Pets and the Arrival of a Baby
We had Griffey first and he was a baby of sorts to us. And then, two years later, along came our first kid. I laugh at it now, but we were really worried at the time about how Griffey would adjust. Would he be jealous? Would he attack Matan and want to hurt him, this little baby? Would he bark in the middle of the night and wake the baby? These were all real concerns at the time. Of course, everything worked out, as they tend to; when you are approaching change, it's always very difficult. I had read somewhere that we should give Griffey an item of the baby's to smell before actually bringing the baby home. So, when my husband returned from the hospital to walk the dog, he brought a baby item with him and put it in the dog's bed. Griffey was definitely curious about it. I don't know if it made a difference, but I did think that it was a good idea. Another good idea was for me to walk into the house, when I returned home, without the baby in my arms. I came home, greeting the dog and showered him with attention, and then Josh walked in with the baby. We certainly didn't leave the two of them alone for a long time and always had the baby on a table or in his bassinet and out of the dog's reach. This ensured that they could get used to each other without the chance of the dog hurting Matan.
Everything worked out and Griffey and Matan became the best of friends. It is, however, very stressful to change things in your life - and it's also stressful for your animal. Keep this in mind if you are planning some large changes and think about ways to ease the transition for your pet. After all, you love him too!
