Introduce your dogs and babies properly, and they’ll be on their way to becoming great friends. A dog’s interaction with babies can have positive benefits besides furry love. Studies show that infants who grow up with pets have a much lower chance of developing allergies to dogs as they grow up.
However, clueless pups—and active infants—also have the potential to hurt or even terrorize one another. When you’re expecting a new baby (or a visiting infant or new grandchild), prepare your puppy in advance to make sure interactions stay safe.
Most pups are curious about infants because they have so many interesting smells: milk, baby food, poop…what’s not to love? Confident and well-socialized adult dogs may be tolerant of babies, if they recognize that they’re not grown up.
