Meet Bella, the newest pup in our family.
I can’t even. Her face looking up at me? Why so cute?
Bella is an eight-week-old Australian Labradoodle who will soon be living with our daughter, Kylee. For now she’s a bit like our grand-pup, though we laugh about calling her that. Three people in our house are sensitive to pet hair, so we’re grateful to have found breeds that work well for us. Bella is the same breed as Lily. Jack is a Goldendoodle — you may know him from his own social pages — and he’s just as charming as you’d expect.
Over the weekend we introduced Bella to Jack and Lily as their new cousin. They took to her right away and have been smitten ever since.
The other day my girls and I were working in the family room and brought Bella in to hang out. Once she arrived, productivity went out the window — she was busy being adorable and we were busy keeping her away from important papers.
That’s everyday life here: loud, lively, messy, and joyful. It’s almost like having a house full of toddlers, except they have fur. Our home is filled with the things and people that matter to us, and while nothing is ever perfectly in place, we laugh about the chaos. For us, living with what you love means filling the house with family, friends, and pets who bring it to life.
We’re not obsessive about being “crazy dog people,” but we do keep our home clean and care for the pups regularly — haircuts and baths are routine. I do have limits: smelly dogs or excessive shedding would be too much for me. Fortunately, Bella, Jack, and Lily don’t smell, shed heavily, or drool, so they fit well into our household.
To keep things contained, we usually block off the big opening to the family room with chairs and a couple of garbage cans so the puppy stays in the kitchen area. It’s a practical solution that keeps the rest of the room tidy and photo-ready most of the time.
Can you see Jack trying to make a break for it over the barricade behind my son’s head? Nobody puts Jack in the corner. He does have a funny habit of hiding in the powder room when he needs to calm down — he gets anxious about people or dogs passing by the house. Pups can be a handful: they make you laugh, sometimes annoy you, but they always love you back.
Her face says it all.
Do you live with pets? Tell me about your sweet furry animals!
Bella came from Mt. Park Labradoodles. If you can adopt a rescued pet and provide a good home, that’s a wonderful option — there are many loving animals in need of homes who bring as much joy as any breeder puppy.