Puppies and Babies

For this blog, I thought about Margaret, our physical therapist, who works at the same vet hospital I do and who has returned to work part-time. Margaret brings her baby, Justin, to work most of the time. While Margaret is working, Justin gets to sleep or play in the reception area with Terry, our receptionist, and her dogs Chilly and Trekker. Justin has become part of the pack, which he's used to because he's got three dogs at home. I write about Margaret because she's a perfect example of someone who had dogs before deciding to have a baby.

I'm sure you've heard people say that if you want to see what it's like to have kids, get a dog first. I have told the same things to people who were thinking about having kids. The reason is having dogs is the closest experience to having kids. Dogs need almost as much care as kids. They are totally dependent on you. I do recognize that there are differences between human and doggie kids. Okay, I've never had human kids just the furry kind so everything that I will write about is based on observation.

As I thought about puppies and babies, there seemed to be a number of similar issues that people have to consider when having them. Some issues are of lesser concern when it comes to puppies. But when you compare and contrast having puppies and/or babies there seems to be more similarities than not.

One obvious issue not to worry about with a pup is breastfeeding. When Ripley and Morpheus were puppies, I never had to breastfeed them...thank god. They were four months old and were able to eat out of a bowl at that age compared to infants of the same age who are dependent on a breast or bottle. Gosh, breastfeeding looks painful! I'm not sure exactly what it feels like but I can't imagine any pleasure in it as some men may fantasize.

I would think that breastfeeding can be a struggle. I've been told by some mothers that breastfeeding can be so painful that some of them just could not do it. Thank goodness for the invention of bottle feeding. What in the world did nursing mothers do before 1845 when they couldn't breastfeed? That was the year the rubber nipple of bottle feeding was invented and patent. Of course, breastfeeding is better than the bottle because it's a way for the mom and baby to bond as well as help build up the baby's immunity due to the fact that the mom passes on her immunity via her breast milk.

The other thing I never had to do was buy diapers, which can get very expensive when you think about how many years you would have to buy them as the kid gets older. Fortunately, during Margaret's baby shower, she received tons of diapers which I am sure has been helpful. Now that I think about it, even though it wasn't necessary for me to buy diapers for Ripley and Morpheus, I did have to buy pee pads which I suppose is comparable to diapers. However, after they were potty trained, they rarely used them since they were being walked and were able to go to the back or front yard to do their business. Boy, I wished I had put diapers on Ripley when she was a pup. It would have saved me a lot of stress and aggravation. Morpheus was so easy. He seemed to know what to do at four months already. I'm sure Ripley told him what to do. Elektra was around four years old when we got her so she was no problem.

I must admit that having to change a diaper is probably easier than cleaning up a soiled carpet or floor. It was frustrating and annoying having to clean up after Ripley when she was a pup as well as when we were taking care of Bailey, my sister's Boston Terrier. Whenever Bailey would stay over, every morning I'd wake up I would see a puddle of pee either in my kitchen or living room floor even though there had been a pee pad for her. What an aggravation that was! I was so relieved when she was finally potty trained since she spent a lot of time at my house.

A major concern most mothers have after the baby is born or get a puppy is the question of vaccination. I stopped vaccinating my dogs after a certain age because of its long term affects. But with babies, many mothers are conflicted. They want their child protected and yet, they don't want their child to be exposed to toxins from the many vaccinations that are required. Margaret was no different. She was torn. She had said, "I don't even vaccinate my dogs. Why should I vaccinate my kid?" But due to pressures of her parents and people around her and the possible guilt she would have if something were to happen to Justin because he wasn't vaccinated, she decided to do it. It's too bad you can't do a titer on a child after the first round of vaccination as you could with a dog.

Consequent to her decision, Margaret asked me about acupuncture to help Justin with the side effects of vaccination. Justin was barely a month old at that time. Basically, I told Margaret that the acupuncture could help build Justin's immune system by stengthening his digestive system, which in Chinese Medicine is still forming. Fortunately, it was a coincidence that I was about to attend a pediatric seminar the weekend after Margaret had asked me about acupuncture. So, I passed along whatever information I got from the seminar to Margaret that I felt would be helpful to her. Then she scheduled to have Justin come in for acupuncture.

Justin had recently turned a month old when he came in for his first acupuncture treatment. Even though Margaret was on the table holding Justin, he was still so squiggly. His arms and legs were moving so much while I was trying to put his needles in that Margaret had said, "He's harder than needling a dog, huh?" I just laughed and agreed. There was one Golden Retriever puppy to which I could compare Justin. I think the dog's name was Prince. He was a crazy, ball of energy that I needed a vet technician to hold him down so that I could needle him. The vet tech could barely contain Prince. I was so relieved when his treatment was over since it was stressful having to re-insert his needles a few times.

