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Return To Pets Article Archive   Households with Pets: Bringing Home Baby By Aaron Welch To help your pet adjust to the imminent arrival of a new baby, begin making adjustments to your pets environment before the baby is born. Dogs and cats have heightened senses compared to humans, and become comfortable with the identifiable sounds and smells of your home. A new baby will certainly add new scents and sounds to the mix. Dogs and cats use a powerful sense of smell to gather information about everything in their environment. Gradually introduce the scent of the products that you plan to use for your baby, such as lotions and powders. If possible, have a baby visit your home, and offer positive affection to your pet while the baby scent and sounds are present. It is extremely important to encourage a positive association with the baby sounds and scents by speaking calmly to your pet and giving affection throughout this process. If your pet exhibits behavioral problems such as possessiveness, aggressiveness or dominance, take this behavior very seriously and address it before your baby arrives. Animals innately need to either lead or be led, and it is imperative that you establish your role as the leader in your household. If your pet views you as its leader, it will understand that the baby is your possession and will not challenge you or the baby. It may be necessary and worthwhile to seek the assistance of an animal behavior specialist. Continue to create positive associations for your pet after the baby arrives. If you only reprimand your pet when the baby is around, your pet will associate unhappiness with the babys presence. Speak calmly and pleasantly to your pet, using his or her name. Help your pet to realize that he or she is getting attention, even if it is not the physical kind. Only give attention to your pet when he or she is demonstrating the calm, accepting behavior you are seeking. There are a lot of techniques that can be used to help a pet adjust to the introduction of a new baby, and all pets are not created equal. If your pet is needy and spoiled with attention, you may opt to incrementally reduce the amount of physical affection that you give your pet before your baby arrives. Helping your pet adjust in a peaceful, gradually changing environment not only benefits your pet, but also eases the demands placed on you once your bundle of joy arrives home. About the Author: About the Author: Aaron Welch is the CDO of Red McCombs Media, a leading provider of diaper delivery service. For more information, please visit http://www.hugsdiapers.net Cat Breeds

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