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Yorkie Cheers on Baby Sister's 'First Steps' and Hearts Everywhere Are Melting

He's always by her side.

Our dogs and our babies often fight like human siblings, and it is absolutely hilarious. However, just like real siblings, they also love each other, and siblings are ultimately always there for each other. Milestones are very much a shared thing. 

Recently, one mom was helping her human baby take some sweet little steps around the living room. It was just supposed to be a fun thing, but at the last second, her Teacup Yorkie joined in, and he made it twenty times cuter:

Zilla the Yorkie is seriously the best big brother ever. Even as she grows bigger than him, she'll look up to him forever, I just know it!

Zilla may not be the only Yorkie on TikTok, but he's the best one. He's dramatic about everything in his life, from how he wants to sleep to needing help retrieving his favorite toy. He likes to be the star of the show, the center of attention. His baby sister makes that a little bit hard, so he has to work smarter: he makes sure they do all of the cute stuff together so he always gets to be involved. 

While Giana (the baby) is not walking on her own yet, she's old enough to take assisted steps. Her mom was helping her with that then, when Zilla stole the show by cheering her on! He's hopping alongside her, but luckily she was wearing the perfect clothes to prevent scratches. When she starts walking on her own, though... he'll be wondering where all of his toys went. Those games of fetch will be epic!

Balancing a Dog and a Toddling Baby

Zilla and Giana still have a little bit of time before they have to compete with each other, but the time will come. When babies gain the ability to walk, they tend to start exploring, and that usually means invading the dogs' personal space. 

Babies should not be left to walk around by themselves, especially when they're really young, but supervision won't stop them from being intrusive. In addition to watching them, you can try a few other things to prevent your dog and toddler from getting into it:

  1. Utilize gates that can separate them if needed. 
  2. Keep the dog's things (food/water, bed, toys, etc.) in a separate room or up off the floor when not in use. 
  3. Make sure your dog understands the "down" command so they don't jump the baby. 
  4. Watch for signs of distress. 

Toddlers don't know their own strength, so there's a big possibility that they'll grab and yank, slap, kick, etc., which can all push dogs over the edge. They might lash out. Unless you're around, keep them separated!

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