Use a Dog to Prepare for Baby?

Apparently some people think it's a great idea. (article)

Anybody who has had both a baby and a dog can tell you this is a terrible idea. For one thing, you can put a dog in a crate when you leave the house and still have a life. Also, dogs don't need to eat from a bottle or your breast every 2-4 hours. Dogs don't need to be rocked to sleep. And, dogs learn to walk straight away, which means they don't need to be carted everywhere they go.

Babies are babies for a lot longer than puppies are puppies. They require so much more of you physically, financially, and emotionally.

The main difference, though, is that your baby is a part of you, and that intimate connection alone is often enough to turn a selfish, irresponsible, lazy person into a devoted parent.

Nobody is ever really ready to have a baby. There is no way to prepare because unless you have one, you can't truly have a complete understanding of what is involved.

Dogs are great pets, but in the end, they're just pets.