Puppy Tales: Five Ways a Puppy is Like a Baby

For as long as you've all been looking at the many adorable pets available for adoption from local animal rescues in our feature, I have too.

After being petless in Issaquah for two years, my son and I finally took the plunge again, and adopted a darling miniature Australian sheperd puppy from Motley Zoo Animal Rescue.

I have to admit, I set out to adopt an adult dog, thinking it would be a good idea to help someone maybe less likely to find a home, but the way things worked out, after a near miss and a few dogs who wouldn't work for us for various reasons, we were matched up with little Minnie.

I have had puppies before, but not since I was a kid--and I can now say I appreciate how my Mom clearly took on most of the responsibility. This time around, having had two babies of my own, and having had our new "puppy baby" for about two weeks, I've been noticing some similarities.

Being "listy" as I am, and wanting to share some cute photos of the new pup with you, I've compiled a list of five ways a puppy is like a baby, and I'd love to hear what you'd add to the list:

1. It takes time to learn their cues. How many accidents does it take before you learn when to take a puppy out to go potty? Well, a few, but now, after two weeks, we're learning each other, quirks and all.
2. Puppy-proofing happens on the fly. No matter how prepared you are, the baby, or puppy, will find something to put in its mouth, some hole to squeeze through, just anything you don't want it to do, it will find a way to try to do it, and it's always an ongoing process to determine what new unintentional mischief they've found, and avoid having to use the word No 500 times a day.
3. They will annoy their older "siblings." As much as my son loves his new puppy, there are certainly things he has to adjust to, like how she wants to jump all over his face and play when he's just trying to wake up (pairing a morning puppy with a not a morning person!) It will take time for them to find a happy medium, too. Back when Lane was a baby, I didn't think it would be so easy for him to annoy his 12-year-old sister, either.
4. There's a significant up-front investment. This means both time and money, once you add adoption fees, pet deposit if you're in an apartment like us, setup with food, toys, a safe way to sleep and travel, and going out to potty about a dozen times a day (with the babies it was checking the diaper fanatically) while you're working on routines. Luckily, Minnie's three months old, so she can--mostly--sleep through the night without needing to go out.
5. You can't imagine life without them. Maybe it's that very intensity that helps us attach so quickly to baby animals and humans. For the high initial output of energy, there's a very high return of love, cuddles, puppy kisses, and just fun. And thanks to Minnie, I've met more of my neighbors in the last two weeks than I had in the last two years. She's even helped mend fences with a young neighbor. Everyone loves a puppy, just like everyone loves a baby, and the fun of getting to know their little personalities simply can't be matched. And I'm constantly amazed at how she watches everyone and barks at no one.

So there you have it, five ways the puppy is like a baby. There will certainly be much more to do and learn as our sweet dog grows up, but what an auspicious beginning.