When we interviewed Sapphie the Pomsky last summer, she was living it up as an only child, getting tons of love for her sassy posts from her millions of fans, and even starred in her own children’s mental health book!
Despite all the fun, Sapphie was aware that changes were coming. And that she would have a new family member – And new responsibilities that would accompany it. Now, after a few months as a family of four, Sapphie and her mom, Sheena, have kindly made time to share their experience. Their hope is by sharing, they can help other families out there who currently or plan to introduce a baby into their fur baby’s life!
Celebrity Pets: What was the experience like preparing Sapphie for the arrival of her baby brother? Do you have any advice for expecting parents with dogs?
Sheena: The experience was tough at first because we did not know how Sapphie would be when another human arrived… What we did to prepare is to make Sapphie part of every experience – Getting her used to the baby’s nursery, having her join us when it came to shopping for baby essentials, showing her pictures of the ultrasound, letting her listen to the baby’s heartbeat, etc. We also let Sapphie smell the baby’s blanket prior to him coming home. When the baby arrived, we gave Sapphie the opportunity to smell him.
I know every dog is different, so if your dog is too energetic, I would start with making sure your dog is on a leash, and praising/rewarding when your dog sits still. The thing that helped us the most was making sure Sapphie was included in every part of the baby’s routine – feeds, diaper changes, naps, and walks. We reward her with treats when she watches us feed him. We go on daily walks and drives together, we give Sapphie the opportunity to interact with him and we communicate often with her, reminding her that we love her!
CP: How has Sapphie adjusted to the new addition? Did her behavior change at all?
Sheena: Sapphie has adjusted really well with the baby. In the beginning, we knew that she was curious/excited/confused because our attention was also going to someone else. Instead of being jealous, she has now become so in love with the baby, and I genuinely think it is because we continue to shower her with the same love and attention as we did before the baby arrived.
CP: While Sapphie seems very gentle and caring with baby, she does have a ton of energy. Do you have to watch out for Sapphie getting too rambunctious with or around her?
Sheena: Actually, you may be surprised but Sapphie has adjusted really well to the baby. She is extremely gentle with him, and we do not need to worry about her being energetic around him! She is very smart and picked up on the fact that he is part of our family.
CP: Wow that’s great. Do you have any tips for parents of babies who have energetic dogs?
Sheena: When it comes to energetic dogs, I really think it is important to train them early. You can put a leash on so you have control over how energetic your dog gets. When they stay put, you can reward them with a treat. It takes practice, but eventually you will be able to take the leash off. I think praise is very important as well! Let your dogs know that they are doing a good job and make sure that you include them in every part of the baby’s life. It must have been hard for Sapphie to have another human in the picture, but we tried our very best to include her and make her feel just as loved and cared for.
CP: How do you manage your time with work, a fur baby, and a brand new human baby?
Sheena: Luckily, I work telemedicine so I am able to see patients via video call. I make my hours early from 6:30AM-12:30PM so that I get to spend the rest of my time with Sapphie and the baby! Of course, it is definitely an adjustment, but I am slowly getting used to the routine. I am blessed to be able to have that kind of flexibility with my job as well.
CP: Are there moments when both baby and Sapphie require attention at the same time? How do you handle those?
Sheena: Yes! This used to happen often in the beginning. What we typically do is if my husband and I are feeding the baby, the other will play fetch with Sapphie OR we have her sit and do “puppy meditation” which just means that we give her a treat every 5-10 seconds. This typically calms her down and also lets her know that the feeding process for the baby is a positive experience. She has gotten really good at it and now does not require as much attention as she once did when the baby first arrived.
CP: How has having a newborn and dog impacted your daily life or routines?
Sheena: It has definitely been an adjustment. We have learned to be more efficient with our time such as shooting content mostly during the baby’s nap from 5:00PM- 5:30PM. We have also created a nice routine/schedule for the baby and try to work around it!
CP: Are there new routines or activities that help with managing a human baby and a fur baby?
Sheena: I know I have mentioned this quite a bit, but we try to do activities that they can do together like going for a stroll outside. Our baby is still so young so if he is playing inside on the playmat, we let Sapphie play with her toy next to him!
CP: Care to share any challenges or lessons from caring for both of them?
Sheena: The most challenging part was trying to be as consistent and disciplined as possible when it came to including Sapphie in every part of the baby’s routine. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
Just looking at both of them and knowing that we are lucky enough to be able to raise them brings us so much joy. We are grateful for both of them and I can truly say that I have never loved anyone as much as I have loved both of them.
Sheena, on the joys of having a human baby and fur baby
CP: I know it’ll be hard to pick, but is there a video of baby and Sapphie bonding that’s really special to you or sums up their relationship?
Sheena:
CP: Once your baby enters his toddler era, have you thought of what lessons you’ll want to teach him on interacting and playing with Sapphie?
Sheena: I want Sapphie and the baby to be best friends. I want to teach him that Sapphie will provide unconditional love, will be a listening ear when he has a bad day, will play with him when he is bored, and will just be there for him.
CP: Ok Sapphie, please walk us through meeting your new baby brother – What were your thoughts, emotions, and buttons?
Sapphie: There have been two core happy memories for me. One when I met mommy and daddy and another when I met baby. I could not contain my excitement when he first arrived. I worked really hard on being patient! My favorite button now is the orange button which stands for “B”. B stands for baby brother. I will always protect him and make sure he is loved and cared for. He will always be my best friend.
I love that I can make him smile. He immediately smiles/laughs at me when he sees me. I am surprised that I could love someone more than mommy and daddy.
Sapphie the Pomsky, on what she enjoys most about being a big sister
CP: Have you faced any challenges getting used to living with a baby? Any tips for dogs out there with baby human siblings?
Sapphie: I was lucky enough not to because my parents treated me the same as they treat him.
CP: As you’re famous for being a high-energy sass queen. Have you had to adjust your playtime or energy levels when around him?
Sapphie: Yes I have. My energy and sass is saved up for my fans. I enjoy that baby brings out a gentle side of me.
CP: From videos we’ve seen, you clearly can be calm and caring around your baby bro. Do you ever get protective of him?
Sapphie: Yes, I do. When someone that I have not met yet is carrying him, I get protective but then I start to calm down once mom and dad tell me that it is okay.
CP: Have you been working on any new commands or training to help around the baby?
Sapphie: I can rock his bouncer to help him calm down when he is crying! I can also join him as he does tummy time and turn on the music when he is playing!
CP: What are you looking forward to as he grows into a toddler?
Sapphie: I cannot wait to play hide and seek with him and play fetch with him! I also want to be able to take swimming classes together!
CP: And when will you start training him to use the buttons?
Sapphie: I hope that I am able to use buttons with him in a couple of years!
CP: Now that you have some time to reflect on your series “Mommy vs Daddy: Baby Edition” – How have your predictions held up?
Sapphie: My predictions have been true so far, however baby hasn’t said his first word yet but I am positive that he will say mommy first!
Thanks for sitting down with us again Sapphie and Sheena! We loved getting a baby update and know what you’ve shared will help expecting and new parents with dogs out there. And make sure to visit sapphiethepomsky.com and follow @sapphie_the_pomsky on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.
In case you missed it, check out our original interview with Sapphie the sass-talking zoomie queen and children’s book author.