Hey mamas! If you’re pregnant and already the mother of a “fur baby,” you’ll want to know about the book by our friend and local dog trainer, Denise Holmes of lovetrustteach.com. It’s called “My New Best Friend: An expecting parent’s guide to preparing and introducing the family dog to a new baby.” You won’t have to stress out about the dog’s reaction to the new baby if you do a little prep work and learn what you need to know before that little bundle gets carried through the door.
My New Best Friend helps prepare you to introduce the family dog to a newborn. Written sections include professional advice on the following topics:
- When To Begin
- Basic Obedience
- Introducing Changes
- Arranging Dog Care
- Introducing Sounds
- Bringing Home Baby
- Suggested month-to-month timeline
- Letter from the author
There are also 10 audio tracks presented in escalating order which feature a variety of sounds recorded from real babies. Playing these sounds in the house before the baby arrives will help desensitize the dog to what will soon be the new reality in the household. Track titles include:
- Mommy & Me (breastfeeding)
- Bottle Time
- Pacified
- Happy Gurgles,
- Toys & Noise
- Soap Suds
- Cranky Baby 1
- Cranky Baby 2
- Cranky Baby 3
- Baby Bedlam
In this book, Denise also shares anecdotes about real clients and uses their experiences to punctuate the need for preparation. “The day after Christmas, I received a tearful phone call from a distressed new mother. I could hear very high-pitched barking in the background. Anytime the baby stirred or made a noise, Dice barked. If the baby cried, the barks were incessant and much higher pitched.”
Based on years of experience and knowledge gained working not just with expecting clients, but with all families and their dogs, My New Best Friend will help you make the most out of this new and exciting time.
(Mamas, if you have friends who are expecting, send them a link to info about the book! Being a new mom is hard enough without having to deal with dog drama on top of it.)
Click here for info on how to download. And congrats on the new baby (and the cute dog)!
