Just Started Trying to Conceive? The First 10 Things You and Your Dog Should Do

You don’t have to do anything drastic the moment you start trying.

Just ten small steps, in whatever order fits your life — so you’re not scrambling for time later.

If you’ve just started trying to conceive and you’re wondering what that means for your dog, here’s the short version:

• Nothing needs to change overnight.
• Nothing here involves rehoming.
• Nothing here involves “getting rid of” your dog.
• Nothing here involves “reconsidering” your dog.

Most standard dog-prep advice technically starts once you’re expecting — but there’s no reason not to get a head start now, while you have the most time and the least pressure.

Your Trying-to-Conceive Checklist for Dogs

1. Start playing baby sounds around your dog now
2. Book your dog’s own wellness checkup
3. Start or restart the basics: sit, stay, come, off
4. If your dog jumps on people, start working on it now
5. Get honest about any existing behavior concerns
6. Think about where your dog’s bed or crate will live relative to the nursery
7. Start thinking about who else can help with walks and care
8. If you have more than one dog, don’t assume one plan covers both
9. Keep your dog’s routine steady
10. Give yourself permission to not have it all figured out yet

1. Start playing baby sounds around your dog now — it’s one of the easiest things to get ahead of early.

A newborn’s cry is a sound most dogs have never heard, and the first time shouldn’t be the day you bring the baby home. Play recordings of baby crying, cooing, and fussing at a low volume during calm moments — mealtime, naptime, evenings on the couch — and gradually increase the volume over weeks as your dog stays relaxed. This costs nothing, takes a few minutes a day, and is one of those things that’s genuinely easier to start now, months out, than to cram in during your third trimester. If your dog reacts with anxiety or high arousal to the sounds, that’s useful information to bring to a trainer well before the baby arrives, not after.

2. Book your dog’s own wellness checkup while your calendar is still empty.

A full checkup, updated vaccinations, and a parasite/flea-tick check now means one less appointment to squeeze in later, during a third trimester or with a newborn in tow. Ask your vet to flag anything in your dog’s history — joint issues, anxiety, a chronic condition — that might need extra attention as your household changes. This isn’t a pre-conception-exclusive step so much as a “do it while you have time” one, but that’s exactly why now, while your schedule is still your own, is a good moment. Most vets can knock this out in a single visit if your dog is already relatively healthy.

3. Start or restart the basics: sit, stay, come, off.

You don’t need obedience-school-level training — just a dog who reliably responds to four commands under normal household distractions. These specific four matter because they’re what get you through a hallway, a doorway, or a stroller walk safely later, when your hands and attention are already full. If your dog already knows these, treat this as a low-stakes refresher rather than a new project; a few short sessions a week is plenty. Reward-based methods work well here and don’t require any special equipment beyond treats your dog already likes.

4. If your dog jumps on people, start working on it now.

This is one of the most common things people wish they’d fixed earlier, and it’s a completely fixable habit with consistency. A jumping dog isn’t a good match for a baby bump, or later, a baby in your arms, simply because of the physical risk involved. As early as possible — whether that’s now, while you’re trying to conceive, or once you’re expecting — is genuinely the easiest time to work on it, since you’ll have more patience and fewer distractions than you will later. Simple techniques like turning away and rewarding four-paws-on-the-floor tend to work well without needing a professional trainer, though one can help if progress stalls.

5. Get honest about any existing behavior concerns.

Reactivity on leash, fear of strangers, resource guarding, separation anxiety — if any of these already show up, loop in your vet or a certified trainer now rather than hoping they’ll resolve on their own. These behaviors are common and manageable, but they’re much easier to address with time on your side than in a crisis moment later, when your attention is split between a newborn and everything else. Being honest here isn’t about judging your dog; it’s about giving yourself the most options and the most time to work with a professional if needed. A single consultation now can save a lot of stress down the road.

6. Think about where your dog’s bed or crate will live relative to the nursery.

If your dog currently sleeps somewhere that might become the nursery, or right outside where the nursery will be, you have months to gradually shift that space so it’s not a last-minute scramble later. Dogs settle more easily into a new sleeping spot when the change happens gradually rather than all at once — moving a bed or crate a little at a time works better than a sudden switch. No need to do anything today — just get it on your radar. We cover the full gradual-move approach in a companion article once you’re ready for it.

7. Start thinking about who else can help with walks and care.

You don’t need a plan today — you need to start the conversation, with a partner, a friend, or a dog walker, about who picks up the slack when you’re exhausted, at appointments, or recovering later. Think through the specific daily tasks your dog needs (walks, feeding times) and who realistically could take each one over if you couldn’t. Early is easier than urgent, and having even one backup person lined up removes a real source of stress later. This is also a good moment to research boarding or dog-sitting options in case you need them around the birth itself.

8. If you have more than one dog, don’t assume one plan covers both.

Two dogs often need different timelines and different prep, since their routines, personalities, and needs rarely line up exactly. Trying to run one combined checklist for multiple dogs usually means one of them gets less attention than they need. Give each dog their own short list, even if some items overlap, and let each dog’s current behavior set its own pace.

9. Keep your dog’s routine steady — don’t overhaul everything at once.

It’s tempting to want to “fix everything” the moment you start trying to conceive, but dogs do better with gradual change than sudden change. Introducing new rules, new furniture, and new training all in the same week is more likely to create stress than progress. Pace yourself and space things out — you have months, not days, and steady small changes tend to stick better than a rushed overhaul anyway. A settled dog is a safe dog, and your dog will adjust more easily to a few changes a month than to everything at once.

10. Give yourself permission to not have it all figured out yet.

You’re allowed to be at the very beginning of this, with an unchecked list and no clear timeline yet. Nothing on this list needs to happen this week, and there’s no prize for doing it all at once. The fact that you’re even looking this up means you’re already ahead of where most people start, and that counts for more than people admit. Take it one item at a time, and let the rest wait until it’s actually relevant to you.

Start where you are: None of this has to be perfect, and none of it has to happen this week. Start with whichever item feels easiest right now — a vet visit, a training refresher, a conversation with your partner — and let the rest follow at whatever pace makes sense for your full house. By the time you’re actually expecting, you’ll already be a few steps ahead, and that’s exactly the point.

Still deciding whether to get a dog at all, before or after the baby? Here’s the honest tradeoff. And if family’s already pushing back on keeping the dog you have, here’s how to handle that conversation with facts, not arguments.