Meet Nash: Our New Golden Puppy

Hi DailyBarker Friends!

WOW! What a whirlwind the past few months have been: the DailyBarker blog finally launched (after years of dreaming and planning) AND my husband and I opened our hearts and home to a furry new addition, our golden retriever puppy, Nash! Today, you’re going to meet our sweet boy!

When we lost Beau, we were so broken, for so long, it never felt like we’d ever be “ready” to love again. But… as life would have it, the SAME DAY we launched the DailyBarker blog we also brought Nash home. That timeframe was not at all planned, but it was such a sweet moment where I felt like things really came full circle. Getting Nash was a huge decision for us. We had been talking about getting a puppy for a few months, but one Monday morning we woke up and said, “Okay, let’s do it.” By Friday evening, Nash was home with us.

That entire week, I continuously prayed that God (and Beau) would lead us to the pup that was meant for us. And y’all, He delivered.

The day we went to meet Nash’s litter, I wore my favorite necklace: a locket with Beau’s picture’s inside. It was my way of bringing him with us, as silly as that sounds. When we were playing with the puppies and getting to know their personalities, Nash stood out the most to us. Nash (who was called “Mr. Grey” at the time) kept coming up to my locket and pressing his little nose against it and into my chest (he didn’t even try to nibble on it when it dangled in his face.) He didn’t do that once or twice…but three times! Maybe it was my mama’s heart seeing something that maybe wasn’t really much of anything, but as I sat there I teared up and said in my head, “Okay Lord, okay Beau, I get it. This is the pup you want for us.” It wasn’t until after we got in the car with Nash that I shared that with Sean. It was such a powerful moment that I’ll never forget.

Nash is an English cream golden retriever and is named after one of our favorite cities, Nashville, Tennessee! This little white fluff ball is full of spunk, a little sassy, and melts our hearts every day.

Nash is from Majestic Manor Goldens in Sheridan, Indiana. Connie and her team are the best there is and we are so grateful they gave us our sweet boy. I encourage you to head to their website and read their story. It’s such a tragic, but beautiful story of hope and healing.

Nash LOVES:

• Everyone and EVERY animal he meets (dogs, cats, squirrels, birds, ducks, geese, the list goes on and on!)
• Snuggles in bed with mom and dad
• Watching anyone do anything
• Sprawling out on tile floors
• FOOD
• Helping mom load the dishwasher
• Being outside
• Chasing bugs
• Running and playing in rain puddles
• Playing in his water bowl (the little man loves water)
• Sleeping on the extra beds in hotel rooms
• Sitting on air vents
• Lounging in the shade
• Getting all his toys out…at once
• Playing tug of war with his daddy
• Fetching his ball
• Taking naps on the coffee table

It’s crazy how quickly he’s grown in just a few short months (I swear he grows with every nap). When we brought Nash home, he was just a few days shy of 8 weeks old and was a staggering 8 pounds. Nash is now 5 months old (I just stopped counting in weeks, haha!) and is over 45 pounds! He’s going to be a big boy, you should see his paws! Nash is incredibly smart (typical golden!) and has adjusted so well to our crazy on-the-go lifestyle. It’s been such a fun season to bring him along and share this life with him now. Dogs make life so much richer and more fulfilling.

Getting a pup in this crazy season wasn’t an easy feat (in fact, I think it was one of the hardest things I’ve done), but it’s been so incredibly worth all the chaos. Getting a pup is like having a baby… there isn’t ever the perfect time (at least for us). Every day it feels like I look at him and my heart just wants to burst. I never thought we’d get to this place. This place where we’d be able to love so deeply again. Words can’t even begin to describe how happy Nash makes us. And the best part about this is that we know Beau would have LOVED his little brother Nash so much.

Thank you all so much for your sweet words over the months as we’ve adjusted to puppy life. It was a very humbling time for us! 🙂

Stay tuned for more updates and adventures from Nash on DailyBarker AND get excited because I’m working on a new Puppy Series that is launching in 2019. It’s going to cover preparing your life for a pup, what to have on hand, resources I used with Nash, potty training, things that worked (and didn’t work for us) and more!

Christina Conlon

Christina is the upbeat, joyful gal behind the creation of DailyBarker. When she’s not pouring her heart into this community, you can find her traveling with her entrepreneur husband, training their new Golden Retriever puppy Nash, or having coffee with friends. Christina currently lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and pup.