Kids and Dogs

My friend Rachel called the other morning to give me some advice, the kind that nobody tells you in a book and I was happy to hear.

She also came up with the following comparison: Having kids is a little like having a dog. You get that immediate connection with other dog owners, can talk about vets and breeds and share puppy pictures to no end. And when non-dog-people come over they can't understand how you can just watch the dog do doggie things and be so entertained by the thing for hours. And you're all like, "Sure, I clean up poop all day and she cries all night, but I love that dog and she's the best thing that's ever happened to us."

Side note: If you are thinking of having kids, you've probably heard people suggest getting a dog first to get an idea about the responsibility involved. My advice is don't get a Labrador or Golden Retriever or anything naturally obedient. You want a high-energy model with enough independent thinking to seriously question you every time you give a command. It's much more like having children.

"Riley, COME!"

"Gonna make me?"

It has taught us to be consistent and reinforce what we ask her to do, otherwise she'll walk all over us (figuratively and literally).