There's also the puppy-proofing. The constant poop scooping (I'll spare you the stomach-churning details). The training. The feeding. And the grooming.
Doggone happy
As predicted, and without question, Thumper has brought significant weight to my already heavy load. So why then, when my friends ask if I regret our decision to get a dog, is my answer an automatic and resounding "absolutely not"? I suppose it's for the same, indescribable reason I blush like 
a new mom when people walk past me if I happen to be sunning on my front porch with Thumper sitting beside me, his nose high in the air, taking stock of the world before him. And when strangers offer compliments to this handsome dog whose nature has been described – in part because he actually looks like he's grinning all the time – as "pure happiness."
This silly mutt, it seems, completes the puzzle that is my family.
"OK then," announces one of my more determined mommy friends. 

"If you don't regret getting a ‘family’ dog, I should get one. Right?"
"Wrong" is my firm reply. "Don't do it. Way too much work." She smiles at me, and I grin back.
Apparently, I'm not that convincing.
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Read more:
• How to choose a dog
• Dog Q&A
• 10 tips on choosing the right cat or dog for your family
Writer Kim Gray and her family live in Calgary.
