The law of unintended consequences: see Freakonomics.
Before Robin was born, we were a bit concerned about how Griffin would adjust to his new status. In the years BC (Before Child) he was the baby. He was accustomed to being thoroughly doted on, and we were not sure how well he would take his demotion. We spent a lot of time thinking and reading about this and did some things that must have looked mighty odd, like walking the dog with an empty stroller, to get him used to it.
One key part of our plan was to make sure that Griffin was well-exercised before and after Robin's arrival. He is an exceptionally active dog and from puppyhood we have found that he is much better behaved when he is tired. So the plan was to take him to the off-leash park frequently and to regularly let him chase the red dot around the house (chasing laser dots is supposed to be a cat thing, but Griff is incredibly enthusiastic about hunting the red dot; I'm not sure what his plan is for when he catches it). This we did.
Mainly we ended up with an even more fit dog, who has even more energy and, um, "vitality."
Don't get me wrong, Griffin has done way better than we dared hope with Robin. He seems to recognize that she is different and puts up with her grabbing his fur and doesn't react to her jerky movements and funny smells and sounds. He doesn't particularly ignore her, nor does he seek her out. He just seems to get that she's part of his world now.
But holy moly, what a hyperactive nut!
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