First, I want to start by saying thank you for everyone who reached out and offered their sympathy, advice, comfort, hugs, and encouragement.
Second, at this point, I am kind of embarressed and saddened that I had written my previous post in the first place. It was a desperate time and I think I was looking for a desperate solution.
I knew it would take all the 4-leggers time to adjust to the baby, I knew there would be some acting out, maybe some withdrawl, jealousy etc... But as the weeks went by, Mack was the only one who was NOT liking the new addition - He was not taking well - AT ALL. I won't go into details, but there was a lot of growling, snipping at times, shredding of stuffed things, blankets, pretty much anything he could get his paws on, and angry pooping and peeing in the house (I say angry because Mack is 5 years old and house trained. I can't remember the last time he messed in the house and here it was happening DAILY.) To be honest, at that time, I thought Mack was a lost cause - I gave up...
The turning point: I went on the Potomac Lab Rescue website and just looking at all the pups faces on their main page waiting to be adopted really struck my heart strings. I was thinking what blurb they would write for Mack, what picture they would use, and I just couldn't even imagine someone coming to take him from me. I don't know how to explain it, but after looking at that website it renewed me - renewed my patience.
This is a picture my husband took of Mack within the first few weeks after the baby was born. When I look at this picture today, 3 months later, it makes me sad. He looks so sad, lost, and like he doesn't know where he fits in anymore since he isn't the baby anymore - like he's the outcast.
And just so everyone knows - we tried everything in the book. We brought home the babies cap so the animals could know his scent before he came home. We gave extra lovings and attention to them all. We exercised them more than the norm. All that jazz - Mia and Milo came around so easily and so quickly, but not Mack.
So we all PILED it on THICK - REALLY THICK! Especially, Little Bryan, he made it his mission to make Mack act back to normal, fearing he would lose another friend...
I don't know if it was the extra love, the random threats, the scoldings, or the extra pieces of cheese noms I gave to Mack to try to bribe him, But somewhere around 8 - 10 weeks something clicked for him. I swear he was a different dog. I mean he was back to the same boy we always knew. Mack stopped acting out towards the baby just as fast as he had started - it was so so strange.
Look at my boy now....
He went from snipping at the baby to following him everywhere. It's crazy. I don't understand how his mind works. Did he just give up? Did he finally realize that the baby wasn't leaving no matter how much he growled? Did he finally accept the baby into his pack? I have no idea, but I'd like to think the latter. :)
And this morning - August 26, 2012 - Look at that smile - It's was a busy morning on the play mat.
I don't know what else to say about the last 3 months - there was a lot of crying, laughing, stress, and sleepless nights had by everyone and everydoggy, but I'm just so happy and so relieved for everyone's sake that it's back to the way it's supposed to be. Now, we can get back to dealing with all Macks OTHER antics, the annoying, but tolerable, and mostly funny ones...
Thank you and much love,
Mack's momma
