12 Tips for Stress-Free Walks With a Dog and Baby

When I was pregnant I imagined how fun it was going to be to go on walks with my dog and baby. Then I went on my first stroller walk with them and I was quickly humbled. My first solo dog-and-baby walk was a whirlwind of stress and chaos. It was nothing like I had imagined!

Fast forward to now—over 50 solo dog-and-baby walks later—and I’ve learned a lot about how to make these outings more enjoyable and less stressful. As both a dog trainer and a new mom, I wanted to share some of the lessons I’ve picked up along the way.

I’ll break down my top tips for walking with a dog and baby into three sections:

• Dog Tips
• Baby Tips
• Important Reminders

If you prefer video content, you can watch this on Youtube instead here:

Let’s dive into dog tips first.

Tip 1: Train your dog to respond to verbal cues

One of the biggest challenges if you’re walking with a dog and a baby is that it’s much harder to physically intervene if you need to. Therefore, it’s essential that your dog reliably responds to verbal cues so that you can keep everyone safe. There are two cues in particular that have been invaluable on walks:

• Leave it: This cue tells your dog to stop pursuing something that they’re interested in (such as trash they might want to eat or animals they might want to chase). I have 3 Youtube tutorials that I encourage you to check out:
  • Beginner “leave it” training
  • Advanced “leave it” training
  • Using the “leave it” cue to stop animal chasing
• Drop it: This cue tells your dog to release whatever is in their mouth. Depending on what your dog finds on walks, this cue can be a lifesaver!
  • Watch 2 of my clients learn how to “drop it”

Tip 2: Train your dog to stay on one side of the stroller

One common issue that I was warned about is how frustrating it is if your dog zigzags in front of your stroller. I avoided this by teaching my dog to only walk on the right side of the stroller.

To train this:

• Start by rewarding your dog whenever they happen to be walking on your right side.
• Once you’ve built a reinforcement history for that, start intervening when they walk anywhere but the right side. Whenever my dog would cross in front of me, I would simply toss a treat onto the ground on my right side. This lured her back into the desired position where I could again reward her for staying where I wanted her.
• Once they seem to catch on about what side you want them to stay on, add the stroller into the training and repeat this process!

This one simple thing has made our walks so much less stressful.

Tip 3: Consider a hands-free leash

I strongly recommend against tying your dog’s leash to the stroller because it’s a safety hazard if your dog suddenly takes off. Instead, I use a hands-free leash that attaches to me. This allows me to tend to my baby with both hands while knowing my dog is still safely tethered to me.

I personally use and recommend this customizable biothane leash because it’s lightweight, durable, easy to clean, and comes in a large variety of colours and lengths. The coupon code “HAPPY10” gets you 10% off!

Tip 4: Train your dog to untangle their OWN leash

Nothing frustrates me more than untangling a leash, especially if you’re also managing a stroller or a baby carrier. Luckily, it’s easy to teach your dog to untangle themselves!

• Start by getting your dog to lift their leg when they feel the leash underneath it. Put the leash close to their paw and then wiggle it until they lift their leg and free the leash. Reward them for doing so!
• As your dog gets better and better at this, practice with the leash higher and higher up their leg…
• Then in a standing position….
• Then with the back legs!
• By adding a verbal cue like “fix your leash” you can ask your dog to untangle themselves on walks.

This 4 minute “Fix Your Leash” Youtube tutorial demonstrates all the steps:

This is a simple skill to teach and it’ll save you a lot of frustration on walks!

Tip 5: Consider leash free walks

Even when your dog is well trained, managing them and a baby can be overwhelming at times. Off-leash adventures allow your dog to run around and burn off more energy without you needing to deal with the leash.

I used to frequent dog parks with my dog, but I hesitated after having bad experiences with aggressive dogs and wildlife. When I was pregnant I started taking my dog to Sniff Spot’s instead. Sniff Spot’s are rentable, typically fenced areas that you can have all to yourself.

I find it enjoyable to grab a coffee, put the baby in the carrier, and let my dog run around without me needing to stress about anything.

