Within the last few years, the trend of being a “dog mom” has risen dramatically, and with that trend has come thousands of dog Instagram profiles. For those of you who don’t know, Instagram is a social media platform where users can share pictures and videos with their followers.

I used to make fun of these dog moms, and especially the ones who made an Instagram page dedicated only to their dog.

But now, admittedly, I have become one of those dog moms, and believe it or not, I have made Rhea her very own Instagram page to share her cuteness with the world.

Although I dearly and truly love my puppy with my whole heart, I will say that she is a lot of work. It kind of feels like I have a child/toddler to take care of sometimes (disclaimer: I know humans and puppies are very different, so shout out to the real moms out there taking care of their kids).

But if any of you out there are thinking about becoming a dog mom, I’m here to tell you a little bit about what it’s really like to be a “dog mom” to your cute and cuddly four-legged child (at least, for my experience).

1.  It’s impossible to eat in peace.

I’ll cook dinner or lunch or whatever in the kitchen, and the whole time I’m preparing food, Rhea will just sit or lay on the floor and watch me.

But every time, and I mean EVERY time, I am done cooking and I go to the other room to sit down and eat my delicious meal I have prepared for myself, she starts jumping at the door and barking (or yelling, as it seems) at me to take her out to go potty. It never fails.

2. They need a lot of attention and exercise.

Puppies always need lots of attention, and, especially if they are a larger breed, they need space to run around and get tired. Rhea just so happens to have parents that are both over four feet tall, and she is one of the most emotional breeds there are. Having said this, I have to make time often to take her on long walks or to the dog park and play with her, so she doesn’t get lonely or bored. Believe me, when she is upset, she is very vocal about it.

3. Fidget spinners are the ultimate dog-entertainer.

Last week, I discovered the secret to entertaining pups—fidget spinners. I spun it and set it on the ground for her to observe, and by golly, she just thought that fidget spinner was the strangest, most interesting thing she’d ever seen. It’s kind of a nice break for when you’re really hungry or need to chill and do homework because you can kill two birds with one stone: entertain your dog and get your things done you need to do.

Dogs are wonderful companions, and I would not trade Rhea for the world, but she has been a lot of work—work that I’m not entirely sure I was prepared for.

I look forward to seeing her and playing with her everyday after class or work, and she makes most days worth all of the work I have put into training and taking care of her.

Natalee Reynolds is a sophomore English and creative writing major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or at nmreynolds@eiu.edu.