It's been a little more than a year since Remy and Barrett welcomed their little human brother into the world. I was always confident that the dogs would get along well with Mason, but I always wanted to make sure I was in control of the situation.

We never left dogs and baby unsupervised together, and I always poised to intervene if either dog ever showed any sign of aggression to him. But throughout Mason's first year, the worst thing I ever saw out of either dog was exasperation. After several minutes of tolerating the hair pulling and ear yanking, Remy would occasionally sigh and walk down the hall to a bed where she wouldn't be bothered.

I knew equilibrium could potentially change when Mason drew even with the dogs in the mobility department. Up until recently, trotting off to another room meant peace and quiet. Not anymore. Now that the boy can move himself around the house freely, the dogs are never quite safe.

We experienced a few accidental knockdowns, but what I was most worried about were conflicts over toys. We trained the dogs early on which toys were theirs and which were not. They've learned the lesson so well that I've seen Barrett pick through a pile of baby toys to find the one dog bone. But a curious baby is a little harder to train.

One day, Remy was lying on the floor with a plush dog toy in the shape of some woodland creature. Mason heard the squeaking and crawled over to investigate. Remy let the toy drop between her paws and watched intently as Mason reached for it. If this had been Barrett reaching for the toy, Remy's reaction would have been swift and harsh, quickly putting down the challenge to her dominant spot in the pack's hierarchy. Mason however, is not a dog, and though I was pretty sure Remy realized this, I didn't want to overlook here advantages in both weight and teeth.

What happened next was a pleasant surprise: Remy calmly watched as Mason fumbled with the toy and then lost interest about two seconds later. Remy then proceeded to pick up the toy in her mouth and drop it in front of Mason. She then sat back with the "let's play fetch" look in her eyes. I could see the wheels turning in her tiny canine brain…

If this little human can pick up my toy, perhaps he can also throw it for me.

Since then, Mason has taken to sitting in my lap while I chuck a tennis ball down the hill for Remy to fetch. He claps and squeals with delight when she sprints back up the hill. He hasn't developed much of a throwing arm yet, but he has mastered the two-handed drop, which rolls the ball just far enough to get Remy to pounce.

I think I see a beautiful friendship in the making, with baby and dog capable of entertaining one another for hours.