It has been a huge month here at Zeus and Furiends for us and not for reasons you may expect. September saw the birth of our first child and it has been such an incredible experience. The nerves as first time parents were high and everything is a new experience for us as a family.
One of the biggest firsts was introducing our fur child to our newborn. We were extremely nervous for the first encounter and unsure how it would go. We had heard stories of how the pup would resent us and feel neglected however in our experience that couldn't be further from the truth. Whilst we are not experts by any means at all our fur child and new born have a brilliant bond and we couldnt be happier with how it is going.
Below are some of our thoughts on how best to introduce your fur child and newborn together:
1/ It starts in the womb:
Zeus loved cuddling up to Emmas tummy. We feel this helped the connection as firstly he had a heads up we are adding to the family shortly and secondly our newborn got to hear Zeus and familiarise herself with his sounds.
2/ Get out and about:
Visiting the dog park and grabbing a coffee was a family favourite activity before our newborn. Whilst it takes us a little longer to get out the door and fitting the pram in a tiny car is a struggle we still love spending this time together with our fur child and now our newborn as well. Getting some sunlight and fresh air has been great for us to destress and unwind as well as making sure we show Zeus he is still a major part of the family.
3/ Safely let them get to know each other:
At first this may be challenging. This is something you have to feel completely comfortable with and we know the consequences can be dire. Zeus is now an integral part of tummy time as he loves cuddling up to our newborn. Zeus has been extremely caring, affectionate, and protective of our newborn which has been so incredible to watch.
Again the thoughts above are what has worked for us and may or may not work for you. Spending time together as a family has been such a highlight during this crazy time. A personal highlight for me was a recent family photoshoot. We were fortunate enough to win a newborn photo shoot with MM Photography in Rosebery. The photos were incredible and getting to solidify those memories is something we will cherish forever.
P.S Zeus looked super cute in his OG boutique collar, leash and bowtie set. Our photographers were lovely and also specialise in pet photography.