5 Ways Babies are Like Dogs

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Many couples get themselves a cat or a dog when they first get married or move in together. I think it is a subtle way of marking their commitment.

We too acquired a fur-baby when we moved in together. Rosie is now 8 and I still think of her as my first fur-born.

The baby stage with animals can be a trying time. Crying in the night, teething, biting, toilet training. I think many couples believe if they can get through the puppy or kitten stage they have prepared themselves a little for having a baby.

Well I am here to tell you, you are right.

Not all babies are like baby animals-Boo for example was house trained very early on-she never bit or chewed anything. Her brother though is a different story so here are my five ways having a baby is like having a puppy.

1.Chewing. You’ve all heard the phrase ‘the dog ate my homework’ well only a few weeks into Boo starting school, I had to sheepishly go into class and say the baby ate Boo’s reading book. That’s right, he will eat paper, take chunks out of books, digests newspapers like some journalism critic (ironic I know) and basically devour any inanimate object he can get his little mitts on.

2.Escaping. Puppies and kittens quite often escape. They are usually small and can some how squish themselves under tiny spaces. Babies are the same. Those supermarket trolley seats without a belt? No problem for an 11-month old explorer. Don’t even think you can turn your back to look at a skirt in M&S, that child will have one chubby leg over the trolley handle in a minute.

3.Carrying things in their mouths. Animals don’t have hands so they usually carry things around in their mouths-sticks, bones, newspapers. Now we all know babies do have hands but if you’re trying to crawl but also heave your sister’s Minnie Mouse to the other side of the room, how are you going to manage it? Likewise, if you have a remote control in one hand, a phone in your other, the only logical way to also get your hands on your favourite toy is to carry it in your mouth. Easy.

4.No sense. Puppies and kittens can do really stupid things-kamikaze off sofas, slide head first down stairs. Babies are no different. Baby G has perfected the commando roll. Should he lose his balance when climbing on a box or similar, he just does a kind of roll and gets up laughing. Saying that though, between 10 and 11 months, we had a burst lip, a bloody nose and a nice bruise on his head. My little toughie didn’t even cry though, he just got back up and tried again,

5.Biting. I remember when Rosie was a pup, we would have to watch TV with our feet off the floor because those pesky teeth coming through made her want to gnaw on our ankles. Baby G is exactly the same. He has mastered kissing your face but leave any other part of your body near his mouth for long enough and the little teeth will sink in. It was cute but when you have a mark on your stomach that is a cross between a blood blister and a love bite, you learn to move pretty quickly when the mouth opens.

So if you have just got married or moved in with your partner and are thinking of getting your own fur baby, it really will stand you in good stead should you ever go on to have children. It’s just the crying in the night goes on a little longer with a baby.