Two years ago, we added a member to our family – a fabulous black labradoodle puppy named Kenzie.  After months of trying to conceive, we decided that getting a puppy before getting pregnant would be wise, since we could train her and acclimate her to our home well before welcoming a child.  Our friends were so excited to meet her, and many of them remarked that we must be getting ready to have a baby, since all married couples who get dogs are just biding their time before adding a baby to the mix.  Unbeknownst to me, apparently this is a thing.

Little did we know how right they were.  Just two short weeks after bringing her home, we finally got our BIG FAT POSITIVE, after many, many months of negatives.  While taking care of a tiny puppy who wasn’t yet house-trained while in the throes of the first trimester was not ideal timing, I believe that taking care of a puppy was great training for what came next with Little C.

1) Sleepless nights. In Kenzie’s first couple weeks home, she did not sleep through the night. While it seemed like she was sleeping and napping constantly, up to 18-20 hours a day (just like a new baby), it never seemed that she could make it through the night. We would go out at 11 p.m. before bed and by 3 a.m. she’d need to get up and go out again. It’s odd, but I felt like I had mommy-style super hearing, and would notice immediately when she was whimpering and needed us.  Thank heavens that was a short-term ordeal, and of course, you don’t face sleep regressions and night terrors and all the other stuff a baby can throw at you in the middle of the night, but still, preparation nonetheless.

2) Your schedule is no longer your own.  I am really glad that our puppy taught me about this.  In my years before dog and baby, I could come and go as I pleased.  Shopping with a pal after work?  Sure, why not.  Staying out ’til 2 am?  Absolutely.   Once Kenzie entered the mix, we had to arrange for a dog walker mid-day, and then I would have to hustle home from work to take her out to do her business.  And sleeping in?  That was a thing of the past.  While it really wasn’t a colossal inconvenience, it was like tip-toeing into the world of true parenthood, where my child dictates wake-up time, outings need to be scheduled around naps, and baby-free outings need to be planned weeks in advance to ensure that we can book a sitter.  At least the dog doesn’t need a babysitter when we are out and about.

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3) Expensive!  When we talked about expanding our family, we knew that babies need lots of things. Hugs and kisses. Diapers, car seats and cribs. Clothes, books and toys.  Hey, at least the hugs and kisses are free.  Puppies come with a whole set of costs too, both expected and unexpected.  Budgeting for puppy – her kibble, medicine, toys, crate, bed, vet bills, dog walker, etc. – was a great wake up call for us to begin preparing financially for having a child.

puppypics
L: Mr. Confetti and Kenzie; R: Kenzie post spay surgery in my t-shirts

All of that said, the greatest difference between getting a puppy and having a baby is that once you have a baby, your parents and grandparents stop nagging you about their dire need of grandchildren/great-grandchildren (or at least until he is 16 months, and you start getting peppered with questions about number two). The puppy did nothing in that regard—in fact, it just gave my grandparents an opportunity to tell us point blank that a puppy is not the kind of baby they had in mind.

While adding a pet to the family is no where near the same thing as adding a child, looking back, I’m really glad that we did it in that order.  Taking care of someone else (even if she was just a puppy) was a great learning experience that helped me so much as I prepared for Little C’s arrival nine months later.

Anyone else out there get a puppy before having a baby?  Did being a pet owner prepare you for becoming a parent?