We recently got a puppy. You may be thinking that we are so lucky. Puppies are so fun and cute and they have that sweet smelling puppy breath. Others of you may even be jealous. Well, don’t be. Puppies are a pain in the butt.

It has been six years since there was a puppy in this house. I didn’t realize how peaceful that was until a puppy joined our house and turned it upside down. I may be a bit cynical and biased when it comes to this issue, because I was just fine with the dogs we had and didn’t want or see any reason for us to get a puppy. However, my husband just had to have one (much like a child in the checkout line just has to have a candy bar).

I knew having a puppy again was going to be rough, but I didn’t remember just how much work it was. It’s almost as much work as having a baby, except the puppy grows up faster.

The getting up every few hours in the middle of the night to take them to the bathroom, the constant clean up because they didn’t make it outside to the bathroom. The non-stop whining, the special food and (worst of all) the teething.

That puppy chewed through a computer chord the very first day we brought him home. Since then he has put numerous holes in kids clothing, chewed up a mattress pad, devoured a flip flop or two and constantly bites anyone who comes within striking distance of him. He is literally a little ankle biter.

I know he will grow out of it eventually. I’m just hoping that eventually comes sooner rather than later, for his sake and for the sake of everyone’s ankles in my house. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he will turn out to be as good of a dog as the dogs we already have. It’s not looking so good right now, but I guess I’ll find out one way or the other (because I know my husband won’t let me give him away).

Joy Larson is a mother of four boys, graduate of the University of Montana, animal lover and writer.

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