In honor of our family adopting a new dog, I decided to rebroadcast this episode about making sure your dog and new baby get along!

This is a delightful interview with Michelle Stern from Pooch Parenting. Michelle is a mom, certified dog behavior consultant and trainer, and a former teacher of 16 years. She uses positive-reinforcement based methods for training based on the latest science of animal learning and behavior, and she loves helping families create safe, loving and thriving homes for dogs and humans alike.

Michelle and I talk about why you absolutely need to have a plan for bringing your baby home and introducing them to your dog. We discuss ways to prepare your dog for baby's arrival, how to nip any potentially troublesome habits in the bud, and why it's important to protect your relationship with your dog even as your family changes.

We also chat about dog breeds and what you should look for when you're considering adding a dog to your young family. Michelle is so knowledgeable, practical and fun - you all are going to love hearing her expertise!

And if you're curious about our new dog, her name is Maggie and she's a lab/terrier mix that we adopted from a local shelter. Head to my Instagram (@drnicolerankins) to see some pics of her!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-Concrete things you can do to prepare your dog for the arrival of your new baby

-Why you need to make sure your dog is comfortable being behind a barrier before you bring baby home

-What should happen on the day you bring the baby home and how to keep everyone safe & happy

-Michelle's thoughts on dog breeds and young kids and what you should consider for when thinking about getting a new do

-What the best time is to bring a new dog into your family

-What to think about when getting a dog from a breeder versus from a shelter

 

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode89

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