Tip 6: Improve leash skills

Particularly if you live in a large city like I do, you will encounter many distractions such as people and dogs on your walks.

Training calm behaviours and the ability to walk right past distractions without leash tension makes walks vastly more enjoyable.

I’ll link a step-by-step tutorial for how I train that skill HERE!

I also want to mention that I have a six-week step-by-step leash training program that I encourage you to check out:

It explains everything that you need to know for amazing walks! A large portion of the training can even be done at home while your baby naps 🙂

Now let’s move on to some quick baby tips to make walks more enjoyable.

Tip 7: Try different baby carrying methods

On my first dog & baby walk, I took the stroller. It went TERRIBLY. Shrill, inconsolable crying most of the way home. I switched to using a baby carrier and it made a massive difference!

Every baby is different, so I would encourage you to go out a few times without your dog to test out different carrying methods and see what your baby prefers.

Knowing which method is likely to keep your baby happy helps minimize stress when you have both a dog and baby with you.

Tip 8: Factor in your baby’s warmth

This one might seem obvious, but it seems to be one that I’m perpetually learning: if you’re using a baby carrier, your body heat will combine. I’m always worried about Emma getting cold, so I have a tendency of accidentally overdressing her.

If your baby is perpetually grumpy on walks, they might just be too hot. (I should leave myself a note on the door saying that).

Tip 9: Motion is your friend

Me on one of my first dog and baby walks: “I have a good little fitness trainer on dog walks now because if I stop walking, I get screamed at”.

Babies often love constant movement, which can feel tricky if your dog stops for a sniff or a bathroom break.

During one of my first walks, I actually caught myself telling my dog to “poop faster” because I didn’t want the baby to cry.

Once I realized that pushing the stroller back and forth or doing stationary bounces in the carrier kept Emma happy while Neirah took her breaks, walks got way less stressful. Find ways to keep the baby in motion, even when you’re not.

Tip 10: Bring two soothers

If your baby uses a soother, bring two on every walk. I’ve learned the hard way that even if you think it’s safe, the soother will fall out at some point.

Bring a spare soother. You can thank me later.

And lastly, I want to give you two important reminders.

Tip 11: Consider safety

I had a scary experience when an off leash German Shepherd charged my dog, baby, and I. Luckily the dog’s guardian came running and he grabbed it while it circled us, but it made me realize how much I would have struggled to keep my dog and baby safe.

Since then I’ve carried two levels of deterrents in case I ever need to intervene.

The first is a can of Pet Corrector which makes a startling noise. If that doesn’t work I also have a small can of pepper spray.

Tip 12: Recognize that things have changed

If you’re used to enjoying peaceful walks with just your dog, it can feel disappointing when walks now feel stressful with the addition of a baby.

I’m not going to lie: I found walks really stressful at first.

Rather than listening to music and zoning out on walks like I used to, I instead found myself on edge wondering when the baby was going to start crying and I even found myself frustrated at little things that my dog did.

But please remember: this is quite normal during the postpartum phase! You’re sleep deprived, you have wild hormones, and you’re adjusting to a new normal.

One thing that really helped me during the “struggle phase” was going for at least one walk a week with just my dog. It allowed me to relax, listen to music, and clear my head. It also helped alleviate some of the dog mom guilt I was feeling.

The good news is that the stress and overwhelm does get better.

By the time my baby was 3 months old I was back to enjoying hikes with both my dog and baby, but it took time and some rough experiences to get there. I promise that over time you will get used to your new routine and walks can feel enjoyable again.

If you want more dog and baby tips, look here:

• Get Your Dog Ready for a Baby With These 7 Simple Tips!
• 8 Tips for Introducing Your Dog and Baby: A Stress-Free Approach
• Feeling Guilty for Your Dog After Having a Baby? You’re Not Alone!
• Dog Enrichment Ideas When You’re Unable to Go On Long Walks
• I’ll also link my entire dog + baby Youtube playlist here:

Happy training 🙂