We were going to get rid of our golden retriever since he growled at the nanny, but then I saw the video and was startled. We felt Beau was being possessive since he kept barking at the babysitter. Jealous, maybe.
We even spoke about finding him a new home. But that night, when I saw the security video, I witnessed something that made me sick. Beau wasn’t being bad. He was giving us a warning.
Life used to be really good for me. But when my daughter Zoey was born, it felt like the universe opened up and let in a brightness that I didn’t know I needed.
I imagined I would be one of those dads who just “put up with” being a dad. I assumed I would attend to the big events and let Rose, my wife, take care of everything else. I guess I’m a big softie.
That infant gurgle makes me weak.
Changing diapers? No issue. Feeding at night? Do it. I was this. Not finished.
We had been trying to get pregnant for years. I mean years.
We went through a lot of testing, saw a lot of physicians, and went through long periods of pain and cautious hope. We had just started discussing about adopting a child when we found out we were expecting to have one. So, yes, we were thankful. We never took a moment for granted either.
After Zoey came, everything was great. Okay, almost perfect.
The only thing that confused me was Beau, our golden dog.
He was the greatest dog ever. He waved his tails so hard that they knocked over furniture when he saw the mailman, like an old buddy. He cared about kids and was dedicated to them. We took him in a few months after we were married because he was like family to us.
But he changed when Zoey came back.
At first, we believed it was because we were getting used to it. He was always on guard, following Rose about like a second tail. Beau would lie down next to Zoey’s crib and watch her like a sentry after Mom put her to bed.
I said, “Maybe he thinks she’s a puppy,” to try to make things better, but Rose only looked scared.
In a whisper, she said, “He doesn’t even sleep anymore.” “He’s always searching.”
We tried to think it was cute. Beau is the one who protects. Beau is in charge.
But things changed when Claire got involved.
Claire took care of the kids for us. We hired her when we were so weary that we could barely move. People said good things about her, her voice was calming, her smile was kind, and she was great with babies. When Rose first held Zoey, she started to cry because she heard her cooing so sweetly.
But what about Beau? He didn’t like her right away.
When she went into the room on the first day, he snarled. It wasn’t a snarl of fear. It was a booming, deep “I don’t trust you” sound. We believed that the new person might just be making him confused.
Then he started barking and lunging between her and the crib, getting in her way every time she went to take up Zoey.
He even bared his teeth once. That made us afraid.
While she was at work, Claire emailed us worrisome updates.
“Hey, Beau is barking again all the time.”
“I can’t change Zoey because he won’t let me.”
“Next time, please put him in a kennel.”
Rose and I didn’t get along. We didn’t need to argue with Beau on top of the fact that we were only getting four hours of sleep a night.
He had never been cruel before. But what if things didn’t go as planned?
What if he hurt Claire?
What if he hurt Zoey? That would be much worse.
All of a sudden, the unfathomable began to seep in.
We might have had to get Beau a new place to live.
That dog is great. He is a member of our family.
I didn’t feel good about sending him to a new home either. There was a lot of shame.
So we decided to look for another choice. We looked for a way to protect our daughter Claire and let us retain Beau.
Rose and I made plans to go out on Friday. just to clear our minds.
We headed to our favorite burger place for dinner.
Claire had said she would spend some time with Zoey.
Beau was in the bathroom right now. She told the gate to close, and it did.
While we were eating, everything seemed fine, but then my phone buzzed on the table. The screen showed the name Claire.
I took it up.
She yelled, “Derek!” “He tried to hurt me, Beau!” He went nuts when I picked up Zoey!
I could hear Zoey crying in the background. Claire was short of breath.
Rose was already going for her purse at that point.
We got home in no time. Claire came into the living room with a pale face and a tight grip on Zoey.
Beau sat still behind the baby gate with his ears flat.
“He lunged at me,” Claire remarked, “and I don’t feel safe with him.”
I barely heard her since I nodded without saying anything.
It was wrong.
I knew Beau. recognized what was in his heart. He would growl, snarl, and even get in the way of people. But lunge?
I instructed Rose to sit down. “I need to see something.”
I went to the cupboard in the hallway to get the security system’s monitor. In the living room, there was a camera. The main reason we got the camera was to keep an eye on the baby while we were gone. I got the feed earlier that night.
When Claire got there, it was time to go on.
She was there, coming in through the door and giving Beau a suspicious glance. The bassinet held Zoey. Claire also had a tiny gray rucksack hanging from her shoulder.
We had seen that bag previously, but we hadn’t really looked at it.
But I saw her look back, take it off, and put it under the couch.
My heart started to beat faster.
She pulled a tablet out of the bag. Smooth. Dark.
After that, she set it on the coffee table, launched an app, and pointed the camera at the nursery.
I got closer.
Claire was on the radio.
At first, I thought I was seeing things wrong. Then the tablet’s screen flashed hearts, smiley faces, and comments that moved.
Claire smiled at the television and said hello in a hushed voice. She pointed the iPad directly at the nursery, like if she had done it before. She even included the title of the stream at the bottom:
Rose took a swift breath behind me.
Claire cooed at the camera like an influencer and talked about Zoey’s feeding routine, sleep patterns, and even how long she napped. “Night routine with Baby Z 💕👶 #NannyLife” was the next caption.
I was ill.
Our daughter was happy with the time she went to sleep.
We had faith in this woman to look after our baby. She also told strangers about what she did. Who was looking? How many? And why?
The worst thing happened next.
She moved around in her cot. A little cough. Then one that is sharper. She kicked her legs under the blanket and made a horrible gasping sound.
She was having a hard time breathing.
At that moment, Beau got up.
He started by hitting the crib with his nose. After that, he barked.
But Claire didn’t answer. She was utterly out of it as she scrolled over her tablet with her AirPods in.
Beau barked even louder. clutched on to the rug. pushed the blanket again.
He then turned and snapped his teeth in the air close to Claire’s leg. Don’t bite. Just enough to get her started.
And it did work.
Claire didn’t think twice before putting on her headphones, getting up, and running to the crib. After a stressful time, our daughter cried out while cuddling Zoey and rubbing her on the back.
Claire’s eyes were wide with fright as she held him firmly. Not simply Zoey’s fear.
Beau is afraid.
She did something that made me afraid.
She took Zoey with her when she left the nursery. Close the door. and checked to see if it was safe.
Beau was stuck inside.
I sat back and felt numb. My hands were shaking.
I watched the movie again after Claire left that night. Two times.
I witnessed every crack, every scream, and every time Beau tried to help.
He wasn’t insane. He hadn’t been rude.
He was attempting to keep my daughter alive.
The next morning, Claire showed there with her gray knapsack over one shoulder and that same charming voice. We knew, but she didn’t.
Rose opened the door with a printed picture of the movie in her hand.
I clearly recall how Claire reacted when she saw the screenshot: she just stood there. She couldn’t even make herself talk. She realized she had done something wrong and that there was nothing she could say to fix it.
She simply turned around and left.
We called the agency, made a complaint, and reported her stream after the occurrence. I don’t know if she will be sued or not, but I do know one thing. Beau means more to us than just family.
We gave him a silver badge that said, “Guardian of Zoey.”
He still sleeps next to the crib these days. The only thing that will change is that we won’t make him go.
We let him keep an eye on her since we know what kind of person he is. He is in charge of looking after our little girl. He loves her just as much as we do.
I’m delighted we hired Claire in the first place, to be honest. What she did showed us how valuable Beau really was. We don’t have to worry about anything when he’s around.
