The Adventures of Cooper and Beau

The three days leading up to Beaus arrival were filled with studying Labrador websites and preparing myself for the chaos that was about to ensue. I had read up on training and potential issues- for example many labs become destructive when left alone. Yikes. I took a deep breath and told myself to prepare for the worst, but I was filled with excitement. I was getting my very own puppy. This is everything I’d always dreamed of!

Beau arrived and it was love at first sight. He ran around sniffing our house trying to make sense of his new home. I know he is a dog, but I wanted him to know that this wasn’t temporary, and we weren’t going to just ship him off like an orphan, so I gave him all the love and attention I could muster. He was so little and precious, ahh just thinking back makes me smile.

He kept trying to jump on the couch to cuddle with us but his awkward puppy body couldn’t quite make it. He watched intently as I took care of the baby, studying every move and sound this little creature was making. My heart was overflowing with love just imagining the moment when the two of them could interact.

First week challenges:

• I had an overly energetic puppy on my hands.
• I had to quickly teach him which toys were his.
•  He sometimes woke up in the middle of the night to be let out.
• The second I sat down to feed Cooper, he would decide he needed to go outside.

Luckily, we never dealt with Beau destroying furniture, eating the trash, or anything super destructive. He’s only ruined ONE of Cooper’s toys, which I think is impressive.

I kept them separate until the day Beau learned to jump on the couch (we have an old couch so we were okay with him being on it). This is when I allowed them to interact. I was blown away by how sweet they were with each other! See pictures below for proof:

Daily Struggles:

• Beau is SO needy.
• He plays good defense when I’m walking around my house doing things. (He’s always under my feet & waiting for me around every corner).
• He is in the stage now where he is rebelling… He picks up Cooper’s toys in his mouth even though he knows better.
• He loves to chew on our socks – he pulls them one by one from the hamper.
• He is so excited about life he can’t control his body and he’s still a jumper… so beware.

Despite all these things, he brings a fun and exciting dynamic to our family. He loves to mow the lawn with Ryan, which cracks me up. He has some pretty adorable quirks and the important thing is he is gentle with Cooper.

Best parts of having Beau:

•  Unconditional Love
• Master of forgivness
• Cleans up Cooper’s food messes
• Cuddles on the couch in the evenings
• Loyal companion & Cooper’s best friend

Beau is preparing me for when Cooper is a toddler. He has forced me to grow in patience even though I resisted at first. His puppy love is something I’m so glad to have around.

My favorite thing is all the adventures him and Cooper are going to have. It will be more fun when Cooper can run around with him in the backyard and other little things like that. I’m so excited to watch them grow up together. Beau is a loved member of our family, and we’re so blessed how perfectly everything worked out. Plus we have cuteness overload with the whole puppy baby thing!