I’m not proud to admit it, but we were this close to giving up our dog.

My wife Rose and I had just brought home our newborn daughter, Zoey. After years of trying, she was finally here — tiny and perfect. Our little house in Austin felt like a dream.

But there was one thing casting a shadow over our happiness:

Our golden retriever, Beau.

He used to be the happiest, most obedient golden retriever you could imagine. But lately… he’d changed. He started following Rose everywhere like a shadow, and once Zoey was born, Beau practically glued himself to the crib. He wouldn’t leave Zoey’s side — ever.

At first, we thought it was sweet. Protective, even. But things escalated.

We hired a nanny, Claire, to help out. But Beau wouldn’t let her near Zoey. He growled, barked, and even bared his teeth. Claire started texting us anxious updates every time she came over — saying she was afraid the dog might bite her. We were exhausted, stressed, and overwhelmed with new-parent anxiety.

Still, I loved that dog. We rescued him together. He’s been with us since we got married. But now I was looking at Rose, and we both had the same thought: What if he snaps?

The guilt was killing me, but my daughter’s safety came first.

Then, last Friday night, Rose and I went out for a quick dinner — our first in months. Claire was watching Zoey. Everything seemed fine… until my phone rang.