A Journey I Didn’t Expect
I never planned on keeping a puppy from our last Jack Russell litter, especially not a boy, and I certainly didn’t think raising a Jack Russell terrier alongside a baby was something I could mentally handle. Then came GOAT (originally named Cesar). His face could melt hearts from miles away. He reminded me so much of his dad, who had gotten sick, and we were just buying time. He followed me around the house at all times, and though I wasn’t entirely convinced, something about him kept drawing me in. Who’s crazy enough to raise a baby and a Jack Russell puppy at the same time?
During the physical evaluations, he wasn’t the best in the litter, and he was shorter than most people would have preferred, but I saw something in him that made me think he could be a solid dog—someone who could stand up to all the sports and games I wanted to play and stay strong and muscled. It still wasn’t enough to fully convince me, though. Then came the temperament test. He was similar to his brother, though a little more laid-back with strangers, which I actually preferred. But, still, it didn’t help me make the decision.
The benefit of having a local breeder who trusts you (my mom, LOL) was that I could bring the two boys I was considering to my house. I could watch them meet my dogs—mostly Halo, my older Jack Russell bitch—and see how they interacted with the baby and adapted to a completely new environment. This immersion experience made it crystal clear that GOAT (formerly Cesar) was the right fit for our house. From a breeder’s perspective, we often hear, “Why didn’t you keep that one?” or “What’s wrong with him?” But the answer isn’t so simple—it’s not that there’s anything wrong with the dog; sometimes it’s just about finding the right fit. But that’s a conversation for another day.
Raising a Puppy and Baby Together: A New Kind of Hard
Raising a puppy alongside a baby is as difficult as it sounds, but what I didn’t expect was how sweet and fun it would be. GOAT sleeps beside our bed (on my side), and we co-sleep with A (there’s so much advice out there, but follow your gut). Every morning, one of the first things A does is check on and say good morning to GOAT. He’s incredibly tolerant, especially as she learns how to interact with and treat dogs. At the same time, she’s patient while he is learning not to treat every object on the floor as his toy and not to steal food from hands (thank you, Joey, for the Zen reminder!). We’re teaching A how to ask the dogs to move instead of stepping on or trying to get around them (and falling in the process). GOAT, though, doesn’t mind one bit. He’s happy just being there and gets squished and stepped on constantly, only to roll over and keep going. Fortunately, we have other dogs who are more responsive, helping A learn to navigate around less tolerant dogs.
I always thought I would train up Beech, my young male Aussie, to be a Junior dog for A’s events. He’s very sweet, but he’s also a big boy who sometimes doesn’t know his own strength. But I’m already seeing the bond growing between A and GOAT. While he won’t be able to herd, he’ll likely be her partner in everything else and is definitely more her size. It’s funny—I always wanted a white and black female from specific lines, and here I am with a stocky, white and tan male full of speckles. And he’s exactly what we all needed. He’s even brought out the playful side of Halo (who doesn’t usually play well with others… IYKYK). Here’s hoping A can teach him the ways of rat games, even though his dad thought they were a bit silly since hunting in the fields and barn is much more fun!
The Challenges of Motherhood: Embracing the Chaos
A was a very gassy baby, which made nursing more stressful than I anticipated. At home, she was fussy a lot, and getting the dogs out was challenging, especially since she was a winter baby. Middle-of-the-night feedings were tough because A couldn’t just fall back asleep. She had to work out her gas before being rocked back to sleep, leaving her overtired. Sometimes, my husband and I would alternate shifts, holding her upright so she could sleep without gas bothering her. I ended up carrying her a lot during those early months, as it was the only way I could manage everything and not feel completely exhausted.
The days felt long, and the nights even longer. I didn’t always know when I’d last showered, or when I’d last slept. The sense of losing control was overwhelming—something I’d never been used to. I always felt pride in accomplishing things and setting goals and having checklists and sticking to a schedule and having a baby FORCED me to slow down. I I’ve always been someone who thrives on having control and a schedule. But my husband stepped in. Once A was in bed, he’d make sure I could take a walk in the yard with the dogs, helping me get a mental break. On the nights when A’s sleep was especially tough, he’d make sure the dogs got quality time in the yard.
It was a tough season, but I kept reminding myself that it would pass. And it did. There were a lot of tears and stressful days, but now I’m battling a toddler who loves to cause chaos in the cutest way possible. It’s still hard, but in a different way. I’ve made it through some tough moments, and I’m learning to trust my instincts more.
The Guilt That Comes with It All
There’s a lot of talk about mom guilt, but I felt it in so many forms—mom guilt, dog guilt, and even marriage guilt. It was wild. I still feel those things at times, but it’s easier now to recognize those feelings and take action to address them. It’s normal to feel this way when you’re trying to do right by your family, dogs, and partner. Parenting is hard when you want to raise good kids. It’s easy for those who don’t care as much. The same goes for dogs—if you just want them to stop chewing your stuff or going to the bathroom outside, it’s relatively easy. But if you want them to be well-trained, mentally stimulated, and able to accomplish things, it requires effort.
Nurturing and growing in your marriage is tough, too, when you genuinely care about your partner’s well-being. But here’s the thing: you don’t need to be perfect. You need to take care of yourself—mentally, physically, and emotionally—so you can truly be there for others. You don’t need to be happy 100% of the time to train your dogs, but long-term, you have to have things that fill your bucket. If nothing is doing that, it’s time for some self-work or life adjustments.
Having a baby changes your brain chemistry. You become a different person when you have a child. So give yourself grace. You would do it for your dog or child, so why not for yourself?
Reflection and Personal Growth
After having A, I struggled. The first 8 months felt like I was just going along, trying to figure out who I was and how to fit everything into my new life. I couldn’t adjust my chaotic schedule to fit A’s, and everything felt off. But I learned to adapt on the fly—a skill that’s always a work in progress for me. Her winter birth worked out in my favor since the toughest months of adjusting coincided with a time when I couldn’t train or compete outside anyway.
When I say I struggled, I didn’t know who I was anymore, and didn’t know if I could do my dogs justice anymore, was being a mom more than I could handle. It was something I knew I wanted from a very young age and was wrestling with how hard it felt and I felt like I should be able to do it myself. I love being a mom and now that she is a toddler I can look back and realize I was struggling with things internally but she is no worse for wear, and is a happy, clever, busy toddler.
At the end of the year, when I did my recaps and goal-setting (for both myself and my dogs), I realized I wasn’t failing. It just felt different. Personally, my biggest win was becoming a mom to a healthy, strong, happy baby. I also made time for myself, playing soccer once a week—my only truly non-baby time. My dogs completed 24 titles, including a National Championship title, and I realized how forgiving they were. Despite the chaos, I had laid down good foundations with them, and that support system—the village—was stronger than I realized.
Thanking My Village
I couldn’t have done it without my village. I have a small, trusted circle of dog friends who showed up in ways I never expected. Thank you to everyone who helped in whatever way they could. Even if you think your impact was small, I promise, it was appreciated.
My mom has been incredible—she’s been my rock. I could write a whole paragraph just about her and how lucky we are to have her. I couldn’t have done anything this year without her.
My husband has been an incredible partner, supporting me, our baby, and my dogs. He’s always been there for my passion with dogs, and I’m so thankful for that. He’s also an outdoorsy guy, and we’re looking forward to when A can help him with chores! I couldn’t do this without him.
And if you don’t have a village, reach out. We all need one.
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