A Day in the Life of Parker Bean

Parker is my Mini Goldendoodle. He is a little over one year. My entire lie I’ve had one dog, Miley, a Maltese. My family has had her for thirteen years, so it’s the only animal we’ve known. When we got Parker, our whole world changed.

A friend of my mom’s decided to breed her dog for the experience of having puppies. When the puppies were born, the friend wanted the pups to go to family’s she knew. She didn’t want to sell the puppies for the money, but for the love that these families could provide. When we went to go pick out our puppy, something about Parker stuck out to us. We knew he would add a personality that was missing in our house.

It didn’t take long for Parker to develop a daily routine. It is a set schedule and if it isn’t followed to a T, he likes to throw tantrums. Think of Parker like a toddler. Constant attention, tantrums, and snacks. However, he is loving, enjoyable and a sweet boy to have around in the house.

At 7:00 am sharp, Parker starts whining and pawing me while sleeping in order to wake me up. He always has to go to the bathroom as soon as he wakes up. So, I relentlessly get out of bed and follow Parker downstairs. He can never control his excitement in the mornings. He runs around downstairs to check and see if anyone else is up, but no one ever is. After checking the surroundings he bolts to the back door to go to the bathroom. Once, he comes inside, his stomach starts growling; breakfast time.

He scarfs down his breakfast with no intent of breathing. Then makes his way to the water bowl where he always drinks a gallon of water to wash everything down. Parker, unfortunately, has stomach issues so we have to make sure he doesn’t run or play right after he eats. I make sure he relaxes for a little bit so he doesn’t get sick. When he’s ready to let out some energy he usually goes after one of his squeakies. The squeaky toys we have bought for him are by far his favorite.

Whenever his burst of energy starts we always say “whatchu got Bean” to get him more excited and engaged with playing. Somehow the nickname “Bean” has stuck with us throughout owning him. At this point, Parker responds to Bean and Parker. Bean is used as a nickname while Parker is for the serious times. Our family calls him many names; Parker, Bean, Beaner, Beany Boy, Da Bean, and more. One of our favorite nicknames for him is Parker Bean. We think of it as his first and middle name.

After Bean’s morning adventures, it is essential for him to nap for about four to five hours to recover. Anything less would be considered abusive in his world. He will nap anywhere during this time. If people are home he might cuddle with them, but there are times he likes to sleep on his own. Parker is a moody boy, so it varies day today.

When he wakes up he likes to check up on everyone and make sure we are all okay and that he didn’t miss anything. He likes to be a part of every moment in everyone’s life. Around 2:00 pm, Parker Bean starts to follow everyone in the family around the house, whine, cry, and sometimes bark to get someone’s attention. He knows that at this hour, it is specifically time for a walk. He likes to think that someone needs to drop everything they are doing and take him on a walk. While most of the time we let him call the shots, sometimes he has to wait. At this point, he gets sad and will cry and sit right by someone’s feet to express his sadness.

About 99% of the time Parker will go on a walk, so when he gets back he likes to take a quick power nap to recover from all the exercise. When he wakes up from the nap he is ready to eat dinner. He acts like he’s never eaten before when dinner time rolls around. It’s almost like his stomach changes with a flip of a switch; not hunger then starving. Someone in the family scoops a cup of food, pours it in his special bowl, and sets it on the rug for him to eat. His dinner regimen is the same as his breakfast; scarf down food, drink a gallon of water, quick rest before playing. When he is done with his dinner he likes to bring toys to my dad so they can play together. Most of the time my dad is not in the mood, but he does it anyway.

As night approaches, slowly over the hours Parker Bean gets more tired. He starts to cuddle more rather than playing/going after toys. He starts to walk slower when he moves. Around 9:00 pm he goes outside for one more bathroom break before bed. After that I bring him upstairs into my bed, where he snuggles close to me, and slowly drifts off into a deep sleep that consists of hogging the bed, sticking his paws in my face, and snoring.

Even though Parker has a set schedule for his day-to-day life, his moods, attitudes, and emotions are always unexpected. Some days he is clingier than others. Some days he is crazy. Some days he is lazy. Once we got Bean, our life as individuals and as a family changed to fit Parker’s life. Our family always says the world revolves around Parker Bean.