Buddy, meet Hana

On the advice of our doula, we brought home a blanket with baby smell on it before bringing baby home, allowing him to lick her feet upon her arrival. At first, he was intensely curious; he’d want to sniff her face at every opportunity and he’d sometimes jump up when we’d be standing with her. He’d also get very anxious whenever she’d cry, sometimes letting out a yelping bark.

Three weeks later, Buddy is seldom perturbed by her cries, and we are now able to sit on the couch with him with the baby in our arms! I think it’s mostly a function of time, but we’ve also tried hard to shape his behavior using positive reinforcement only - lots of clicking and treating. I confess that one time, when he jumped up as I stood with her, I impulsively blocked him with my knee sending him back to the floor on his side with a thud. He seemed unfazed, but I felt like a jerk.