We were about to give up our golden retriever because he barked at the nanny, but then I looked at the camera footage and was shocked. We thought Beau was being possessive when he kept barking at the nanny. Maybe jealous.
We even spoke about getting him a new place to live. But that night, when I watched the security film, I saw something that made my stomach turn. Beau wasn’t being awful. He was warning us.
I used to have a really decent life. But after my daughter Zoey was born, it felt like the cosmos opened up and let in a light that I didn’t know I had been missing.
I thought I would be one of those guys who just “tolerated” being a dad. I thought I would go to the big events and let my wife, Rose, take care of everything else. It turns out I’m a total softie.
That baby’s gurgle makes me melt.
Changing diapers? No problem. Nighttime feedings? Go ahead and do it. This was me. Incomplete.
Rose and I had been trying to conceive for years. I mean years.
We underwent numerous tests, visited numerous doctors, and endured extended periods of agony and cautious optimism. We had just started talking about adoption when we found out we were going to have a baby. Therefore, yes, we were grateful. We also never took a moment for granted.
Everything was perfect after Zoey came. Okay, almost perfect.
Beau, our golden retriever, was the one thing that perplexed me.
He was the best dog ever. He greeted the mailman with the warmth of an old friend, waving his tails so forcefully that it knocked over furniture. He loved kids and was committed and caring. He was like family to us, and we adopted him a few months after our wedding.
But he changed after Zoey got back.
At first, we thought it was because of adjusting. He was always on guard, trailing Rose about like a second tail. After Mom put Zoey in her crib, Beau would lie down right next to it and watch her like a guard.
I tried to make things better by saying, “Maybe he thinks she’s a puppy,” but Rose only looked worried.
She replied in a whisper, “He doesn’t even sleep anymore.” “He’s always looking.”
We tried to find it charming. Beau plays the role of a protector. Beau is the guardian.
But things changed when Claire got involved.
Claire was our babysitter. We hired her when we were so tired that we felt like zombies. She came highly recommended, had a calming voice, a friendly smile, and was excellent with babies. Rose started to cry as she heard Zoey cooing so softly the first time she held her.
But Beau? He hated her right away.
He growled as she walked into the room on the first day. It wasn’t a growl of danger. It was a loud, throaty, full-on “I don’t trust you” sound. We thought that maybe the new person was just making him confused.
Then he started to bark and lunge between her and the crib, blocking her path every time she tried to pick up Zoey.
He even showed his teeth once. That scared us.
Claire sent us worried updates while she was working.
“Hey, Beau is barking all the time again.”
“He won’t let me change Zoey.”
“Please put him in a kennel next time.”
I was at odds with Rose. We didn’t need this fight with Beau on top of the fact that we were already only getting four hours of sleep a night.
He had never acted in a mean way before. But what if things went wrong?
What if he hurt Claire?
What if he hurt Zoey, which would be far worse?
The unfathomable started to creep in all of a sudden.
We might have had to find Beau a new home.
I love that dog. He is part of our family.
I also felt uneasy about sending him to a new home. There was too much shame.
Therefore, we decided to look for another option. We sought a solution that would safeguard Claire, our child, and enable us to keep Beau.
That Friday, Rose and I decided to go on a date. just to clear our heads.
We went to our favorite burger joint for dinner.
Claire had agreed to spend a few hours with Zoey.
At the moment, Beau was in the washroom. She asked the gate to close, and it did.
Everything seemed fine while we were eating, but then my phone buzzed on the table. The name Claire showed up on the screen.
I picked it up.
She yelled, “Derek!” “He tried to attack me, Beau! When I picked up Zoey, he went crazy!”
I could hear Zoey crying in the background. Claire was out of breath.
At that moment, Rose was already reaching for her purse.
We got home in a flash. Claire met us in the living room with a pale face and a strong grasp on Zoey.
Beau sat still behind the baby gate with his ears down.
Claire said, “He lunged at me,” and “I don’t feel safe with him.”
I hardly heard her as I nodded without saying anything.
It wasn’t right.
I knew Beau. understood his heart. He would growl, snarl, and even get in the way of someone. But lunge?
I told Rose to sit down. “I need to look at something.”
I went to the hallway closet and got the monitor for the security system. There was a camera in the living room. The primary purpose of the camera was to monitor the baby during our absence. I got the feed earlier that night.
Fast forward to when Claire got there.
She was there, entering through the door and looking at Beau with suspicion. Zoey was in the bassinet. There was also a small gray backpack dangling off of Claire’s shoulder.
We had seen that bag before, but we hadn’t paid any attention to it.
But I saw her peek over her shoulder, take it off, and place it behind the couch.
My heart started to race.
She took a tablet out of the bag. Smooth. Dark.
Then she put it on the coffee table, opened an app, and aimed the camera at the nursery.
I moved in closer.
Claire was live on the air.
Initially, I believed I was misinterpreting what I saw. Then hearts, smiley faces, and scrolling comments showed up on the tablet’s screen.
Claire said hello in a low voice and smiled at the screen. She aimed the iPad right into the nursery, like she had done it before. She even wrote the title of the stream at the bottom:
Rose let out a quick breath behind me.
Claire talked about Zoey’s feeding schedule, sleep patterns, and even how long she napped while cooing at the camera like an influencer. The caption that came next was “Night routine with Baby Z 💕👶 #NannyLife.”
I was sick.
Our daughter was pleased with the time she went to bed.
We trusted this woman to take care of our baby. She was also telling strangers about everything she did. Who was watching? How many? And why?
The worst thing came next.
She moved in her crib. A little cough. Then one that is more pointed. Her legs kicked under the cover, and she made this awful gasping sound.
She was having trouble breathing.
Beau stood up at that moment.
He began by bumping the crib with his nose. Thereafter, he barked.
Claire, on the other hand, didn’t answer. She was completely distracted as she scrolled over her tablet with her AirPods in.
Beau barked louder. held on to the carpet. pushed the blanket again.
Then he turned and snapped his teeth in the air near Claire’s calf. Don’t bite. Just enough to get her going.
And it worked.
Claire didn’t think twice before grabbing her headphones, getting up, and rushing over to the crib. Our daughter cried out after a tense period while holding Zoey in her arms and patting her on the back.
Claire’s eyes were wide with fear as she clutched her tight. Not just Zoey’s fear.
Beau is scared.
Then she did something that scared me.
She left the nursery with Zoey still in her arms. Shut the door. and made sure it was safe.
Beau was stuck inside.
I sat back, feeling numb. My hands were shaking.
I viewed the movie again after Claire departed that night. Twice.
I saw every crack, every yelp, and every time Beau tried to help.
He wasn’t crazy. He hadn’t been mean.
He was trying to save my daughter’s life.
Claire came the next morning with her gray backpack slung over one shoulder and that same sweet voice. We knew, but she didn’t.
Rose opened the door with a printed screenshot of the video in her hand.
I still remember how Claire reacted when she viewed the screenshot: she just froze. She couldn’t even force herself to talk. She clearly knew she had made a mistake and that there was nothing she could say to make it right.
She just turned around and left.
After the incident, we called the agency, filed a complaint, and reported her stream. I don’t know whether she will be sued or not, but I do know one thing. Beau is more than simply family to us.
We put a silver badge on him that said, “Zoey’s Guardian.”
He still sleeps adjacent to the crib nowadays. The only difference is that we won’t make him go.
We allow him to watch over her because we are aware of his true nature. He is responsible for taking care of our young girl. He loves her as much as we do.
Honestly, I’m glad we hired Claire in the first place. We were able to see Beau’s true worth because of what she did. We don’t have to worry about anything with him around.