Carozza is of the mind frame that the family had all three pets before Leah arrived. "Some people have a tendency to give pets away for fear of harmful interaction," he says. "I've had animals all my life, so I was confident everyone could co-exist without a problem, given the right practices. Strong-willed dogs must know who the boss of the house is. It's one way of keeping order. Little kids can also learn very quickly a sense of responsibility through pet care; my daughter wants to be the one to put food in the dog dish every night, and she's learned to stay away while they're eating."

Jennifer McCarthy is a dog trainer with offices in Colorado and Los Angeles. She specializes in dog aggression and has specifically worked with clients in introducing newborns to pets. McCarthy says that most people fail to look at things from the animal's perspective.

"As humans, we always want everyone to intermingle together peacefully, but when you have young children and older animals, sometimes it's best to give the older animal space to relax, sleep, etc., with as [little] stress as possible," McCarthy says. "Older dogs are less tolerant with children than younger ones."

For this reason, McCarthy suggests parents establish a zone for older dogs that your child can't get to – such as a laundry area, off-limits hallway or room that's still close enough to family interaction but protected from a young child's exuberant energy.

"It's just as important for parents to teach children manners around pets as it is to teach their pets manners around their children," McCarthy says. "Being an example for your child in how to pet a dog or cat calmly is important. Teach such rules as 'no running or jumping around dogs' and get them involved as early as possible in pet responsibility. Having a toddler help with feeding time, teaching your toddler how to tell the dog 'sit' or 'down' with calm praise will help the child realize that dogs are not toys. On the same note, this also helps the dog to understand that the child is higher in rank in the pack, as most dogs consider children littermates or even puppies."

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