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

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

They think that simply smelling something will build a positive associationIt's doable, which must be better than nothing, right?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 perspectiveIf 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 laterThe 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.

Thank you for listening!

Want to learn more about Pooch Parenting and how we can help you? If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Worried about Growling? Get my free guide: ABC's of Growling: https://poochparenting.net/abcs-of-growling/ Looking for QUICK answers to your dog and child questions? Just ask and my custom tool will give you the answer: www.poochparenting.net/askpoochparenting