We are HUGE dog lovers in this house. My husband jokes and says that if he could, he would build a pole barn and rescue all of the dogs he could. He has such a huge heart. We are lucky to have 2 labs that are loving and loyal. We wouldn’t trade them for the world. But, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about how they would react on the day we brought home Cooper. I was nervous since they are so much bigger than him and worried about any jealousy from them. But, turns out, I had nothing to worry about.

My husband and I knew that we wanted to have dogs before having kids because we wanted our children to be raised with dogs in the house. Our dogs are family. We knew that having dogs with kids around would help them be kind and, eventually, teach them responsibility. In the beginning years, we wanted a friendship to develop between our children and our dogs so that they can appreciate everything that dogs have to offer, even when humans fall short.

Our dogs, Rudy (right) and Simba (left), are brothers from different litters. We got Rudy when he was 8 weeks old and we re-homed Simba when he was 2 and a half. Simba is older than Rudy by about 2 years and Rudy definitely acts like the annoying little brother. He is always wanting to rough house and play when Simba wants to lay down and relax. Of course, Simba will rough house with him but doesn’t want to do it as much as Rudy does. This rough housing made me nervous to bring home a newborn.

Luckily, the dogs took to Cooper instantly. Bringing home his hat and newborn blankets really helped the process along. They have been gentle with him since the beginning. Dogs just know when things are fragile. Even as Cooper has grown, the dogs have learned how to adapt and be there for him. Above all they are his protectors (especially from the dreaded vacuum!).

I love to see Cooper’s relationship with the dogs grow and change each day. He has a different relationship with each. Simba prefers to be close and protect him, but not really play with him. To be in the room and keeping an eye on him is all Simba needs. After all, Simba really is a mama’s boy. Rudy is all about playing. He will let Cooper climb and pet him until his little heart gives out. Rudy wants nothing more than to lay next to him and be around all of his toys when he plays. And Cooper wants nothing more than to climb and watch him catch the frisbee outside. It is truly a close friendship.

I know that this will be a friendship that will take Cooper through his childhood and (hopefully) into his teenage years. One of the best adventures Coop has is with the dogs. He learns and plays with them and develops a strong bond. Dogs really do give us more than we can in return and I know the friendship Coop has with them will be something that he cherishes for the rest of his life.

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