Can my dog sleep in the same room as my newborn? Here’s What to Do Next

Different Types of Supervision

According to Family Paws Parent Education there are five different types of supervision and it is up to us dog owners and parents/guardians to really become aware of the impacts of each of them.

Absent Supervision: child and dog together without any adult eyes watching them. This includes if an adult has fallen asleep. This should never happen. If the adult is sleepy, use proactive supervision.

Passive Supervision: Everyone multitasks these days. Are you really watching your child and dog when chatting away on the phone, or when on your computer sending that email? This is such an easy one for parents to do. However, parents must be made aware of how dangerous this can be.

Reactive Supervision: This is when a parent reacts to the child or dog approaching one another. You don’t want it to get to this point. But it happens! Dog might hear the baby cry or startle and run in to see what it is. Rather than reacting negatively to the dog, we want to redirect the dog away in a calm positive manner. We do this as we don’t want the dog to associate the baby in a negative way and visa versa once your baby is on the move.

Proactive Supervision: When you know you cannot actively supervise, implementing management tools is how you can be proactive, things like baby gates, crates, playpens, closing doors, putting the dog outside, using a lead, Supervising 24/7 is impossible and exhausting for everyone, including the dog! Every house that has children and a dog in it, must have a safe place for the dog to be able to escape to if they feel the need or for you to put them there when you can’t be actively supervising.

Active Supervision: This is the best type of supervision and is when two adult eyes are focused on dog and child, the parent is present in the moment and they know what to look for.

Bed Guard Rail

One of the main tips our midwives gave us about co-sleeping was to ensure the baby sleeps next to mom rather than in between mom and dad. “Your husband won’t have the same instincts to wake up for the baby as you will,” my midwife said to me before we went home with our baby.

For the first couple of nights I thought I could use my pregnancy body pillow as a makeshift barrier along the side of the bed, but I quickly got fed up with how much space it took up, the way it kept falling off the bed, and my fear of the baby turning towards the pillow and suffocating. By Day 3, I sent Baby Daddy out on a mission to get a guard rail that we could secure to my side of the bed to give me a little more peace of mind. So far, it’s been one of the best baby sleep-related purchases we’ve made.

Can dogs get jealous of a new baby?

Dogs are extremely loyal members of the family and just like humans they can experience a variety of different emotions – including jealousy. This can especially be the case when someone new becomes a member of the family, such as a newborn baby and seems to get all the attention and affection.

Introducing Your Dog to a New Baby (The NATURAL Way)

While your baby is tiny, you will generally be able to keep them and your pets apart for most of the time. Keep pets out of the room they sleep in, and never let a pet share a bed with your baby. Always introduce your pets gently to a new baby. Dogs may feel jealous of a new baby when you first bring them home.