dogs and dolls

A couple of weeks ago I had jokingly mentioned how we should get a doll to "practice" for the babies and see how the dogs might react to a baby in the house.  My mom bought us a doll that came with all these little accessories including a litle basket, extra outfit, pacifier, blanket, and a little bear.  

Yesterday, I opened up the doll and sorted its little toys and then carried it around pretending it was a baby.  The dogs did great! They were obviously curious and wanted to check out this new addition.  They gave little sniffs and were calm and nice when we would tell them to be careful and to just say hi to the baby.  

Then I sat down on the couch and put the baby in it's basket on the floor near me to watch what the dogs would do.  Toby decided he would take guard and protect this new "thing" and laid near it.  Max would occasionally come sniff it, but was otherwise undeterred and continued running around and playing with his toys.  And then...I saw Max walk up to the basket, set down his favorite rope toy against the basket, back up a little, and then proceed to take the little bear toy that belonged to the baby doll.  It was his peace offering and he was making friends by offering to trade his very favorite toy for her little bear!

After taking the toy back and telling him that it was the baby's toy and not his, I sat him next to the basket for a picture so his daddy could see how he had given the baby his rope toy.  And then Toby? He decided he wanted to have a picture with the baby too...