Dogs protect babies! Relationships and 4 things to be aware of

Seeing videos and photos of babies and dogs together on video sharing sites and social media is heartwarming. Especially when the dog is trying to protect the baby, it's especially heartwarming.

"Do dogs actually protect human babies?"
"If a dog does protect a baby, why does that happen?"
Many people are concerned about whether it's safe for dogs and babies to live together.

For those of you with such concerns, we'll explain the relationship between dogs and babies.

Why do dogs protect babies?

While dog intelligence varies by breed, all research suggests that dogs have the intelligence of a human child aged 2 to 4. When dogs see a human child of that age, they recognize their own younger siblings and dote on them. However, while dogs recognize babies as adorable, they also recognize them as "beings to protect" even more than human children.

Protection is a Dog's Instinct

There are various reasons why dogs try to protect babies, but protecting something is a natural instinct and habit for dogs.
So why does this instinct work? There are several thought to be reasons.

• Babies are small
• They're family
• They smell like milk
• They want praise from their owners

These are the main reasons.
Let's take a look at each reason.

Babies are small

Dogs have an instinct to protect those smaller and weaker than themselves.

Even though they may be small, small dogs may outweigh the baby. Even so, they will still try to protect the baby. In other words, physical size doesn't really matter; the baby's very existence feels "small" to them, which is why they protect it.

Because they're family

Dogs have an instinct to live in a pack.
Once they've welcomed the baby into their family, as a hierarchical member of the pack, they recognize the baby as something they need to protect.
It's only natural for a dog to protect its family.

Because it smells like milk

Dogs have the habit of sniffing unfamiliar objects. They use their scent to identify the object, so the smell of milk from a baby triggers something like maternal instinct in dogs. Maternal instinct isn't exclusive to female dogs. Male dogs also find babies adorable.

Because they want to be praised by their owners

If your dog is watching over your baby, praise it by saying, "Thank you for being there." This will encourage your dog to take care of the baby in the hopes of receiving praise from its owner.
When your dog is a baby, it will watch over it, and as the baby grows, it will begin to play with it.

How Dogs Recognize Babies

How do dogs recognize babies? As mentioned above, they recognize them by the smell of milk. Milk is a unique smell that babies have. Dogs have a strong sense of smell and can recognize everything by smell.

Of course, they also recognize them visually and aurally.

Visually, dogs recognize a baby's round face, eye size, and facial feature positioning are similar to those of a puppy, so they recognize it as a baby.
Auditory-wise, it is said that a baby's cry sounds like a puppy's. Also, the tone of your voice when you talk to your baby may make your dog realize that the baby is important to you and something you need to protect.

Dogs are intelligent animals. They will understand from your attitude that the baby is important to you and will try to cherish it.

Four Things to Keep in Mind When Living with a Dog and a Baby

While we believe that dogs are essential to protecting babies, we can't guarantee that accidents won't happen. Unfortunately, dogs don't understand language 100% of the time, and the same goes for babies. Once your baby gets a little older and more mobile, unexpected things can happen.

To avoid regrets later, keep the following points in mind.

Cleaning Up Shed Hair

Shedding is unavoidable for dogs, whose entire bodies are covered in hair.

Dogs with long hair shed a lot during shedding season. To prevent babies from accidentally putting it in their mouths, clean up any shed hair immediately. Also, to reduce the amount of shedding, brush your dog frequently.
Furthermore, shed hair may contain dandruff and may lead to the infestation of mites. Dandruff and mites can cause allergies, so cleaning thoroughly is important.
Also, it's safer to have your baby sleep in a crib and in a separate room from your dog.

Hygiene

Just like cleaning up shed hair, you should regularly shampoo your dog's coat to keep it clean.
In addition to allergies, there are other illnesses to be aware of. Babies have a naturally low immune system, so they may be at risk of contracting infectious diseases carried by dogs.
Infection occurs when a dog licks a baby. While this may be a sign of affection from the dog's perspective, it's best to avoid contact with babies as much as possible.
It's also important to keep your dog vaccinated and take care to prevent illness.

Disposal of Dog Feces

Once your baby starts crawling, the number of things you need to be careful about increases dramatically. During this stage, when your baby puts everything in their mouth, you need to be careful not only to clean up dog hair, but also to clean up dog feces.
Even if your baby doesn't put it in their mouth, they may still touch it with their hands, so clean up dog feces immediately after they leave.
It's also a good idea to be careful about leftover food and the food bowl.

Dog Training

Even before your baby is born, gradually teach your dog that its environment will change after the baby is born.
If playtime or walk time suddenly decreases, or if your dog's attention is reduced due to baby-care, your dog may become anxious and jealous of the baby.
Even before the baby is born, gradually reduce playtime and walk time to help your dog get used to the baby.

Also, if your dog has a biting habit, even if it's only a gentle bite, it should be stopped. If your dog regularly licks people's mouths, you should also discourage that habit.
If you are too strict about what your dog can and can't do when a baby arrives, it may become hostile toward the baby. Scolding your dog for approaching the baby may lead the dog to believe that the baby is out of your league.
Gradually get your dog used to the baby's environment.

Summary

Dogs fundamentally recognize their role as guardians of human babies. Just as we find babies adorable, dogs also find them adorable.
It is rare for a dog to harm a baby, but it is possible that the baby may do something unexpected that the dog dislikes, causing the dog to overreact.
Also, even if the dog has been the most loved animal in the house until now, the owner may become jealous when their attention is now directed towards the baby.
As a result, the dog may become aggressive towards the baby, so to prevent the dog from feeling anxious, make sure to show that your love for the baby remains unchanged.

By following a few precautions,

• They will protect your baby
• They will play and grow with your baby as they grow older

Dogs should have a positive influence on your baby.