Walking your dog with a pram or a baby in a carrier

Promeneurs avec deux chiens et une poussette dans une rue

In short: you can walk your dog with a pram or a baby in a carrier, as long as you never tie the lead to the pram, keep one hand free for the dog, and have practised lead walking before the baby arrives. If your dog still pulls or lunges, two separate outings remain the safest option.

With a newborn, walking the dog becomes a juggling act: one hand for the pram, one hand for the lead, and none for anything else. The subject is rarely discussed, yet a dog lunging at the wrong moment can tip a pram over or knock a parent carrying their baby off balance. Here is how to organise things.

Why it is riskier than it looks

The main danger is not the dog itself, but a sudden pull: a cat crossing, another dog, a bike. In the United States, a study published in JAMA Surgery in 2019 recorded a sharp rise in fractures among people aged 65 and over who were walking a dog on a lead (from 1,671 cases in 2004 to 4,396 in 2017 in the emergency departments studied). These falls typically happen when the dog pulls and the person loses their balance. With a pram or a baby strapped to you, the consequences of a fall can be even more serious.

The three basic rules

  1. Never tie the lead to the pram, whether to the handle, the frame or the basket. A dog that lunges can tip the pram over or drag it into the road.
  2. Keep one hand for the lead and the other for the pram. If you need both hands (a slope, a kerb, a door), stop and ask your dog to wait.
  3. Be wary of “hands-free” waist leads: they free your hands, but a sudden pull goes straight through your hips and can unbalance you. Keep them for a dog who already walks perfectly on the lead.

Getting your dog ready before the baby arrives

Ideally, start several weeks before the birth:

  • Work on loose-lead walking without the pram. It is the foundation for everything else.
  • Introduce the empty pram: let your dog sniff it, then walk a few metres at home, then on quiet streets.
  • Choose a side for your dog (for example always on the side of the pram away from the road) and stick to it.
  • Teach a reliable “stop” or “wait” at crossings and doors.
  • Practise with a doll or a weighted bag in the pram or carrier, to get used to the weight and bulk.

The right equipment

  • A short fixed lead (1.2 to 2 m). Retractable leads tangle in the wheels and give too much freedom.
  • A harness rather than a collar, so that the inevitable jolts don’t go onto your dog’s neck. A front clip helps turn them back towards you if they pull (see Do no-pull harnesses really work?).
  • A stable pram, with a brake that is easy to operate with your foot.
  • Poo bags and treats you can reach with one hand, for example in a bum bag.

What about a baby carrier?

A baby carrier frees both hands, but your centre of gravity changes and you see your feet less well. A few precautions:

  • don’t take a dog who still pulls on the lead;
  • hold the lead in your stronger hand, without wrapping it round your wrist;
  • avoid slippery or uneven ground and steep slopes;
  • be ready to let go of the lead: if there is a sudden pull, your balance and your baby’s come first.

When is it better to do two walks?

Do separate outings if your dog:

  • still regularly pulls or lunges at cats, bikes or other dogs;
  • reacts strongly (barking, lunging) to some passers-by;
  • is very big or very powerful compared with you.

In that case, your dog can be walked while another adult looks after the baby, or the walks can be handed over for a while to a relative or a dog walker. You can make up for shorter outings with sniffing games at home (hunting for hidden treats, snuffle mats).

A typical outing, step by step

  1. Get everything ready before going out: baby settled, bags, treats, short lead.
  2. Let your dog out last, after the pram, asking them to wait.
  3. Start with a few minutes on a quiet street.
  4. Stop at every crossing: pram brake on, dog sitting, then off you go.
  5. Reward your dog often when they walk beside the pram without pulling.

Frequently asked questions

Can you walk two dogs with a pram?

It is not recommended until each one walks perfectly on the lead. Two pulls at the same time are very hard to control with one hand.

When can you go out with a newborn and the dog?

Ask your midwife or doctor for advice about the baby. For the dog, start with short, calm outings and make them longer when all goes well.

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