The Puppy and the Baby

Everyone asks us how Ranger does with Adah. We weren't really sure what to expect out of him when we brought her home, but we figured he would be a good guard dog, and love his little sister. Well we were gone from the house for three and a half days, so I'm sure he thought we were never coming back, thankfully my parents and Nicole were here to help take care of him. If Nicole wasn't around for him, my dad said he was pretty pathetic and would not be anywhere that he couldn't see my dad.

He was in the kennel when we came home so that he wouldn't jump on anyone. We got inside and Adam put Adah in my arms and went to get Ranger. He was very excited to see us, but was almost instantly nervous about the new thing in my arms, he wanted to lick her to see what she was. He sniffed her some but really just wanted our attention since we had been gone so long.

The first week or so he struggled being jealous. Anyone who came to visit that normally played with him but wanted to hold her was an issue. He just didn't know how to handle it, and would bounce around from person to person but wanted nothing to do with Adah.

The first week we were home Nicole stayed with us to help out. The first full day, she sat down with Adah on the couch and Ranger walked over from the other side of the room and bit her foot. He had never bit anyone before, but he was not of fan of HIS Aunt Nicole holding the new noise machine. It was about that time that he started stealing food too. This was another new behavior. The first time I was eating something, and I sat the plate next to me on the couch and he walked up and just finished the plate, he normally only does this when we set it on the floor for him. Then he stole a peanut butter ball from his father. The next day Nicole sat down with a piece of cake and he walked up to her and started licking the frosting off of it as she was getting comfortable. Then I walked by with a bowl of ham and he tried to jump up and take it our of my hands as I was walking.

Thankfully this behavior did not become a new normal. He settled down once he realized she was here to stay. Now he does a pretty good job with her, he is very protective of her and always wants to be able to see her, but his time with her has to be on his terms. If you take her over to him he runs off but if she is laying in her bed or having tummy time, he is all up in her business trying to see what is going on. And if you are posing her for pictures and you don't include him he gets jealous and will jump around until you take one of him too.

He doesn't like it when she cries and he always comes to make sure I know she is crying. He gets up with me every time we are up in the middle of the night, he walks laps around the house with me when she won't sleep, and still snuggles up in bed with us like always. All in all he is still or goofy spoiled pup who is learning how to love and protect the new member of our family. They will be best of friends before too long.

Ranger Meeting Adah the first time.

Ranger not wanting to share his grandma.

Ranger learning how to share Aunt Nicole. It is hard to explain this relationship, you just have to see it to understand. Nicole is Ranger's favorite person on the planet.

Ranger trying to steal the attention from Bruce.

He posed for this picture because we were taking pics of her.

He needs to be a part of everything we do.