1 – Be proactive

My first trimester brought an overwhelming state of fatigue that I had no idea existed! This stage of pregnancy is a good time to prepare for the arrival of your child. Part of your plan should include training and grooming your dog. You could list some dog toys and games and other items you’ll need in the coming months to keep your dog busy on days when you can’t walk him as often as you normally would. It may be a great idea at this time to find a professional dog walker in your area to help with dog walks for at least the last few weeks of your pregnancy and the first few weeks after the baby is born.

2 – Set goals that make sense

Start by listing all the wonderful things your dog can do. You’ll be amazed at all the great behaviors your dog already knows, and then you can start your new training plan with confidence.

As part of your goal setting, come up with an exercise plan for your dog after the baby is born. It’s up to you to decide if that means hiring a dog walker or if your partner has to get up early to walk the dog every day. You can also plan activities that you can do with your dog at home, such as setting up a chair outside to play fetch.

3 – Be a great leader and you will get a great dog

The top 4 Leadership traits you should exhibit when training your dog are:

1. Control of all resources including food, toys, and attention,

2. Respect for personal space,

3. The ability to influence behavior in any situation, and

4. Proactive intervention.

To be a good leader you need to be able to control the things (food, toys, walks) that your dog may want, make sure he always respects your personal space and doesn’t come in uninvited, be able to train the necessary behaviors so that your Be well-mannered and safe, and be someone your dog can count on.

As part of my leadership dog training program, I always made sure all my dogs were comfortable with confinement. I created a nice safe place where I could put them if I needed them to settle into their Doggy Peaceful Place. I started by placing treats in their kennels, so they would come in looking for them. Once they went in with no problem, I increased the amount of time they were in their kennels by giving them a bone to chew on.

4 – Never forget the FUNdamentals

During the second trimester, most women experience a return to their normal energy levels, so this is a great time to get more involved in training your dog.

There are some definite behaviors you need to master with your dog through your training program, but don’t worry, expectations aren’t entirely out of reach. Focus on using positive reinforcement to teach him basic core behaviors, which are: Respond to a name in ANY situation, Sit, Settle, Come, and Walk nicely. I do not teach a Stay command because I teach my dogs to hold each position until I give them a release or some other signal. In this way, Stay is incorporated into ALL the behaviors I teach.

In my opinion, THE NUMBER ONE behavior to teach is Long Duration Down. There will be many occasions in which you will only need your dog to be able to lie down calmly in his bed so that you can relax, change the baby’s diaper, bathe him, feed him, etc. Trust me… this is so worth it!

5 – Teach your dog good manners

My BIG Manners program consisted of teaching the Personal Space Bubble, Waiting for Food, Waiting in the Car, Waiting at the Gate, Stay Down and Leave It. In essence, a manners program uses good impulse control and teaches your dog to “ask for permission” by offering appropriate behavior, such as sitting.

The key to your success in teaching your dog good manners is to make sure you control all resources when you are training. Set clear limits and never allow your dog to cross those limits.

6 – Make sure the Rover is comfortable walking next to a pram or baby carriage

Many dogs become agitated and excited by things that move. Baby carriages are no exception! Starting in my sixth month of pregnancy, I would walk the empty stroller around the neighborhood so I could teach my dogs that it was no big deal. Once each dog was able to walk next to the stroller on their own, I began practicing with two at a time, three at a time, and finally all four at a time.

Take some treats with you so you can use them to keep your dog’s concentration during the walk, since in order for him to eat dinner, he must walk politely and calmly next to you. Many dogs will jump all over the place the first few times they walk next to a stroller. Even if you practice walking up and down the hall or around the yard, that will be enough for your dog to get used to the movement of the stroller so close to him.

7 – Prepare the baby’s room early and well

When I was about seven months pregnant, my husband and I painted and fixed up the baby’s room. I brought my dogs in one by one to check out the room and then showed them an invisible wall at the entrance to keep them out unless of course they were invited inside.

For the rest of my pregnancy, I would take the time to sit in my rocking chair with one of my dogs lounging near me. I wanted them to see the baby’s room as a relaxing place that they could explore, but only when invited and only if they could remain calm and still.

8 – Practice desensitizing your dog to all the noises your baby will make

I recommend a CD called Preparing Fido, which is a complete collection of baby sounds. This CD (I’m sure there are many others like it) was great for preparing my dogs for my daughter’s arrival.

Desensitization is basically defined as the presentation of a stimulus at a reduced (but incrementally increased) intensity so as not to cause a fear response. You should slowly increase the intensity as your dog adjusts to it. If at any time your dog shows signs of fear or distress while the CD is playing, he should lower the volume or turn it off completely. The best way to do this is to start playing the CD at mealtime at a very low volume, then turn the sound off once the meal is over. Once your dog gains experience listening to the sounds and shows no signs of stress, he can play them louder and louder and at various times of the day.

9 – Bring the baby home!

Ask your partner to bring home a blanket from the hospital that has your baby’s scent on it. Let your dog smell it. The day you bring Baby home, one of you must go in first to put her dog on a leash. If he’s too excited, take him to his Doggy Peaceful Place and wait until he calms down. If he’s sitting upright, move the baby closer and lower the carrier just enough so your dog can sniff his toes, not his face. Keep the first meeting quick to make sure it’s not too overwhelming for anyone involved.

It is VERY IMPORTANT to always keep in mind that your dog is an animal and can behave unpredictably at any time. No dog, no matter how friendly, should be left unattended with a baby or young child under any circumstances.

Now just enjoy this time and live in the moment. That Baby will grow so fast!