Our rookie ranch pup Millie who came to us three years ago, more by accident than anything really, from the local pet rescue...is the kind of dog who loves everyone and thinks everyone should love her. She's a very timid pup who loves to please you, and will cower for two days if you scold her. She loves, loves, loves to cuddle and is mostly Lukes shadow if he is home...so you can imagine how bent out of shape she was when we brought baby Jayme into the house for the first time and even more so when she realized that the baby wasn't going anywhere.
After about 3 weeks of having Jayme around, signs of Millie's stress were finally subsiding but her jealously is still as strong as ever at 7 weeks. We still keep a close eye on them together eventhough Millie has never shown aggression towards the baby.
Last night after I finally got the baby down for the night and all tucked into the bassinet next to my bed, I heard the tags on Millie's collar jingling as she crept out of her bed which she shares with our old dog, also in our bedroom. I quietly told Millie to get in her bed, fearing that the sound of her collar would wake the baby in our silent bedroom...she slowly turned and got back in bed.
Being sleep deprived new parents, my husband and I were probably both asleep within minutes of our heads hitting our pillows. Only 30 minutes after laying the baby down there was a quiet commotion near my corner of the room that was just loud enough to shake both Luke and I awake. I gained what little bearings I could and looked where the noise was coming from...I told Luke it was just something that fell from the dresser...neither of us investigated further and we promptly fell asleep again.
A VERY short while later, I heard Millie's collar again and I quickly realized that she was trying to wedge herself UNDER Jayme's bassinet! Thinking she was the one causing the commotion, I loudly whispered angrily for her to get in her bed...she slowly sulked back.
By 3 in the morning Luke and I had both told Millie to get back in her own bed more times that we could count but we were so tired that neither of us got up from our pillows. When I finally got up this time to feed the now hungry baby, Millie was trying to crawl into the bassinet...I thought she had lost her damn mind. I yelled at her to get back in her bed, and she slowly drug herself back.
After I returned from the nursery with my clean, fed, and sleeping baby...I found Millie once again trying to get in, under, and around Jayme's bassinet. I finally decided since I was up that I would let Millie outside in case the problem was that she needed to go potty! She quickly did so, and grudgingly walked back to her bed cowering from being yelled at so much.
From 4 am until just before 6 am when the alarm would go off my husband and took turns scolding the dog who would only stay in her bed until we were both asleep and then she would be right back under Jayme's bassinet. Just before 6 she was doing what I call her 'internal barking' which is barking without opening her mouth except enough to let the air escape. She barks like this when she is in the house and knows she isn't supposed to bark...
So finally...my husband I gave up. We decided to investigate what was going on that our dog...who hates to be yelled at...could just not get over! With the dog under the bassinet with her hackles up and my husband armed with a yard stick approaching the corner of the room in question...we soon saw the culprit. A small grey mouse tried to run from under our dresser to under our bed...and Millie was NOT about to let in near the bassinet!
So...we spent our morning chasing a mouse all over our bedroom while the dog stayed under the bassinet. 3 glue traps later we let Millie inspect our catch and she happily followed me out to the dumpster to witness the disposal of her tiny foe. When she returned to Luke in the house she walked over to Luke with her head down as if she was saying "don't yell at me anymore..." He gave her a treat and tried to raise her spirits.
I scooped up the baby to get ready for our day, and when I sat down in the rocking chair to feed her, Millie came barreling into the room and licked Jayme's head until she squirmed. I pat Millies head and told her what a good girl she is...and she looked at me as if everything was right with the world. Its like she new protecting Jayme was worth all the yelling last night, and now the ordeal was over and she was satisfied that everything was going to be OK.
I think we'll give Millie some extra kibble tonight and we will all get a good nights sleep...a mouse free good nights sleep, and Jayme can rest well knowing that at 7 weeks she's finally been adopted by Millie!
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