Words of Advice

Recently, I've come to discover a big mistake I made. I thought I'd share it, hoping nobody follows in my footsteps.

DON'T buy a dog just because you want a baby. About two years ago, I started thinking that I really wanted a baby. However, timing wasn't quite right, and babies don't just come "on demand" like TV shows. So what's the next best thing? A dog of course! I have always loved boxers, so I started looking into boxer breeders in Utah. I even contacted one asking about price and colors. She said her next litter should be coming in August and she would let me know when the puppies arrived. When I asked Matt about getting a dog, he kept saying, "You can decide. You'll make the right choice." I decided to wait a little bit, thinking that would help. Then, this breeder contacted me saying she had a puppy who was a little older than usual because the elderly woman who originally bought her couldn't take care of her (what 90 year old woman buys a boxer puppy??). She then started putting pictures of this adorable owner-less puppy all over my Facebook! I was in school meetings, and I started texting Matt right away. He was being his usual self and completely ignored anything to do with buying a dog. Since he didn't say no, I told the lady I wanted her! I was so excited. I  called Matt, and he said, "Are you serious?" He may or may not have said a swear word mixed in that sentence as well. I told him I needed to drive to Nephi to pick her up, and I had no idea where that was, but he said he wasn't coming with me.  (Needless to say, he didn't really want a dog). So I called my mom, and she was more than happy to drive with me. She loves boxers too! When we picked her up, she was the sweetest dog ever. I just loved her. See how excited I was?

The joy continued for a long time. Matt even grew to love her. She really was the best dog ever. We took her to Petco on shopping trips and walked her to various places. We even took her to restaurants that had outside eating, so she could come with us. It was wonderful. Then a few months later I was pregnant! How exciting! I dreamed of Kitty playing with our little baby. It was all going to be great. Then I got home from the hospital and when I saw Kitty, I cried. I couldn't believe I had to take care of this little person all on my own, and I sure didn't want a dog to take care of too. On top of that, Kitty started chewing up every thing in the house the day Swen came home. She also started climbing on the kitchen counters to find food, which never happened until Swen came home. Now that Swen is older, I actually love seeing them play together. He LOVES her, and she is amazing with him. She lets him pull, scratch, hit, and bite her. She is a great dog with kids, and I think as Swen gets older, the fun will grow. However, after she chews my shoes, clothes, Swen's books and toys, or eats an entire box of freshly baked fudge off the counter (don't worry, she's okay), I REALLY wish I didn't get her.

My advice: don't buy a dog just because you want a baby.