There’s a Lot to Do to Prepare for a New Baby, So We…Got a Puppy

From conversations with family and friends, it seems that most couples spend the last few weeks prior to welcoming their first child preparing the house, reading parenting books, and putting sleep in the bank. My wife, Vicky, and I, however, decided on an alternate path and bought a 14-month old, nearly 80-pound Bernese Mountain dog.

Vicky’s rationale for this decision was that we could train the dog during our winter vacation, and when she started on maternity leave, could get the dog on a schedule. Although I was…