How to Keep Babies and Toddlers Safe from Pets
Having a pet around the house can be an enjoyable experience for a grown child. For babies and toddlers however, a pet around the house can be potentially dangerous. How can you keep a pet and still ensure your child’s safety?
Gradual Introduction
Cats don’t easily get jealous of new babies but dogs do. Make the transition easy for your dog even before the baby is taken home from the hospital. Allow your dog to sniff your baby’s blanket or clothes to get him used to the unfamiliar scent. You can also record your baby’s sound of crying and let your dog listen to it.
On the first few days of the baby’s arrival, it is better to keep them apart. Introduce the baby slowly by asking someone else to hold the dog on a leash as you bring the baby in. Whenever the three of you are together, be sure to talk to your dog gently and to praise and reward him so that the dog will begin to associate the baby with happy feelings.
Setting Barriers
Even when your pet has already gotten used to the baby, you should always maintain appropriate barriers. As much as possible, keep your pet away from the nursery. At the same time, you should never allow your baby to hold or play with your pet’s toys or food. If you have an aquarium or a pond, make sure that you have secure netting over the opening.
Cats in particular may like to lie down beside babies because of the comfort and warmth of baby cots. Never allow any pet to lie down beside a baby since this may lead to suffocation if your pet accidentally rolls over the baby. Pets may not always be sensitive to their bed mates.
Obedience Training
It may be a good idea to begin obedience training for your dog even before the baby is brought home. This will allow you to detect behavior or attitude problems in your dog at an early stage. Continue obedience training even when the baby is already in. As much as possible, consistently apply positive reinforcement so that your dog does not learn to associate your baby with anything negative.
Choosing a Pet
Be mindful of the kind of pet you have or plan to have. It is particularly advisable for example to remove all reptiles when there is a child below 1 or 2 years old. This is because reptiles are known to carry salmonella bacteria which babies can ingest and get sick from. Babies can get this kind of bacterial infection even if they touch surfaces with slight traces of reptile urine or feces.
Dog breeds are also something you should check on. Breeds in the terrier dog group for example are not good pets to keep around a baby. Terriers are naturally active and curious and may accidentally nip your baby.
Supervision
The best tip of all is to simply never leave your baby and pet together. Be present at all times when both your baby and pet are in the same room.
