Every Stay at Home Parent Needs a Nanny...Dog

I’ve never seen a dog so grateful for children who lay on him, drag him hither and yon, and generally just cling to his very existence. Not until I met Neo.

I am a Stay at home Parent of four wonderful children ages 17, 9, 5 and 4 months. As a human I struggle with Major Depression Disorder coupled with Anxiety. My children are the thing that buoys me up on a daily basis. My partner does their best to help but as they work outside the home everyday, they are reasonably limited on their ability to help me through those struggles.

When I lost my canine companion of 12 years things began to spiral downward for me. My anxieties about anything happening to the children got worse and with no solution in sight I started looking at treatment options before I hit rock bottom. While trying to find medication that worked for me to combat the Depression, I began to foster dogs for a local Rescue group.

I know that may seem counterproductive but it helped to stay busy in a way that made me feel needed. I kept it to only a few dogs at a time, making sure to stay reasonable to my abilities. My first two fosters were heartworm positives that were simple treatment fosters. My third foster case was Neo. While we’ve had and loved more fosters since, Neo is the one who stuck.

Neo is a mostly black pit-mix who now weighs a snuggly 80lbs. Neo was found at approximately 5 years old during a drug bust. When officers searched the yard they discovered a dog chained to a tree amidst trash. The dog was thin, with raw infected skin over 40% of his body and a chain collar embedded in his neck.

The officers cut Neo free and turned him over to local animal control, who put out a request for any Rescue group with the means to cover his medical needs. If Neo went into the shelter system, he would be euthanized immediately due to those medical needs. The head of my Rescue saw their plea and immediately agreed to take him. Annie went through and and got Neo all the medical care he needed. She got the collar removed from his neck and antibiotics to clear up all his infections. But even as he healed, no one wanted to give him a chance as a family pet. Too many humans saw only a used up scrap of dog or a grizzled fighter. So Neo came to crash with us until someone came along for him.

We went on two adoption interviews with Neo and both times the humans backed out. It was heart breaking to watch them look at the scar that encircled three-quarters of his neck with sympathy that turned to disgust as they looked the rest of him over. Their eyes would travel from his neck to his furless and whiskerless muzzle, to his bare and still inflamed elbows, then to his still healing back end and tail. Their disgust would show in their eyes, even as they tried to hide it. Then after a half hearted interview they would make their excuses and leave.

I couldn’t stand the heartbreak for him any more. I began to believe no one would give him a fair chance. So we paid our adoption fee and signed his contract and Neo officially became part of our family. Now, if you had told me this dog would understand what was happening I would have laughed myself sick. But when I clipped his new collar on, complete with tags, I swear this dog lit up. In that moment I believe he swore undying loyalty and pledged his life to my children in thanks.

Nothing and no one can threaten them now. Even family members who play too rough to Neo’s expectations get told off in the most insistent tones. Neo has even sacrificed half of one ear defending the kids, including the unborn at the time, from a perceived animal threat. We can’t even mow if the children are outdoors anywhere, Neo will stand in front of the mower and challenge until he sees the children go indoors.

Neo’s deepest devotion is definitely to the youngest children. The 17 year old is more of an adult to him and therefore needs him less. Neo sleeps with the middle two at night. Our 5 year old has night terrors and Neo never hesitates to get in bed with her and wake her up from them. The baby still sleeps in the master bedroom due to breastfeeding, but Neo still checks in a few times during the night to ensure all is well.

Neo gets up with the children every morning. He escorts the 5 year old into the living room to wake up and eat her breakfast. Then he helps me send the foster pups out for morning potty breaks, before he goes to check on the kids and make sure they’re dressed for the day. He monitors me packing their lunches and makes sure I remember to put them in their backpacks.

I had to start taking Neo with me to school drop off and pick up because he worried himself sick the first week when I kept coming home without the children.

After the kids are at school or up for the day, Neo devotes himself to keeping a watchful eye and wary ear on the baby while making sure the other foster pups don’t hassle our Mega Esophagus puppy while she eats or rests.

After school Neo either cuddles anyone who has a bad day or escorts them out to play. When they go outside he referees everything, making sure no one gets too rough or bullies the others. If the kids do get out of hand, Neo squeaky barks (remember: he’s an 80lb barrel chest) and comes to get me to settle them. If one of the children leaves the yard for any reason I know about it in seconds. Neo practically screams his distress until a parent steps outside to tell him it’s ok, or bring the child back into the fence.

Neo even tries to ensure the children eat their dinners and point blank refuses to take any food they offer him. He lays at the bathroom door, ears up, keeping track of them as they bathe. Any slip or fall and we know instantly thanks to him.

Neo has eased so much stress and concern for us as far as the children are concerned. But he has also shown an innate ability to ease their stresses and fears just by being around. Neo even acts as an Emotional Support Animal for me when my depression or anxiety starts acting up. He’s made himself an irreplaceable part of our family and our lives by simply being that dog his heart leads him to be every day.

From chained to a tree and ignored like trash, to devoted Nanny, Neo is undoubtedly our EmPAWyee of the Month, every month.