5 Ways Having a Puppy is Like Raising Kids

1. They will chew anything. Now while most kids I know don't chew on shoes, or in our case my fuzzy blue socks, I do remember our now five year old finding the smallest things on the floor to attempt to chew. I had forgotten what a huge motivation they both are for keeping my house picked up. 2. They need your attention. You can't just tune out and do whatever you want as a parent. The same is true for raising a puppy. You need to be paying attention to their cues for potty training as well as giving them lots of playtime. 3. They cannot be locked up in a crate all day. If you live in a situation where everyone will be gone all day than a puppy probably isn't for you. See #2. I do think it's important to make the kennel a safe place for breaks throughout the day and to have him/her sleep there as well. And, I hope I don't need to say that you should NEVER put a child in a crate. What I mean in relation to kids here is that being stuck in the house all day every day is no fun for them.  4. Positive reinforcement works way better than punishment. That's not to say discipline has no place, it does. I've just found that both kids and puppies would rather please people if you give them a way to do so. 5. A little bit of training can go a long way. Though I've not seen many training schools for kids (or any) I still believe it's important to "train your child up in the way he should go". A dog is no different. 
Oh, and a bonus...6. Both love and playtime are a necessity. Need I say more?
Obviously, this is supposed to be a light hearted comparison. I know that not everyone treats their pets as family like we do. If we can't laugh at parenting, then what will we laugh at?