by Meg Jack

Created on: May 02, 2008   Last Updated: December 30, 2009

I'm not sure if I heard this somewhere, or if I made it up myself, but for some reason part of me believes that every couple should raise a puppy first before they try to raise a child. Yes, there are huge differences, but at the very beginning, a lot of it is exactly the same. You think life is going to be wonderful- you're bringing this small, adorable new little bundle of joy into your home. Are you expecting loss of sleep? Potty training? Teething? Getting the puppy to eat? Teaching good behavior? Naturally, raising a puppy is not even close to raising a child, but I really do think that there are some benefits to trying out a puppy first. It's not as simple as you think! A young couple that brings a puppy into their home will learn a lot about each other as "parents". Who's going to get up at night when the puppy is whining to take it out? Who's going to feed it? Who's going to take it to the vet? Give it baths? It will also show you both what is expected as far as discipline.

My fiance and I started out with a kitten- not hard. We feed him, give him water, change his litter box. He's had all his shots by now- he's ready to go. Tiki (our kitten) is now almost 9 months old. I started to do my, "can we please, please get a puppy?" a few months ago. My fiance said no for the longest time. Of course, he can't say no to me forever! On my birthday he gave in. Little did he know this was partially a test to see how he would raise children! We are now the proud owners of a shih-tzu-poo. He whines, chews, barks, isn't potty trained in the least... and has absolutely stolen our hearts. We've learned a lot about working together to train him, and discipline him. We've also learned that I'm much more on the lenient side! I'm very happy that we have this puppy, especially before we have our first child. I feel like it is great preparation.

What all has gone into having him? First off, as soon as you get a new dog, it's best to get him checked out by a vet- even if the breeder sends him with vet records. If you don't have a vet you trust ask around for recommendations. Your relationship with your vet is highly important as your animals become like children to you.

Once the puppy is checked out, decide how you want to train it. Crate training is best in my opinion, it gives the puppy a place to feel is his own, and it also gives you a place to put him when you need to get away for awhile. Keep in mind, a young dog under 12 weeks shouldn't stay crated more than 3 hours

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