This section focuses on jobs we can give our dogs to prepare them for life with a baby.  

Teaching your dog exercises such as

-How to walk on a leash next to the stroller

-The "off" command (teaches the dog not to be on furniture when the baby is on it)

-How to properly greet guests at the door (for the visitors that will come to see the new baby)

-How to create invisible boundaries, such as not entering the nursery.  

Preparing your dog with these methods is essential to help prevent them from associating the new baby with all the changes. Dogs learn in pictures and scenarios, so you have to show your dog what you want of them. You can't expect your dog to know that some rules will change around the house. Your dog is used to their daily routine, so you must recreate habits. Remember the magic 21-day rule with creating new patterns and changing old behaviors? Updated data has shown a minimum of 55 days, so get going ASAP!  

Dogs are creatures of habit; setting up a routine sooner will make the new adjustment easier for your dog once your baby arrives.