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Puppies are conversation magnets whenever you take them out of the house. Puppies are the kryptonite of introverts, making the most tight-lipped neighbor your new best friend. The neighbor may not wave at you when they walk past the house, but add a puppy in and they are ready to bring a lawn chair over and hang out. With all this new conversation over our ten-week-old Golden Retriever puppy named Rusty, I am shocked at almost everyone’s reaction of, “Oh, you got a new baby!”

The first time I heard it, I started looking around anxiously. Thoughts raced through my mind like, “Baby! Where? Where have I been for the last nine months? I really need to stop spending that much time on my phone. I missed an entire pregnancy!”

Then, I realize they are talking about Rusty. I may be a stick in the mud, but I didn’t get a baby, I got a dog. If it is a baby, and these folks think I should treat it like one, then I need to be on the lookout for law enforcement.

With a baby, it cries when it needs to be fed. You feed it multiple times a day with no strings attached. Rusty must work for his food. Puppies have a mind that is ready to be molded, and retriever puppies will do anything for food. During this early stage, Rusty is rewarded with food for sitting, staying, lying down, and coming when called. Before he eats out of his bowl, he must sit and wait patiently. I still can’t get my 13-year-old son to do this predictably when he eats. I might have him join in with Rusty on our next training session. Puppies are way easier than babies.

Also, when it’s bedtime for Rusty, it’s as simple as opening a kennel door, inserting Rusty, and closing the door. Putting a baby to sleep felt like building a house of cards. One wrong move, and you were back to square one. I don’t think putting your baby in a kennel is a good way to keep your baby in the household. When Rusty goes in his kennel, he may whine and cry for a minute or two, but it’s tough to hear over two closed doors and a fan on the other side of the house.

Now, if you want to call your dog your “baby,” go ahead. Dogs do have a way of snuggling their wet noses into our hearts and becoming cherished members of the family. In our household, Rusty is our new puppy. Puppies are special because they are uniquely made to make anyone smile, even the introverted neighbor. Babies were uniquely made to, one day, own and nurture the little slice of Eden on this earth we call puppies.