WHAT ITS LIKE BEING A DOG OWNER

From a young age I understood that my career is going to take front center while marriage and children will be later in life. I always wanted to establish myself as an individual prior to having kids. By the age of 24 I graduated University and decided to take couple of years off before entering masters program in order to pay off my student debt. During the time off I saw mostly all my friends get married start a family. My fiance and I knew that we were not emotionally, physically, mentally or financially ready to start a family and have kids so we decided to hold off on that idea and instead get a puppy. It has been a year of us being a proud owner to a miniature poodle, I couldn't be more happier with the decision we made. Having  a puppy before children showed us what hard work and dedication is needed to raise someone.  Just as children puppies require A LOT of attention and well structured day. Our puppy from day one was put on a strict schedule, and diet. We taught her tricks, and how  to behave when people come over. We showered her with lots of love, and care. Most of our friends with children do not understand that our puppy is our child, that we dedicated and still dedicate a lot of time into raising her. Whenever we go out we constantly think of her being lonely, and upset without us. She is constantly in our mind, we know we have to walk her, bath her, feed her. Unlike kids when they grow up they can do things for themselves, such as eat, play, use the bathroom, this wonderful creature depends on us fully till the day she goes on to a better place. Some of our friends look down on us for waiting this long to have kids, some say that ITS A DOG not a kid she will be fine.  What most parents of human children need to understand is that she is our kid, we worry about her just like they worry about their kids. We worry that she might ran away, we stay up at nights with her when she feels bad,  upset, we need to constantly cater to her needs. Just like human children she needs care around the clock, we also need to make arrangement when we decide to go somewhere on a vacation. Having a dog taught us true meaning of love, she is a lovable creature, who is very loyal and sits and waits for our arrival everyday home. She brings us brightness on a very dark days, she comforts us when we are upset, she licks us when we are sick. To all the people with children who look down on us, and say that she is not a kid and she can stay home by herself for long periods of times- realize one thing that she depends on us, she gets upset when we are not around, she requires a lot of attention, affection and dedication. I know one day  my fiance and I will want to have children, but she will always be our first kid.