Keeping your baby safe is one of the most important things you need to do in your role as a mother, this includes around family pets. However, even the most pleasant and placid of animals can scratch or bite babies whether intentionally or not.
Here are a number of things you can do to keep your infant safe.
A safety gate
Invest in a gate to keep the animal in and your baby out. This way you can rest assured that your dog won’t come in contact with your infant without you being there. Depending on the size of the dog, a basic child’s stair gate is enough to keep them in one room. This is ideal for stopping your baby accidently poking or grabbing at it when they start crawling around – something even the most placid animal can get annoyed at.
Keep your home free of dog faeces
Divide your garden into two: one for your dog and another for your family. This will prevent someone accidently walking dog faeces into the home. Dogs’ dirt can be harmful to both you and your baby as it contains a number of parasites, bacteria and even worm larva which can cause blindness.
Wash hands
If and when your infant touches the dog, make sure you always wash their hands with soap and water. The same goes for you as you can spread germs from your hands to your baby.
Keep baby away from dog food
Once your infant starts crawling around it is important you take away any dog food that is within their reach so that they won’t try to put it in their mouth. If possible ceate a feeding area away from the kitchen preferably in the utility room where your little one is less likely to go. The same goes for the water bowl which infants can drown in if it is left lying around.
Teach them to be gentle
A family pet is a great way to teach your child how to handle animals. Once they start trying to interact with the dog show them how to be gentle towards the animal by petting its fur softly in the direction of hair growth and not pulling, tugging or poking it.
A dog is a great family pet and it will often become your child's best friend.
