Help for Dogs of Expectant Parents
in Wimbledon and South London
Supporting you with preparing your dog to meet your new baby.
First of all, congratulations!
You’ve made a small human with awesome DNA which is nothing short of a miracle. There’s no doubt about it, your family dog already knows things are changing.
There are simply so many things to consider when preparing for a baby, and making sure your beloved dog is as prepared as possible for the massive life changes that they’re soon to experience will make the transition so much easier for you all.
Not only do I have years of experience as a dog trainer, helping expectant parents prepare their pooch for the arrival of a human sibling, I’m also a parent of two small humans myself, so I understand the reality of those wonderful but exhausting early days.
With plenty of pragmatic advice, I can help reduce the overwhelm of one aspect of your little one’s arrival, and you can be assured your first canine family member is as settled (and possibly even helpful!) as possible when little one arrives.
A 1.5 hour-long face-to-face session
in the comfort of your home before baby arrives.
A personalised plan
tailored to your lifestyle, home and dog’s specific needs, taking a proactive approach to life with a newborn, whilst also considering what will be useful as your child grows.
Step-by-step guidance
with a detailed discussion of how to introduce your baby and dog.
Training skills audit
recommending useful, practical training skills (a solid drop and leave-it can be worth it’s weight in gold as a dog goes to pick up a nappy!)
An honest and realistic approach
to raising babies and dogs, teaching you to become an expert in your dog’s body language to identify any potential signs of stress.
Expectant Parent Consultation
includes:
Safety advice
pragmatic, direct and ethical guidance to help you keep everyone safe and make life easier for you all
Short, personalised report
with tailored recommendations, reminders of key topics discussed during our session and a shopping list of items that will be useful for easing the transition into the new family dynamic.
An empathetic and experienced approach
with the support to help you feel less overwhelmed and more secure, ensuring that your experience of becoming a new parent is immersed in excitement for the relationship your dog and child will develop.
A 30 minute follow-up phone consultation
within 3 months of your baby’s birth, to discuss how you feel your dog is settling with you baby at home and support you with any concerns you may be having.
Get started today!
£227
Optional upgrade: £127
An hour long, in-person coaching session to enable you to train any key skills identified during our consultation, that will help you and your dog when your baby arrives.
Travel to your home is included for Wimbledon, Southfields, Earlsfield, Summers Town, Colliers Wood, Merton, Mitcham and Kingston Vale. Locations such as Putney and Barnes in the ULEZ zone will incur the ULEZ fee. Parking charges may apply if you live in a residents only area.
Please note: If you are having difficulties with your dog at the moment and have any behavioural concerns ahead of your baby’s arrival, please get in touch and I can assist you with seeking the support of a APBC registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist.
We felt more secure & knowledgeable
“We’d had our working Cocker Spaniel (Jess) for 8 years when we fell pregnant with our first child. Lottie came to visit us before Harry was born. She left us feeling more secure and knowledgeable about how to manage things and, as a result, Jess and Harry are now great friends.”
- Jaimie, Rich & Jess
An expectant parent consultation is for you if:
You or your partner are pregnant and awaiting the arrival of your new baby.
You want reassurance and guidance from an accredited trainer to ensure your dog continues to live a happy and enriched life during this time of huge change for you all.
You want a pro-active approach which is tailored to your growing family and unique dog, with welfare and safety as high priority.
You want to work with someone who is unjudgmental, empathetic and honest to support and guide you through the journey that is dog ownership.
Want my help to prepare your dog?
Expectant Parents
FAQs
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That’s a good question and one that probably requires a chat on the phone. It’s great that you’re considering this before your baby arrives and very quickly turns into a crawling, unpredictable little thing which could very well worry your dog. It’s important to understand the underlying emotional state of a behaviour such as this, particularly when safety is a priority. I would in the first instance assist you with finding a certified Clinical Animal or Veterinary Behaviourist who would devise a treatment plan to make sure you know how to help your dog. At this point I’d be happy to work alongside them to help implement and assist with any practical training you will need to do, in order to help your dog feel at ease around children.
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I use only kind, reward-based training methods ensuring that they are practical, effective and based upon sound evidence. I will never use harsh handling, corrections, punishment or intimidation and the welfare of your puppy will always be paramount within our training sessions.
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Of course. I can help you if you’re feeling overwhelmed by how things are going and worried that your dog isn’t coping that well with all the changes. Together we can devise a practical and bespoke plan for your new family and dog as part of that, to make this transition easier on you all.
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No way! I’ve been in your position (you’re a warrior by the way) and my aim for this consultation would never be to add stress and more pressure to an already overwhelming period. I will be offering you practical and pragmatic guidance of how to make life easier for you and your dog at this time, and particularly in the early weeks after the arrival of your baby. We can discuss training during our consultation if you want to teach something new but it won’t be a necessity. If I identify any serious issues from a safety or welfare perspective I will be honest and offer guidance as to how to get these resolved in a way that is manageable and as easy as possible.
