I walked into my apartment after work and was instantly hit with a terrible odor. Surely, that wasn't... of course it wasn't. I opened my door and saw my dog, Fish, covered in poo. Actually, the crate, carpet around his crate, and wall behind his crate were all poo-covered. "What happened!" Fish let out a cry. I was disgusted and confused because he's 100 percent crate- and house-trained, but I immediately went to cleaning him and the awful mess. To make a long story short, his stomach was upset for the rest of the night, he refused to eat and threw up three times in less than 24 hours— I was terrified for him. The vet ran tests and took x-rays; Fish had Giardia, a parasite that tears up its host's stomach. She prescribed him meds, special food and lots of fluids, handed me a $500 bill and sent us home.

I was relieved and overwhelmed. I finally realized how my parents must have felt whenever I got sick as a child. What if Fish is actually preparing me for my own kids, if I decide to have kids? Actually, he is. Here are some other excellent parenting lessons puppies teach their human moms and dads:

1. Selflessness

You put them first no matter what. What's yours is theirs. From being up multiple times throughout the night to spending your last dollar on the healthiest food you can buy them, their needs are more important than yours. Always.

2. Money management

You learn to prepare for unexpected expenses, like $500 vet bills, for instance. Instead of splurging on something for yourself, you'll start putting a little extra to the side for just-in-case scenarios.

3. Alertness

I always considered myself to be fairly aware of my surroundings, but since I got Fish, I'm hyper-vigilant. I notice way more cars, people, sounds and possible choking hazards than I ever did before simply because I'm watching out for him.

4. The importance of exercise

It's important to be able to keep pace with your puppy, but more importantly, to make sure the puppy gets its energy out. It makes a world of difference. Plus, tuckered out fur babies mean sleepy babies which mean down time for parents.

5. Patience

Puppies will test their limits repeatedly just to see where they fall in the chain of command. And although I can sometimes have a short fuse, I find myself calmly saying "No," "Stay" and other commands repeatedly on those days when Fish refuses to listen to me.

6. The power of the word "No"

Paired with a stern voice, this word can freeze a pup in their steps. And when I think back to my parents using the word, I remember how quickly I would stop whatever I was doing.

7. Quick reflexes

Puppies trip and fall and get into things quicker than some people realize; they'll even squat and potty in seconds if you aren't paying attention. You'll learn to move quickly to save them from a bump on the head or to save the carpet.

8. When to scold and when to empathize

I know he's just a dog, but I swear Fish gets embarrassed and scared just as much as any toddler. And I've learned that sometimes he just needs the comfort of his mom instead of a pop on the butt— whatever he got into was punishment enough.

9. How to have fun

There will be times that you get so wrapped up in life that you forget to smile. And at times, I focus so much on being Fish's parent that I forget to have fun with him. But he reminds me on a daily basis to laugh and play; like when he pokes me repeatedly on the back of the leg because he wants me to play chase with him.

10. The importance of socializing

I've met lots of other dogs who don't do well with other dogs, and I've met a lot of kids who just don't like to socialize. Excluding cases of anxiety disorders in both, I think that socializing has a huge positive impact on the development of puppies and children alike. I try to schedule regular puppy playtime so that Fish doesn't forget how to be friendly.

11. How to enjoy the little things

You ought to see Fish when he has an ice cube— no flavor at all and yet he's running around the house with it in his mouth. I may never be that happy with something small, but it's a nice reminder.

Each of these are critical to good parenting, and there's no doubt in my mind that there are even more lessons to be learned from puppies. With everything Fish has put me through I am sure to be better prepared for parenthood than if I had never been responsible for a puppy. And of course I know that there are some aspects of real parenthood that you just can't prepare for, but if owning a puppy means being slightly more prepared than the average new parent, count me in.