of that.

That does not mean you should avoid it completely! There is genuinely valuable information out there. You can learn a lot, get inspired, and find approaches that align with your values.

The key is learning how to filter what you are seeing.

Pay attention to how content makes you feel. If it leaves you feeling ashamed, overwhelmed, or like you are behind, it is probably not serving you. Look for content that explains the why, that shows process not just outcomes, and that respects both dogs and the people learning alongside them.

Real life is not a highlight reel. Your training does not need to look like anyone else’s.

On Losing the Motivation to Train Your Dog

If you have ever felt like you are “failing” with your dog’s training, you are not alone. Life ebbs and flows, and your energy, capacity, and motivation go right along with it.

I have experienced this myself, even as a dog trainer who genuinely loves training. During the first trimester of my pregnancy, my motivation to train my own dog was basically nonexistent. I was tired, nauseous, and just trying to get through the day. Training felt like the last thing I had in me. I let months pass without training anything new.

This experience really reinforced something I talk to clients about all the time. Self shame is not helpful. It does not motivate you. It actually pushes you further away from taking action. When you start telling yourself that you are lazy, inconsistent, or bad at training, it becomes that much harder to start again.

A five minute training session once a day will take you so much further than one long, ambitious session once a week that you keep putting off. Training does not have to be this big, structured event. It can be small, woven into your daily life, and still incredibly effective.

There will be seasons where training is not a priority, and that does not make you a failure. The important thing is not letting those breaks turn into a fixed mindset where you start to believe you are someone who just cannot follow through. You are not incapable. You are human!

Something I come back to often is that training is not about perfection in the moment. You are putting in small amounts of effort now so that on the days when life feels chaotic or your health takes a hit, your dog already has the skills to navigate the world with you.

Training is what supports the lazy days. The sick days. The days where you just do not have much to give. So if you are in a low motivation season, take a break or do something small. Your future self and your dog will thank you for it.