Having a pet is a great addition to the family. If you have children it is so beautiful to watch them grow up loving and caring for the family pet. You will never notice the maturity of your children so much as when you realize that they understand the health concerns for senior dogs or ask about the necessary insurance for pet care. However, if you don’t have children, having a dog can be great practice for when you do decide to have children to the family. Here are a few ways in which dogs are much like babies.
They Wake You Up
They wake you up all the time. In fact, it seems like right when you lay down is when they need to get up. They have to go to the bathroom, they need water, they’re sick, they’re bored. While your baby may not sit on your face to wake you up, neither dogs nor babies care what time it is or in what fashion they wake up, as long as you wake up and tend to their needs right when they demand it.
They Cost You Money
A lot of money. Foods, toys, bedding, diapers, medical visits, classes (be it obedience classes or college classes) and a million other things are what await you. But you don’t even really notice all the money you spend because you’ll do whatever it takes to make and keep them happy.
They Cry a Lot
They all cry. All the time. It’s how they communicate their needs. Or sometimes they cry just to cry and there’s nothing wrong at all. Yes, that goes for babies and dogs. Often, they leave you in a panic trying to figure out what’s wrong, only to find out that everything is perfectly alright and they were just testing out their lovely vocal chords.
They are Dependent on You
You are their source of everything. They depend on you to be fed, bathed, changed and loved. Every need that they have, you are the one that fills it. You can’t leave them home alone, it’s dangerous for them as well as the home. You have to keep a tight hold on them when you are out and about because they cannot make it out in the world on their own if they get lost. You are the most crucial thing in their life.
They Need to Be Taught and Trained
In order to keep them safe and socially acceptable, they need to be trained and taught properly. They need to learn what’s right and wrong and what they should and shouldn’t do. They have to learn how to ask for things nicely, when to calm down and when to sit down and be quiet.
They have Unconditional Love for You
This is probably the biggest reward of having kids and dogs. Dogs never grow out of this. Unfortunately, kids go through stages of love for their parents but as babies, that look in their eyes when you come in to view makes it all worth it. Both babies and dogs are so excited for you to come home and their undying love and appreciation for you just makes all of the bad behavior and disobedience and torn up house worth it.
You Put Them First
The day that your baby is born and the day that you commit to being a dog owner is the day that you become just a little bit less selfish. This is because you have started putting the needs of someone else before your own. Whether this means not buying things for yourself so you can afford things for them or fore going a night out to spend time at home with them, whatever the case may be, they become our first priority, as it should be.
Now, all of this is not to say that dogs are on the same level as our children. Even so, having a dog is good preparation for having a baby and learning to take care of someone that is so entirely dependent on you. If you want children but are scared of that level of commitment, try it out with a pet dog first. It’ll be your first step to parenthood.