When our golden retriever, Beau, began barking fiercely at our new nanny, we assumed he was acting out maybe jealous, maybe just territorial. His behavior seemed disruptive, and we even thought about rehoming him to keep things calm. But one night, curiosity got the better of me, and I reviewed our home’s security footage. What I saw changed everything Beau wasn’t being aggressive. He was trying to protect us.

Life before Zoey was already good, but her birth brought a new kind of joy. I’d expected to be a hands-off dad, but I was all in every cry, diaper change, and lullaby drew me closer to her. Beau, once easygoing, became focused and alert, always keeping watch over Zoey as if sensing she needed him more than we realized. Claire, our nanny, had…