Having kids like raising puppies?

I was talking to my sister who lives on a 10 acre property about my fears and concerns about how my life will change once we have our wee one and she wrote this to me so thought I would share - they have recently gotten 2 gorgeous, but very tiring border collie puppies (Whisky and Coppa)...

I swear owning dogs is a lot like owning kids, from the sleepless nights to finding puppy sitters when you want to go anywhere. I had thought I had it all sussed. I mean, how hard was owning a cat? Surely a dog wasn’t much different?

I know several parents who also own dogs and they assure me there are a lot of similarities.

You have some major adjusting to do. Don’t let anyone convince you you don’t.

The constantly interrupted sleep for 6 months was the worst. How I didn’t crash my car through chronic fatigue I’ll never know.

Then there’s the training/teaching...

You have to be so careful not to get upset or angry when it’s not going according to plan but sometimes they make you so wild you just completely lose it. Then when you think you’ve got it all sussed they start testing you.

All last week and this week the boys have decided they should now be allowed in the house. We’ll be busy pottering around inside, and suddenly discover one of them’s inside. If it’s Whisky he’ll be going from room to room checking out the joint and if it’s Coppa he’ll be stretched out asleep on the livingroom floor.

On the one hand I find myself laughing at their audacity and on the other I’m trying to say with convincing authority “Out!”.

When I wake Coppa up he gives me the “puppy dog eyes” look. On Monday I got both the look and a refusal to move. I had to literally pick him up and put him outside. I felt absolutely terrible because Whisky had been picking on him for 3 days straight and I knew he was coming in just to get some peace.

I think the hardest adjustment though is knowing that your life is not going to be your own for a very long time. I honestly do not know how solo mothers cope. There are days when I just want to do my own thing and I can’t because I have to think about the dogs. Like Sunday, I had plans to go spend time with the sheep, feeding them, cleaning their paddock, etc. It was also the perfect day for weed spraying. However, Aaron was really sick and incapable of doing anything. It was my responsibility to keep an eye on them all day.

Then there’s Christmas Day. We’re supposed to be going to Aaron’s mum’s for dinner but we can’t because the dogs need to be walked and fed. We can’t take them to Lyn’s because Shane’s kids are terrified of dogs, not to mention Lyn’s cat.

I love my boys to death but there are days when I really resent being a dog owner. Which of course makes me feel incredibly guilty. What kind of dog owner am I if I sometimes like to imagine what life would be like without dogs?

You’ll also have to get used to not being able to sit in front of the tv. Kids like dogs need to be exercised and played with – all the time. When they get bored they get up to mischief. Thank god dogs don’t grizzle.

However, dogs do like to roll in really smelly things, like dead eels that have been rotting in the sun for 4 or 5 days. They will also put almost anything into their mouths (a bit like toddlers) and there have been many instances of having to extract possibly lethal objects from their mouths.

As soon as they’re clean they’re dirty again. They hate having their hair brushed and having to have a bath. If you want to sleep in but they don’t, too bad for you.

But hey, when you hear their first bark, when they run to see you as soon as you get home, and when they learn something new like herding cows, it all makes it seem worth it.

My god, you’ve got a lot to look forward to!

The best advice as a non-parent that I can give you is, remember that all negative behaviour is just a stage they’re going through. It may test you to the limit for weeks on end but eventually you’ll come out the other side. Remember, they improve with age. There will be times they make you laugh so hard you think life couldn’t get any better. The more love you give them the more you get back.

I just love how she puts things :)

That's so true... your sister is very insightful!

PS: having a baby is hardwork, but the rewards make up for all the tiredness and hardwork, and you'll be fine.

very very ture having a baby is scray and hard work but its sooo worth it very very very worth it