How to Train Your Dog to Accept a Baby

Hello Luke, Dogs tend to do best around children when exposed to them regularly. If they are safe around babies and kids now supervised, I would keep a drag leash on pups and intentionally have them inside with the family when you can supervise, letting them be half inside and half outside if possible. Work on commands like Leave It, Drop It, Place, Quiet, and Out, so you can use those commands to facilitate calmness while inside. Whenever the dogs are calm around the baby and responsive to commands reward with a treat kept somewhere convenient nearby like a small bowl on the counter out of the dogs reach. If there is aggression towards babies or kids now, I would work with a professional trainer in person to address that, or consider rehoming the dogs if you are unwilling to do so. Foster rescues often offer curtesy listings on their websites, where you advertise the dog through them while you keep the dogs at your home until you find a good match for them that you can visit and ensure is the right fit and they will be well taken care of. That's often a better option for the dogs then taking them to a shelter. I would also consider crate training the dogs, so they can be given a chew toy and stay inside when you can't supervise, if weather is bad or temperatures aren't safe outside. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O75dyWITP1s Out - which means leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Leave It method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Quiet method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Down-Stay: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/train-your-labrador-to-lie-down-and-stay/ Off- section on The Off command: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-train-dog-stay-off-couch/ Drop It – Exchange method: https://wagwalking.com/training/drop-it Having little ones and dogs myself, I have found that a good robot vacuum is worth the money for me haha. Safety always needs to be the top priority when it comes to kids and dogs. Some dogs are well socialized enough and patient enough that they can be fantastic buddies with kids when supervised. My oldest (three years old at the time) really benefited from my dog while social distancing in 2020. Dogs in the home have been shown to correlate with better long term immunity for kiddos even though there can be more dirt and saliva - as long as dogs are kept current on heartworm and flea type medications and shots. The hair can be a lot of work to keep clean but things like robot vacuums or cleaning services if financially an option can help. My kiddos adore our current dog, the dog is fantastic with them, and has helped build their confidence around other animals. I have also known of unsocialized dog cases where there were severe bites because pup had resource guarding issues and wasn't well socialized with kids and the child wasn't supervised well, so knowing your own family situation and your specific dogs, only you will be able to decide what's best for your family. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden