Dogs are just about the cutest little creatures ever, and yet things aren’t always so simple when a newborn is around. There’s no secret that infants are incredibly vulnerable to the world around them, and it’s a lot easier for them to pick up all kinds of illnesses and allergies than it is for the rest of us. So when it comes to the proximity between a dog and your baby—even if that dog is your pet—should you be allowing the dog near your child?
Taking Precautions
Sometimes it’s important to take precautions, even if they’re a bit extreme. Even if you trust your dog wholeheartedly and know in your heart they would never hurt your baby, it may still pay off to create some sort of barrier between them. Dogs are so loving and caring, but this can translate into them slobbering all over your child, and let’s be real: we all know where your dog’s tongue has been.
Finding the Balance
However, every precaution should come with a nice fat grain of salt. You don’t want your child growing up without being exposed to anything potentially dangerous, and you also don’t want to teach them to be afraid of everything they see. For this reason, we wouldn’t necessarily block your baby off completely from your dog. Allow your dog to interact with the baby, but just keep a watchful eye if it seems as though things are getting a bit too friendly and/or aggressive.