I've heard dogs are often placed in shelters or given to rescue groups after their owners have their first child. Why...

When a family sets out to bring their first new born into the world, most of them never consider their pets into the equation. This is where the problem starts and needs to be addressed. It might sound weird, but how would you feel if you put your baby up for adoption as you prepared to bring a puppy home. Some say not the same thing. I say it is exactly the same if you are truly a pet lover.

I am not sure who said that the extreme has to happen when a new born is being brought into the family and I am sure that people need educated on how to meld the two. I hope to be able to shed some light on that with this HUB. So of this might sound silly, but it will work.

The first and foremost thing to remember when first finding out about the pregnancy is to also include the animal in on the good news. If it is a small dog or cat, let it lay on the baby throughout the pregnancy. In some cases, this will help to build a bond between the 2 and it will also keep the dog from rejecting the baby. If it is a bigger dog, maybe allow it to lay on the bed with its head rest on the belly.

When the time comes to bring the baby home, you can then introduce the baby to the pet. In this, it will then understand what you are paying attention to and loving on. The biggest thing that parents do wrong is forget about one of their "children". And since that is the dog and not the baby, it has a tendency to "show out". I truly believe that it is just as much the parents fault as it is the pets fault and the punishment should not be to take the dog to the shelter or just give it away. It would be that the grown up act like one and show some attention to the pet.

I know that this sounds weird, but try it the next time and you will see that your family can stay complete. Now, in stating this, aggressive breeds are not to be included into this group and preferably should be left outside as they can harm a baby.