My son absolutely adores our 10 year old golden retriever; however, she doesn’t feel the same way about him. Looking at it from her point of view, I guess she was our first baby until he came along and ruined everything. At times I feel bad for her because she is somewhat neglected compared to her pre-baby life. We still love her but I will admit, the second my son was born she became “just a dog”. People warned me this would happen but I never believed them. Boy was I wrong!
Now, before you start feeling sorry for my golden girl, please try to understand the luxurious life she lives. We have an inground pool which she swims in frequently. She has free roam of our home except when our toddler is sleeping (we don’t want her wandering around and waking him). Also, we spend a small fortune when we travel to board her in a Pet Resort instead of a kennel that only lets her out twice daily.
My son is infatuated with our dog and smiles every single time she enters a room. He is very gentle with her and knows his boundaries (no climbing or being rough). He tries desperately to play with her and taps on her paws when she is basking in the sun, but she brushes him off like he’s an annoying little gnat. The scenario changes the second he’s in his high chair, she gives him her undivided attention in hopes that he will feed her.
I am hoping in time, my dog will realize this little person is going to be her best friend! What bothers me most about this one sided love affair is she STILL gets jealous when I hold my son or talk to him. She constantly tries to get in between us and knock him down. Other dog owners keep telling me that she will adjust, but it has been almost 18 months and it’s not getting any better. It was as if her personality started changing when I was pregnant, she would literally sit at my feet and bang my stomach with her snout.
I am just about ready to give up on the situation and find her a kid free environment to live in! Perhaps I just need to contact Cesar Millan so he can give her an attitude adjustment.