Pooch Parenting

91. Preparing Your Velcro Dog For New Baby

• Michelle Stern • Episode 91

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If you’re pregnant and have a velcro dog who follows you everywhere, panics when you leave the room, or constantly needs to be touching you, you’re not alone. Many dogs form deep attachments to their pregnant owner, but this can become a challenge once the baby arrives. After all, you’ll need to sleep, feed, and care for your newborn without a dog glued to your side.

In today’s episode, we’ll talk about why some dogs become hyper-attached during pregnancy, the potential risks this can create once the baby arrives, and—most importantly—how you can start preparing your velcro dog now so that they feel safe, secure, and comfortable being separated from you when needed. Whether your dog struggles with anxiety, follows you from room to room, or whines when you close a door, I’ll walk you through practical steps to help them adjust before baby arrives.

The Top 3 Immediate Steps to Prepare Your Dog

I. Why Dogs Become Hyper-Attached During Pregnancy

  • Changes in scent, hormones, and mama's body shape 
  • Increased resting periods or physical changes that invite closeness
  • Emotional changes in the pregnant parent and how dogs pick up on them
  • Pregnancy shifts household routines
  • Does your dog actually have Separation Anxiety, a panic disorder?

II. Why This Becomes a Problem Once Baby Arrives

  • If your dog has Separation Anxiety, a true panic disorder, training sessions (aka. "missions") are difficult with a newborn, baby or toddler
  • Safety concerns: preventing tripping hazards and interference during feedings
  • Sleep safety risks for the baby if the dog can’t be separated
  • Increased stress for the parents and possibly the dog

III. Early Steps to Encourage Healthy Independence

  • Teaching the dog to settle away from the parent
  • Introducing positive alone time gradually with short, structured separations
  • Reinforcing calm behavior when the dog is not attached to the parent - using a remote treat dispenser, such as the Treat and Train

IV. Practical Training Exercises

V. Preparing for Real-Life Transitions

  • Practicing bedtime routines where the dog sleeps separately
  • Practice parents leaving the dog to respond to baby sounds in another room
  • Brief separations while a parent makes meals, showers, or does laundry, for example
  • Planning for postpartum changes (who will take the dog out, how to maintain routine)

Thank you for listening!