Lauren Alaina Talks Motherhood, Music, and Her Pups in an Adorable New ‘Pupdate’
The country star welcomes us into her home with her two dogs, Nola and Opry, in tow.
Lauren Alaina with her Daughter, Beni Doll, and Dogs, Nola and Opry; Photo by Osprey Media
It’s a crisp fall afternoon in Nashville when Lauren Alaina welcomes us into her cozy home for the Pupdate, introducing us to her two adorable dogs, Nola and Opry, while sharing updates on life as a new mom, new music, and getting back on the road, this time with a baby in tow.
All smiles, Alaina settles into her couch for a chat, her pups nearby. Nola quickly finds a comfy spot to nap while Opry listens intently to every word. Before welcoming baby Beni Doll—her first child with husband Cam Arnold—in June, the couple’s lives revolved around their pets, including their cat, Kitty Wells, who roamed the house during our visit.
Alaina admits she wasn’t sure how her dogs would react when they brought baby Beni home, but thankfully, everyone adjusted just fine.
“They actually both love her now, but it was an interesting adjustment. They were not sure what to think about her,” she revealed. “They would go up and kind of sniff her and try to figure out what she was. And now I’m trying to constantly make sure they’re not licking all over her face. They’re obsessed with her, but I think she was so little and then they’ve never been around a baby and they weren’t sure, but now they love her.”
Becoming a mom has brought big changes, especially now that Alaina has returned to touring. Laughing, she said, ”We traded beer bottles and wine glasses for baby bottles and shakers.” But with a smile, the “All My Exes” singer quickly added, “I wouldn’t change anything about it.”
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Having her daughter on the road feels like a full-circle moment for the Georgia native. “My mom’s actually been traveling with me as well,” she said. “When I started doing this, I was 16, and my mom went on the road with me. It’s kind of amazing to have her back out there. I’m like a little kid and I have a baby.”
Alaina also has some helpful friends guiding her through life on the road with a newborn. Thanks to HARDY and his wife, Caleigh, who welcomed their daughter Rosie in March, Beni has her own tour bus setup.
“Rosie outgrew her bassinet before Beni did…they took it off their bus and gave it to us,” she revealed. “ So we have a hand-me-down bassinet for the babies, but it was so awesome to have them in my corner because I had no idea how to take a baby on the bus and they told me all the things to do and Caleigh was wonderful.”
She also credits friends like Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild, Russell and Kailey Dickerson, and Martina McBride for sharing their parenting wisdom.
Looking ahead, 2026 is shaping up to be a big year. Alaina will reunite with Rascal Flatts for the band’s Life Is a Highway Tour 2026, after spending much of 2025 on the road with the trio.
“I’m really looking forward to going back out on the road with Rascal Flatts. We go back out in January. So Beni’s going to go on the road. I’m sure my husband will go as well. He loves them too. And we’ll take these pup-peronis out there and be one big happy family,” she said. “But I’m just excited. I grew up listening to Rascal Flatts, so to be on tour with them is a dream. And then for them to be such good uncles to my baby girl, I mean, it’s crazy. It’s going to be so funny because I was so pregnant the last time I saw all of them. I was eight and a half months pregnant when we finished the tour…so very pregnant and now I’ll have the proof.”
With a thriving career, a supportive husband, and a beautiful new baby, Lauren Alaina says life feels like a fairytale come true. Amid all these changes, she’s experienced an internal shift that’s completely redefined her version of success.
“I always dreamed of being on stage and dreamed of touring and doing all of this and I wanted to be a mom, but I didn’t see how that would fit in and never, I didn’t know how I would meet the right guy or do any of those things,” she explained. “And it’s so funny now my dream is them. They are my dream and the other part is the bonus.”
She continued, “It’s interesting, it’s completely flipped for me, but I think that for me mentally has put me in a really safe place to create and to, I mean I still have anxiety and I’m like, where are we going on tour next year and what are we doing and when’s the album coming out and all of that. But at the end of the day, I look at Benny and she smiles at me and I’m like, well, whatever. It’s all going to be great as long as we can provide for her and give her a beautiful life. That’s what matters to me now.”
Balancing motherhood, marriage, and music, Lauren Alaina is stepping into a new season with a full heart, and she’s only just getting started. Fans can expect exciting new music updates in the coming months.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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