Dog Days of August

One of the first pictures we sent around after Penny showed up was of our whole family, including Newman, formerly known as our "first born." We got an unexpected response from the picture - that Newman looked forlorn and anxious about his newfound role in our nuclear family.

Would he continue to be top dog? How would this affect his walkies schedule? Will he in fact ever catch that dastardly mail man? These were just a few of the many questions Newman seemed to be asking. (The photo in question is above. To be fair, he had just gotten a haircut, so you can actually see his eyes for a change.)

Now, there is a lot of talk about how to introduce your pet to a newborn (See here for the Humane Society's version). What they don't tell you is that it is really you that needs to prepare yourself for the transition, not Rover.

The problem here is that neither the baby nor the dog can speak for themselves. That means that we need to speak for them, of course. We need to read as much as possible into their expressions to determine just what it is they really feel. We like to call this "canine conjecture," and "infant oracle."

We spent the first few weeks anxiously watching Newman for any sign of rebellion, acceptance, or even intransigence. Apart from a sniff at the diaper here and there, the only effect on Newman seems to be that one of us is home all the time. That and he gets to ride in the front seat of the car now. (He also has a really endearing habit of getting worried anytime Penny cries.) It helps that Newman is a preternaturally good dog, weighing in at only 20 pounds.

All of this is to say that we as a society clearly have way too much time to worry about these things. Would we get rid of Newman if he growled at Penny? No way - we'd find a way to make it work. And we certainly wouldn't get rid of Penny for pulling Newman's tail.

The fact is that our pack is now one member larger. Newman gets to eat whatever falls under the highchair; Penny gets a playmate and protector; and we all get to be a happy family, regardless of what the experts warn us to expect.

Test you canine conjecture skills! What is Newman thinking in the family photo?
	My life as I knew it is over.
	Will I ever get walkies again?
	This diaper thingy sure smells good.
	Did someone say, "chicken?"
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