There's something different about the milestone "getting your first dog together." I'm not saying other milestones like buying a house or getting engaged isn't close to the very top of the list-because I'm sure to several it is.

But for me? Dogs are my weakness.

My boyfriend is my weakness.

So putting them both together is surreal, and I encourage anyone who is truly in love to get some type of animal (even if it isn't a dog) with your significant other. You learn what kind of responsibility they put into raising something they so desperately love.

You think you love this person all you're capable of loving them, then you see them giving all their love to something that is both of yours...together. It all becomes that much more special, and still to this day it is one of my greatest accomplishments.

I'm sure that will all change one day when I'm a mom or when I get married, but for right now I think I'll bask in the wonderfulness that is my dog and boyfriend.

Though it's a beautiful journey, it's a hectic one too. I believe this prepares you for what it will be like one day to have a family of your own, and even though it's exciting to get to go through some of the motions, it's tough, "ruff," and scary all at the same time.

1. You question whether or not you may actually love this dog more than your boyfriend

Boyfriend: "If me and Benjy were both drowning, AND YOU COULD ONLY SAVE ONE, who would you save?"

Me: "Well lucky for you Benjy is an excellent swimmer so..."

Boyfriend: "No...no that wasn't the question. We are both submerged underwater, WHO WOULD YOU SAVE?!"

Me: "What kind of freaking question is this? Why would you ever make me choose?"

2. The infamous "I took him out last time"

You took him out last time? Well, I cleaned up the shit that stuck to the bottom of my shoe two hours ago.

Oh.

You took him out last time? Well, I picked up every piece of toilet paper from the hallway that he got out of the garbage, and every sock he took out of the hamper.

YOU TOOK HIM OUT LAST TIME?!

WITH YOUR SNORING AND THE PUPPY CRYING, I GOT 2.5 HOURS OF SLEEP LAST NIGHT.

YOU TAKE HIM OUT.

3. The "what's in your mouth?" game

I don't know why I feel like asking my boyfriend what our dog has in their mouth is actually going to get me anywhere because it never does.

Me: "Babe what does he have in his mouth?"

Boyfriend: "Benjy what do you have in your mouth?"

Me: "Do you really think asking Benjy is going to get us anywhere?"

Boyfriend: "Do you really think asking me is going to get anywhere?

Benjy: *Eats entire sock then shits it out later*

4. The first vet scare

The first time you have to take your baby to the vet (for something other than a check-up) is probably one of the scariest feelings in the world. It makes all the times you fought over who would take them outside or argued about what they were chewing (and why they were chewing it in the first place) irrelevant.

It's watching them shake as they go back to that room, and waiting not so patiently for what the vet has to say and if your baby will be okay.

To find out it was something minor that both you and your significant other worried about for no reason.

"Yes he did eat your bracelet, but give it a few days and it'll be right back out of him in no time."

At this point, neither of us care. We're just trying to hold back tears and get our baby back in our arms.

5. Saying Goodbye

One of the hardest and most difficult things you will have to do in your life is saying goodbye to a pet you love.

An even harder thing you'll have to do is say goodbye to a pet you love with someone you love. I think the difficult part is to imagine every stage of this dog's life you got to enjoy with your partner, and now it will continue with your partner, but potentially start with a new dog. It's weird to even have to come to terms with starting over, but telling each other that it's what your first fur-baby would have wanted helps a little.

Getting a dog with the love of your life will change it. It will make little things seem big, and smaller things look huge. The first time they go up and down stairs, to the first time they fall asleep on you with their belly facing up.

There are all these cute memories that you don't just watch alone—you watch with the person you love.

If we are this much in love, can you imagine what it'll be like when we have kids? God, I can't.