A Litter of Puppies or Kids

I love my children very much and they are the biggest and most wonderful part of my life.  That said, a friend of my mine emailed me a picture this weekend of his new family members all sitting quietly at the doctor’s office; just like they should.   Instead of a bunch of kids, it was his litter of lab puppies in their crate, and it got me thinking.  What are the benefits of puppies over kids?  My first thought was, if you don’t like them or they don’t turn out the way you want them to, well, you just give them away or better yet, sell them.  No one will accuse you of participating in the child slave trade or abandonment.  With a good story, it’s all OK.

Next, if the kids start acting up, you can’t really put them in the kennel or just throw them outside.  No, you have to have a discussion about responsibility and accountability.  When you travel, puppies ride in the back of the truck in their plush dog crate.  They have unlimited air conditioning, a decent view and you don’t have to listen to Nemo or Fairy Princess movies over and over again.  Dogs are always happy to see you.  They don’t pick up any real attitude or grudges.  Some may….but they don’t last.   Puppies require some shots, time at the vet, and the occasional conversation with people telling you how great their dog was back in the 90’s. (That guy is me).  

Keeping, raising and training a puppy isn’t much different than raising kids, generally speaking,  as it is an enormous amount of time, effort and of course….money.   Most of my friends just send them off to school and let someone else train them to varying degrees of success.   I have always trained my own dogs and I have to say it is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.   Kids are a HUGE investment of time and money, so when you turn them loose in the world....well; you hope you did it all right.   Sure you can send them off to a trainer, but you will not get the same result as if you raised them yourself.   There are many things in this world you can throw a bunch of money at and fix, but kids and dogs is more time and effort than anything money could buy.

If you are just married, like my friend that emailed the picture, having a litter of puppies is a great way to practice and warm up your parenting skills.  Who gets up in the middle of the night to check on the litter?  Who runs them to the vet when a problem arises at the most inconvenient time of day; like during “The Days of Our Lives”?  And who has the patience to listen to the guy that goes on and on about his dog? (My old yellow lab Jake and I really were great together).  So having puppies first really test the waters and can help you decide whether the two of you really need to bring another human into this world with your DNA.  I know many people that started with having a puppy first and some of them went on to have wonderful families and children; although some should have stuck with dogs.

Sure, puppies can be easier and lucrative, but having kids IS the most rewarding thing I have ever done  and will ever do …..  even if I can’t put them in the crate in the back of the truck…. Although our kids kind of like that crate …

~ Wm