Two Utah parents who were hoping for a peaceful introduction between their newborn baby and German shepherd quickly got a reality check.
Jake and Jess Henderson, 32 and 30, (@hender.home) shared what they thought bringing a baby home would look like in a reel on Instagram.
In the clip, their 7-week-old, Harlan, is fast asleep peacefully as his gentle mobile chimes overhead while their family dog Tucker naps right beside him. The text overlay reads: “What we expected.”
@hender.home
It then cuts to a chaotic scene with a crying Harlan on his dad’s lap and Tucker howling “overstimulated” by his new brother’s cries. The overlay reads: “What we got.”
“Our dog howls anytime he hears a siren outside, so we had a feeling the same thing might happen once he heard the baby cry,” Jake told Newsweek. “He’s been our baby for over 10 years, and we weren’t sure how he’d take to getting less attention.”
Thankfully, the new parents were pleased to report that overall, Tucker is doing really well with the family’s latest addition and is very protective of the baby. “We can tell they’re going to be good friends,” the couple added.
Some dogs become protective of newborns due to their strong pack mentality and deep bond with their human family.
German shepherds in particular are naturally more protective or nurturing due to their genetics and breeding history.
This particular moment stood out as one of those oh-no-what-have-we-done parenting memories. “I think overall this was a great moment of, ‘Oh man, this poor dad has no idea what he’s gotten himself into,’ and on the other side of the phone recording, I was laughing because it was such a perfect first-parent moment,” Jess said.
Since posting, the Hendersons have racked up 1 million views and a flood of comments from fellow parents and pet lovers who have been there.
“I just know this is what I’m getting myself into in 2 months with a newborn and a husky,” one user wrote.
“My sister-in-law is due in [October] and we have a husky at home. This is the first time I’ve considered that this is likely to happen anytime she cries,” another shared.
Despite the overstimulated scene, Jake and Jess said that it is not an accurate snapshot of everyday life.
“It’s honestly a small sliver of what our true reality has actually been like with a newborn,” Jake said. “They’re both so calm and happy most of the time; they both mostly just eat and sleep.”
The couple told Newsweek that life as new parents has been an adjustment, but they are loving every second.: “It’s the most amazing thing we’ve ever experienced, and we’re so happy that he gets to grow up with our dog, even if they probably don’t have too much time together.”