As modern parents we spend money and time on childbirth classes, baby gear and books galore to get ourselves ready for a new baby joining our family. If it's kid #2 or more, sibling preparation classes might be added to the mix.
But for many of us, a baby will be joining an already established family, with cats or dogs playing the role of "furry children" before the first human one ever came along. And the pets can have just as difficult a time with the changes in their lives wrought by a baby as a human sibling would. I (and my poor, peed-upon couch) can attest that my daughter had an easier adjustment to her brother's birth than our dog did to her arrival.
According to this Wall Street Journal story, more and more people are working with trainers to prepare their dogs for their baby's joining the family. Now some of these people are the real "Best in Show" nutjobs who carry their dogs in purses and have an extensive wardrobe for little Pupster, but most people who do this seem to be nice, caring people who maybe love their dogs a little too much (and I'm someone who lets her cat sleep on her actual pillow, so I have no room to talk).
I did a story on this for a local daily a few years ago, and the trainer told me that adjusting the dog's routine before the baby arrives is a good idea. Get her used to shorter, less regular walks, for example, because you'll be unlikely to have the time for an extended stroll in those first few months.
Worst-case scenario? It's legal to lock the dog in a crate when it gets annoying.
