Nobody Warned Me the Dog Would Be My Third Child

Looking at you, Nugget 🐶

When we got Nugget, I thought we were getting:

  • a sweet family dog

  • a cuddly little companion

  • something adorable for the girls to grow up with

What we actually got was another tiny dependent with emotional needs and absolutely no personal boundaries.

Y’all, nobody prepared me for this.

🐶 Nugget Fully Joined the Family Hierarchy Immediately

Not “pet” status.

Oh no.

This dog has somehow worked his way directly into third child territory.

And honestly? He knows it.

He has opinions.
Preferences.
A bedtime routine.

And if we disrupt any of it? This little shaggy man acts personally betrayed.

🚪 Personal Space? Never Heard of It

I haven’t gone to the bathroom alone in years.

And somehow the dog made it worse.

If I get up:

  • Nugget follows me

  • Jessica follows Nugget

  • Jenna follows everybody

  • and now we’re all standing in the kitchen together for no reason

I call it: The Parade of Dependence.

🛏️ The Sleeping Situation Has Escalated

Remember when we said: “The dog will sleep in his own bed.”

HAHAHAHA.

That lasted approximately 11 minutes.

Now Nugget sleeps:

  • beside the bed

  • on the bed

  • across somebody’s legs

  • or directly in the most inconvenient location possible

And somehow I’m the one hanging halfway off the mattress.

🚗 He’s Basically One of the Kids in the Car

The girls: “Can Nugget come?”

Nugget: already in the vehicle somehow.

And now I’m driving around with:

  • two kids

  • one dog

  • three water bottles

  • Goldfish crackers everywhere

  • and somebody crying because Nugget looked out their window

💛 The Emotional Support Role Nobody Talks About

But here’s the thing.

This dog knows.

He knows when:

  • somebody’s sad

  • somebody’s overwhelmed

  • somebody’s sick

  • somebody had a hard school day

And somehow this shaggy little creature quietly appears beside them like: “I got this.”

I’ve watched him curl up beside one of the girls during hard moments more times than I can count.

And honestly? That’s when I remember why we got him in the first place.

🧸 Nugget Is Equal Parts Chaos and Comfort

Yes, he:

  • steals socks

  • tracks dirt inside

  • barks at suspicious leaves

  • and acts like the neighborhood security manager

But he’s also become part of the heartbeat of this house.

The girls adore him. I adore him - Even when he’s staring at me while I eat a sandwich like I owe him child support.

🫶 Final Thoughts From This Dog Mom Who Didn’t Mean to Become a Dog Mom

At 3 months old, he had not had a long term family. Despite this, he walked confidently into this house, jumped on the sofa, and took a nap.

I can’t imagine our chaos without him now. He became family - Even if he does still eat random things off the floor like a tiny furry raccoon.

Love you, Nugget! 💛

Tags:
#DogMom #Goldendoodle #FamilyDog #MomLife #FunnyMom #SouthernMom #DogHumor #RealMotherhood #AtlantaMoms #GeorgiaLife #NuggetTheDog #PlanItMom #PlanItMomUS



Next
Next

The Mom Guilt