Are dogs and cats safe for newborns? Ours does not bite but am afraid of bacteria etc as he licks the baby

As Roshni correctly mentioned, pets including cats and dogs are safe around the baby if you've ensured timely vaccination. You must also ensure that you have housebroken and trained the dog enough for him to not pounce on the baby. In fact, it's true that many studies suggest that toddlers growing around pets have a better communication skill and are more compassionate. My suggestion is that if you have a baby and have also simultaneously brought home a pup, it's not the best combination. You will be juggling with both the babies at the same time. We got a dog 2 years back and now that we are planning to have a baby and our dog is well-trained and vaccinated, we are not worrying about her being around our baby. We are, in fact, looking forward to it.