First-Time Mom Reveals the Reality of Nervous Dog Living With a Baby


First-time parents aren’t the only ones who need to adjust to a new life when their baby comes along—pets do too.

Ashley Hurst, 26, from Ontario, Canada, has shared the reality of having a dog and a baby on her TikTok account @ashhurst__.

One million people have watched the video of Milton Asmussen, six months, crawling toward seven-year-old Luna.

Ashley has added the following text to the video: “I don’t have a dog, I have a Luna. She was my baby for six years before I had Milton. It has been a learning adjustment for her now that Milton is on her level but every day she warms up more and more to him. They are just learning to trust each other and it’s beautiful to watch.”

The video captioned: “Sometimes pets don’t love our babies right away but we respect that here and give her the space she needs.”

TikTok Baby And Dog
Luna, seven, licking yogurt off six-month-old Milton Asmussen. One million people have watched the TikTok video.
TikTok/@ashhurst__

According to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ASPCA: “Your dog will face an overwhelming number of novel sights, sounds, and smells. She may find some of them upsetting, especially if she didn’t have opportunities to spend time with children as a puppy.”

It is important to follow these steps as a pet owner and parent:

  • Make a Plan before your baby’s birth such as introducing new sounds and smells they will encounter
  • Teach Your Dog Important New Skills such as hand targeting: If your dog is nervous or timid, teaching her to target your hand with her nose will give her something to do when she’s around the baby, which might make her feel more comfortable and confident. After your dog learns how to target your hand, you can even teach her to gently touch the baby with her nose
  • Preparing Your Dog for Lifestyle Changes by gradually changing your schedule and routine such as making new rules and scheduling random play and cuddle time
  • Stay Calm and Relaxed when introducing them for the first time
  • Make a Fuss of Your Dog when the baby is awake so they don’t feel left out
TikTok Baby And Dog
A video has gone viral of Luna and six-month-old Milton Asmussen. One million people have watched it.
TikTok/@ashhurst__

The stay-at-home mom told Newsweek about their relationship, saying: “My son and Luna haven’t had the typical relationship you see online between a dog and baby.”

“Our dog was quite scared of Milton as she’s never been around other babies. Milton has just started crawling and likes to explore everything which ultimately has him touching Luna’s things.

“We are trying to teach our son about being gentle when petting her but he’s so young he doesn’t understand what we mean yet so he’s frequently pulling Luna’s fur when they are close enough to touch.”

“Seeing them together warms my heart. Luna was my first baby, she’s been through my entire young life. She’s moved many times with me and been by my side as I grew up and started to get out on my own in the world.

“Seeing her take Milton in and love him even tho it’s been at her own pace has been amazing. I do believe as they adjust more to each other they will have an amazing relationship.”

What Do the Comments Say?

Hundreds of people have commented on the video, some of whom can relate, while others have pointed out the dog’s body language.

One user wrote: “Whale eye, pinned ears, looking away, kiss to dismiss. There’s a lot of communication going on here.”

Due to an influx of comments regarding Luna’s signals, Ashley has commented again, writing: “Public service announcement: after 100s of comments outlining the same details I am aware my dog is uncomfortable. I am aware she is displaying “nervous signals. I never said she was comfortable in this situation. I said they are getting better. My child is never unsupervised.”

Another user wrote: “This is adorable, my mum’s staffie and my partner’s parents chihuahuas we very unsure to start off with as all three had never been around newborns.”

“This is all I’m hoping for with my future kids and the dog I have now,” wrote another.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.



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