Puppies and Preschoolers

I was thinking today about how much my puppy is very much like a preschooler. Having been a professional nanny for several years, preschoolers are one area of life I know quite well. What I'm learning now is that those skills come in quite handy with a young puppy, too. For example, the noise I'm hearing in the living room right now is her destroying something. So I went to check ... it's just a box.

Which brings me to point #2.
Don't buy a puppy (or a preschooler) fancy expensive toys. They'll prefer the box they came in:

Or your friend's child's free toy:

"No, No!" is now the most common phrase out of my mouth. Shoes are not for eating. Feet are not for chewing. Furniture is not a chew toy. Enough with the barking -- I hear you already.

And I love every minute of it. Because at the end of the day, she plays and makes me laugh, and she loves to be near me.

I kinda like this puppy thing.