Downgrading the Dogs...

...and practicing our stern parent faces!

Anyone who know us, or even looks at the pictures on our Facebook pages, knows that we already have two babies, Fritz and Madison. They get our undivided attention and are spoiled rotten!

I've had Fritz since we both looked like this!

Fritz is an easy going old man, but his sister is a hot mess. She is furiously happy 99% of the time, but just can't calm herself down enough to not get into constant trouble and need constant supervision.

We know with Ward Jr on the way, there are going to be some major changes and the pups will no longer be #1. We are slowly trying to get them used to less attention so there isn't a major shock when we get home from the hospital. I don't want them to act out or 'blame' the baby.

The first big challenge is mealtime. They both eat medicated food and if they eat each others it would be bad. We usually spend breakfast and dinner policing the bowls and listening to them growl and bark at each other. This is not going to fly! It already drives me crazy. So we decided to start feeding Madison in her crate to separate them and help keep the peace (and so we can focus on our own meals and not them).

Madison is NOT happy about this development! The first few days she refused to eat. Once the crate door was open she would scarf down her food. We were worried about her eating enough so we took turns standing in front of her crate with the door open making sure she stayed in there while eating. Again, this was not going to work in the long term and completely defeated the purpose.

So, I tried bribing her with a little bit of canned dog food mixed in her bowl. This worked phenomenally well. When there was canned food in her bowl she could be eating on the roof in the snow storm and she wouldn't notice. Mmmm canned food!! We gradually reduced the bribe amount and eventually stopped...and so did our progress.

We've had to put on our best stern parent faces and take the food away after a certain period of time, even if she doesn't eat anything. IT BREAKS OUR HEARTS to do this (she has perfected the sad puppy eyes look)! She's started getting a little better and will eat her food in her crate as long as Ward and I are sitting at the table eating and nothing else is going on. I worry about her, but at the same time once Ward Jr gets here I won't be able to monitor her every bite. I think this has been harder on us than it has her.

Who me?!?

Next up is teaching Madison not to jump in our laps and demand all the attention when we are holding the baby. Oy!