to think "no, it's not the same"?

[Twinkleinmyeye]

Since having my DC, I've had conversations with some friends which might run along the lines of "yeah, well it's all about consistency and making sure you do as you say you're going to do" or "Yup, I was up with him at about 5 this morning because he wouldn't stop crying". Normal conversations for parents, you might think? Well, yes, except that these conversations have been with DOGOWNERS.

One close friend has just acquired a puppy. She doesn't have children and this is her first pet. So, I totally understand that this is her first taste of being responsible for another living being. I really do get that.

But please, AIBU to think "No, having a new puppy is nothing like having a new baby??"

noinspiration

I think a puppy is much harder than a baby. Especially when you stupidly get said puppy in winter and are stood in the snow saying "Well done you did a poo" in a silly high voice at 10pm.

Babies are much easier, they don't have to go outside in the snow to poo

puppy was way harder work than my two dc combined!

I had plenty pets in my life, and I really loved them when I was little, but nothing to do with a baby, and the attempt to compare would offend me to be honest, I am not welcoming anyone who compares my baby crying with a puppy

Everything I know about bringing up my children I learned from my horses. Staying calm, consistency, reward the try, positive reinforcement etc. So yes, I find raising children similar to training horses, so why not a puppy/baby comparison. I would say they are quite similar in some ways...

Yanbu, but I have heard of people saying this before

nominates noninspiration for post of the year

Seconded

I had two children, then I bought a puppy.

Give me a baby any day of the week. I now have a baby again and he's far easier than the puppy was.

Yanbu. sil got a puppy. We have 2 kids. She's constantly talking about the dog (fine - dont really have a problem with that). I do have a problem when we get cards off it... As do my PIL - they get cards off their 11th 'grandchild'.....

Drcrab- why should it matter to you if she's not interposing her dog before your children? Ie 9th grandchild and then yours?
It gives her happiness because she cares that much about it.

Sorry but "it's all about consistency" is common sense, you don't need to have spawned to understand that. You sound like the kind of person who disregards even good advice if the person isn't an ~expert~ such as yourself... yabu

Also you sound like a martyr who can't stand the thought of not being the most hard done by or have your "struggles" recognised.

I haven't got pets but I have a friend who recently got a puppy and says it is harder work than either of her children were as babies.

aww, come on people!!!!

Seriously??

This is a light hearted thread? Isn't it OP?

We all know that ultimately a baby is harder work....it's just you get a puppy and my lord it reminds you exactly how hard it was to have a baby!

If the person in question has yet to have children, maybe they're struggling with the fact they have yet to have a baby so are putting that love onto a dog - it's not that horrific is it? I can't imagine wanting and not having a baby (well I can but as i have a DD already, I consider myself very blessed)

I am a dog/cat NUT, I spend far too much time adoring/photographing/talking to/ my pets....having a puppy is hard work though. I think this is why so many of the poor sods end up dumped/at rehoming centres.

So sad.

I'm sure OP meant this in a semi light hearted way? Am I wrong?

I have to say I appear to be training DD along the lines of how I train my dogs . She sits on comand and retrieves .

Next door have just got a puppy - I puppy sat last week for one day and I actually said to dp "that puppy is more work that DD when she was born"!

Nobody would seriously consider pets to be like children, but when you're woken at 5am to a cat stamping on your face, you will whine about it. :)

My cat can only be described as Satan with fur, she makes my sleeping impossible in the morning, usually just before the alarm goes off.

When people treat pets like children I find it quite odd, obviously you love your pets and treat them like one of the family, but they are an animal. People get annoyed when cats/dogs behave oddly and my parents talk to their dog as if it understands their ramblings which is amusing to watch. YANBU to be slightly peeved that she's saying it's the same as a child, but if she has no children perhaps she's sympathising in her own way with parents sleep deprivation. :)

Aribura Sun 18-Mar-12 23:11:43
Also you sound like a martyr who can't stand the thought of not being the most hard done by or have your "struggles" recognised.

Yikes, that's a bit harsh.

It is a bit like it. Although you don't come home with a puppy and a stitched up fanjo

But tbh it is the kind of thing I might have said when I was much younger

Also no-one will call SS if she leaves the dog alone in the house all day!

But in fairness, having a puppy is much more work than most non dog owners realise - if you are going to look after it properly.

I did this years ago when a friend had her first baby and i got two kittens at the same time. I now know what a tit I was and how it must have annoyed her but at the time, I was up in the night and constantly rescuing them from dangerous situations etc so it seemed the same - now I know better!

I've done puppyhood 4 times, this greatly helped my parenting when DD1 was born. Boundaries, tone of voice etc. HV wasn't overly impressed when I told her it's ok I've handreared a litter of puppies I can deal with 1 baby.
New puppy = a life altering experience with new responsibilities and new crowd of people and new terminology.
A newborn is all of this but just to a greater degree.