A Boy And His Dog

Abby

Matt and I bought Abby in early 2009. We took her home at 7 weeks old after doing tons of research on the perfect breeder. Nothing against those that want to rescue a dog, but we wanted a pure bred German Shepherd. Almost 6 years later, and Abby has been a pretty awesome addition to our family. Unfortunately, she had a few run ins with a very mean golden retriever as a puppy and she's not well socialized. Abby is extremely alpha and as long as the dog weighs at least 50lbs and acknowledges that she's the boss, she'll get along great with another dog. Kids on the other hand......she's never had much experience with kiddos. We would take her to work as a puppy so she could meet other people, but when it came to little people- well, we didn't have many friends with kids so Abby never interacted with them during that puppy stage. As a result, she tends to bark at tiny humans and scares them off.

Abby & Jellybean

Knowing this, I was of course terrified of how my German Shepherd would react to a new baby. I was uneasy and worried that I'd have to part ways with her because let's face it, Jellybean will always come first! Brittany had the great idea of bringing home a onsie with Jellybean's scent and leaving it with Abby before we came home from the hospital. So, during those few nights that Matt slept at home instead of with us in the hospital, he would have Abby smell something that Jellybean had worn (or let's be honest here, had thrown up in).

Let's just say, they aren't kidding when they commend the a German Shepherd's intelligence. Abby has been phenomenal with Jellybean. Somehow, she knows that he's part of the family and someone she needs to protect. When he cries, she sits next to him. She's always more than eager to lick his feet and hands, and never complains if he pulls on her whiskers too hard. While I was pregnant, Abby never laid on my belly or acknowledged that there was a baby human growing inside me. But as soon as that kiddo was in the house, despite my extreme apprehension which I worried she'd pick up on, Abby has been such a GREAT big sister. She just *knows*.

I'm so excited about this. I think a boy needs a dog on his life. Jellybean will spend his first few years of life with Abby and I know they'll develop a sweet bond.

I don't usually let Abby go near his face but.....sometimes I can't stop her. 

He loves feeling her fur and grabbing her whiskers. 

More face kisses. He always gets a good wash after playing with big sissy.