Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga || Oh How I Love You So

Bowie

Bradley

The begging seemed like it was all we had heard for months.

Last July, when Stefani's sister, Natali, brought a new puppy home to her city apartment, the girls had became completely enamored with their Titi's new dog.

Over the years, we had considered many dogs members of our extended family. Our dogs loved us blindly. They provided us with an unparalleled devotion, and no matter where in the world we were, we knew they would always be waiting to welcome us home.

Because of our fame, and the nature of our hectic lifestyles, our dogs were truly one of the few constants in our lives. However, due to the reality of life, their sweet, loyal souls had come and gone, far quicker than any of us wanted, and now, we were left with just our sweet aging Gustavo.

You see, ever since Lulu was old enough to sit at the table, Stefani and I had made it a point for all of us to have dinner together as a family every night. It was a sacred time for us to shut out the outside world, and simply focus on our family.

Gustavo would see at the girls feet and desperately hope they would drop something from their little grubby hands from him to eat. More often than not, Lulu and Margot would willingly oblige, though they would usually skip him something they were not interested in eating.

Lucky for them, Gustavo had taking a liking to cauliflower, their least favorite.

Over dinner, with Stefani's parents, we would discuss what the girls had learned at school, the latest first grade dramas, and the latest 'doggy' they had seen in their daily central walk from the restaurant back home.

And without fail, we would hear the same pleading, that would result in our same routine answers.

"We can't right now, girls."

"Maybe in a few months."

"Your sister is just too little."

However, our daily refusals were no use. Our children were relentless, conniving actually. Much like their mother, even at four and six, they were strategic in getting what they wanted.

They had tried absolutely everything in their power to try to convince us that they time to get a new puppy was now, and I had to admit, their persistence was starting to chip away at my stamina, and my heart strings.

We had lost my dog, Charlotte, a few years ago, and Asia and Koji shortly after. Though Gustavo was still himself, he was getting older. His knees were beginning to give out, and Stefani and I could tell his aging body was taking a tole on him.

Those pups were our first babies, and losing them was more difficult that I could have ever imagined.

We learned how to be parents by caring for those dogs. They were little lives that needed to be cared for, pulling us away from the selfishness of youth and into the responsibilities of adulthood.

When I first adopted my dogs Samson and Charlotte when I had moved out to Los Angeles, I had never experienced the weight of a life completely reliant on me. Through them I learned responsibility, love, and the true meaning of loyalty and friendship.

Our dogs had been by our sides for every one of our important life milestones.

Through his old age, the scar on Samson's forehead remained visible from the night he had been in the passenger seat when I crashed my first car, and he came charging out of his crate in the back to make sure I was okay.

Asia slept with Stefani every night when her fibromyalgia become just too unbearable, pawing at her chest to make sure she was okay.

Charlotte comforted my aching heart when I lost my father, and Koji celebrated with us when Stefani and I won our first Oscar together.