Over the years I have been contacted by concerned expecting couples who aren’t quite sure how to integrate their dog with the tiny human family member who is about to arrive. Their anxiety is often palpable. They want desperately for dog and baby to relate as harmoniously and peacefully as possible, but they’re not sure how to make that happen!

Much well-meaning advice has been dispensed on this topic, but I have found most of the coaching to be ineffective—and sometimes downright counterproductive. For over a decade now I have facilitated the successful integration of newborns and dogs, and I’ll share my methods on this episode of The Canine Lowe-Down.