When I was in graduate school I was involved in a theater group in Fort Worth for several years. As my undergraduate degree was in theater, I was drawn to the stage and spent many late nights at auditions and rehearsals. One of the things I loved about this particular group of thespians was that the producer/director and his wife had a dog that they brought with them everywhere. For me, having a dog nearby has always provides a combination of entertainment and calm.

This theater dog, (I’ll call him Riley), was a cherished member of their family. The newly wed couple treated Riley as if he were their baby, that is, until they gave birth to their first child. Within hours, Riley was banished to the back yard and never brought to the theater again. Every attention was given to the newborn and Riley became an unhappy puppy. I felt so sorry for him. It made me very, very sad. Since then, I have seen this scenario repeated many times. It’s a normal reaction for a newly wed couple to want a pet before they have their own little bambino. It’s a time to seal their special family love, and caring for a pet together is indeed good practice before you make the lifetime commitment of having children. But treating the pet as a castaway as soon as the human child enters the family is not fair to the pet and could actually create jealousy problems very quickly that may prove harmful to your new baby.

Though we were not blessed with human children, I do have dogs that we consider to be a part of our immediate family. I’ve learned a lot as a dog lover and observer over the years. Enough to know that there is a way to prepare everyone in the family for the exciting arrival of a baby.

In last Sunday’s paper, a woman from Iowa wrote Heloise suggesting three simple tips to introducing your dog to your newborn which I think are worth repeating:

1. Tape record a newborn crying, and play the recording in your home as often as possible to familiarize your pets with the upcoming “new” noises.

2. Cradle, hold and carry a baby doll around your pets.

3. Use baby products such as powder or lotion ahead of time to help pets get familiar with the “smell” of the baby.

There are many resources available to pet owners on this subject. I’m sure that all the preparations of bringing a newborn into your house are time consuming and overwhelming, but remember that your pet needs to be prepped too. Introducing a newborn baby into your home is a big change for the entire family, including your pets. However, a baby on the way shouldn't mean an eviction notice for your pet. With preparation and a few good management strategies, babies and pets can be a successful combination.