Some parents are unprepared for what happens when they bring a new baby home from the hospital. The new Mother will probably stress about it more than the Father will because the Mother's instinct will lean more toward protecting the child than anything else. Some new parents have prepared their house for the homecoming, and the pet already knows where they stand and how everyone feels about them.

If a inside pet has been introduced to small children in the home, they are able to recognize that the new baby is not a threat. The new addition to the family will seem very ordinary and the animal might show some curiosity at first but after the first sniff or two will confidently go about its business like there is nothing out of place and no reason to be alarmed.

The homecoming will be non-eventful for all inside animals, even if the pet is totally accustomed to getting all the attention from family members. The parents took great care in preparing their pet for the new addition to the family by cutting back on the affection that the animal receives everyday to the point where the pet is accustomed to being stroked about the ears shortly before meal time.

Some families will take further precautions to see how well adjusted their animal is to young children by having their friends bring over their children for a visit. Then the pet owners will watch the pet for any adverse reactions and will probably praise the animal when they react in the correct manner. The animal becomes conditioned to accepting touches from small children and they will also learn not to fear them.

Some animals might need professional training if they bark or seem jealous when the new baby comes home. The pet owner must keep a constant vigil over where the pet is in the home and not rely on other people to ensure that their baby is safe with the animal in the room. Some parents become accustomed to the animals presence in the home and allow the animal to get too close when it is too soon to tell how they truly feel about the new baby at home.

Parents can test their animals to see how they react to different sounds that will occur all the time once the baby is brought home from the hospital. They can use baby rattlers and baby monitoring machines to mimic the sounds that a baby makes when they are in their crib. They can also allow the animal to smell baby lotions and allow them to get accustomed to what diapers sound like when they are put on a baby. Some animals fear sounds more than the presence of a baby and knowing this in advance can be a real life saver.