With Justin, because he was like a little octopus, I also had to re-insert a few of his needles. Even though he had cried so much initially, he was a trooper in the end. But I think the crying was because he was hungry. Once he was breastfeeding while I did moxa (a process by which I wave a stick of the herb mugwort over the needles), he was quiet and content. Margaret has been good about bringing him once a month for treatment to strengthen his digestive system and build his immunity. He seems to be a very healthy baby.

Another choice to make is child or pet care for when you have to go to work. First of all, you have to find someone you trust who will take great care of your tot or a daycare center that will do the same. Secondly, you have to be able to afford to pay for that sitter or daycare. I've heard many people tell me that going back to work basically pays for daycare or that it's less expensive to stay at home than to pay for child care. That's when I say to myself, "Thank god for dogs!" You can leave a puppy at home alone in a crate or a gated area. You can't do that with a baby otherwise child services will be pounding at your door. And, you don't really have to worry about getting a sitter for your puppy unless you're gone all day for work or your puppy needs medication, and even then you can hire someone for an hour or so to do those things for you. It's much more affordable.

Obviously, Margaret brings Justin to work for the two reasons I've mentioned about child care. It's wonderful to be in a work environment where the other employees and our clients are happy to see Justin. It's also funny to see the curiosity of some of our doggie clients when they see Justin, who show no trepidations when they come near him. Terry does an awesome job with him while she works, and it's so cute to see that her dogs Chilly and Trekker watch over him as well. As I said before, he is just one of the pack now. It wouldn't surprise me if his first word were to be "woof". He's always around dogs which I think is fantastic. Dogs are so calming and loving that they make the best companions for a baby. However, they are some dogs that may not do well with babies and vice versa. It's too bad when that happens because I think they miss out on the bonding experience.

Teething or chewing is the last thing I want to mention. Even though Justin is now five months old and putting his hand in his mouth, Margaret doesn't think he's teething yet. The great thing about teething in babies is that they don't destroy your belongings. They just want to bite on their toys, and because they don't have teeth yet, things remain intact. Yes, they may also cry and be in discomfort but at least you don't need to replace pairs of shoes, wires, cables or a kitchen table because all of its legs had been chewed away. That's the damage that Morpheus did along with chomping on our ankles each time we'd pass by him. You don't know how happy I was when he was over that phase.

When Margaret was still pregnant I remember asking her if she was going to forget her dogs when her baby comes. I asked her because I've heard a number of incidences where a dog was given away or ignored once the baby came. Margaret simply said, "Of course not. They're my kids." I knew her answer before I heard it but I was glad to hear it. I get so perturb when I would hear stories of dogs developing a skin disease due to stress because he was left in the basement or stuck in the back yard getting depressed from neglect...aarh! I am happy that there are people like Margaret who integrate their child with their furry ones. I believe that kids who are exposed to animals at an early age and interact with them in a comfortable, loving environment become more compassionate towards other animals. After all, we are social animals who flourish because of one another. We might as well be good to each other.

In my opinion, puppies and babies are one and the same because of how we care for them. My dogs always eat before I do (I know that's not an "alpha" thing to do, but I don't care). In the mornings, I let them go potty first even though I may need to go myself. I leave the air conditioning on for them when I think the temperature will get to 85 degrees. I know I'm not the only one who does this. Also, we will always see them as our babies no matter how old they grow to be. Unfortunately, dogs don't live as long as kids. I wish they did. I would love for my dogs to live up to their thirties or forties. I would be happy to take care of them until then. Hey, there are some parents who are continuing to support their kids at that age, and they aren't happy to do so. Can you blame them? A child is supposed to become independent especially when they reach adulthood. On the other hand, a dog will always be dependent on you no matter what age, but he will also consistently show his love for you. A child may not always demonstrate his love for you especially when he becomes an adult. And, that is the biggest difference I find! I'm just saying...dogs are pretty awesome! Honestly, I've never seen an ugly puppy, but I have seen a few unattractive babies (bad as that may have sounded, I'm sure some of you are nodding your head in agreement with me). It's a good thing that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Love, love your dogs. If you don't have one, adopt or save one. Then, if you do decide to have kids, you may want to consider getting a dog first if you don't already have one. A dog will certainly train you to become a better parent especially if you get a puppy. Your responsibilities will basically be the same since a baby and puppy are completely dependent on you. You may just get less sleep with a baby. Before Ripley, I never knew I had maternal feelings. People who truly see their dogs as their kids, like myself, want the same things for their dogs. We want them to be happy, comfortable, healthy and safe which I think is what all parents want for their kids.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Any comment is welcomed.