The Modern Guide to Dogs and Babies

A calm dog, a safe baby

A new baby changes almost everything for a dog. The routine shifts, the house smells different, there's crying at all hours and the people they love are suddenly tired and busy. Some dogs take it in their stride. Others struggle, and it usually shows as attention-seeking, restlessness or worry.

This guide gives you a clear plan. It covers what to change and when, the five skills your dog needs, setting up gates and a safe space, getting used to baby sounds and smells, the homecoming and first meeting, the first weeks, crawlers and toddlers, and when to get help. Start months before the birth, or start today if your baby is already here.

I've been training dogs for over 30 years, and I wrote this the way I'd explain it if we were sat at your kitchen table together.

What's inside

• A "What's the problem?" finder that points you to the right chapter

• What changes for your dog, when to start, and health and hygiene before the birth

• Reading your dog: relaxed, worried and warning signs

• Five skills: settle, four paws on the floor, leave it, swap and walking by a pram

• Gates, a safe space for your dog, the nursery and furniture rules

• Baby sounds, smells, the pram and practising with a doll

• Bringing baby home and a calm first meeting

• The first weeks: supervision, feeds, sleep and time for your dog

• Crawlers and toddlers: management and simple rules for children

• Jealousy, sharing your attention, older dogs, growling and when to get help

• Common questions answered, from sleeping arrangements to licking

Pages to print and keep

• A countdown plan for the months before the birth

• A body language guide

• House rules for adults and children

• A quick-reference page with the rules

Why this guide is different

• It starts months before the birth, so changes don't all land at once

• It's honest about safety: an adult always watching, or apart

• It plans for the crawling and toddler stage as well as the newborn weeks

• It looks after your dog's needs as well as your baby's

• It's built on games plus structure, with reward-based training and no punishment

Who it's for

Families expecting a baby, families who've just brought a baby home, and families with a crawler or toddler whose dog is finding life harder.

What you get

A 59-page PDF and an EPUB in one ZIP file, emailed to you straight after checkout. Read it on your phone, tablet, e-reader or computer, and print the pages at the back.