80. Should Your Bring Home the Hospital Baby Blanket for Your Dog To Sniff

Pooch Parenting

The single most prevalent piece of dog and newborn advice that I see on social media is for people to bring home the hospital baby blanket for your dog to sniff before baby comes home. I wanted to bust this myth and to share how at the very best, this misguided advice could be neutral...and at the worst, it could even be dangerous.
Why people advise to bring home the hospital baby blanket for your dog to smell

1. They think that simply smelling something will build a positive association
2. It's doable, which must be better than nothing, right?
3. In dog training, we often expose dogs to certain stimuli to make positive associations. So the same concept should apply here, right? (hint - NO)

Risks of bringing home the baby blanket for the dog to sniff

• This step is rushed and no effort is made to pair the blanket with good things from the dog's perspective
• If a parent leaves the blanket unattended with the dog, it could be used as a dog bed, could be torn up or used to play tug - all of which could be dangerous when baby comes home and wears a blanket later
• The blanket smells like the hospital, nursing staff, and many other pungent odors - what is the dog really smelling?
• It can get the dog too excited about the arrival of the baby later.

Other supportive resources for parents with dogs

Looking for some confidence about navigating life with your dog and newborn? Get on the waitlist for Paws to Pacifiers, my live 6-week small group program for expecting or adopting parents with dogs. This program is only offered three times a year, so by signing up for the waitlist, you will be the first to hear when registration opens again.

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