We see them everywhere. At the park, YouTube, television, Snapchat — just about any place that someone can shove their pet down people’s throats. Every dog owner seems to have this urge to document every single moment of their pet's life.

“But Kevin, don’t you do that with your dog?”

Yes, of course I do. Why? Because it's socially acceptable, and conforming to the status quo will get people to like my Instagram pictures. And let's be honest, this article as well. For all those people who don’t have a dog of their own, you see only one side of these little balls of fur. The cute, cuddly, I-can-make-you-happy-once-you-hold-me side. You see kids adopting these guys left and right just because of it, and now you’re thinking, "I want to get one as well." So you go out and get one, and it’s pretty sweet, right? As bland as it sounds, when they play around, trip over stuff and run in their sleep, it’s actually adorable. You could be mesmerized by the way they even eat stuff out of their bowl.

I recently adopted a two-month-old Australian Shepherd named Odin. Every morning he helps me start out my day by biting my ear. This is especially my favorite part, other than him doing it at six o’clock, right before the sun wakes up. So I get up, give him a good belly scratch for doing such an awesome job ruining my sleep and leash him up to take him for a walk. Once outside, he does this cute thing where he tugs on the leash to the point where it looks like he’s trying to escape Azkaban. So much so that after ten minutes, he realizes the reason he’s so tired and dizzy is because he’s slowly choking himself out. Following his mistake, after a couple blocks of walking and terrorizing the Boston community, he stops, sniffs a spot, looks me in the eye and goes about his business right there on the sidewalk. The most amazing part of it all: he does so without even breaking eye contact. To top it off, he sits right next to it and eagerly wags his tail, as if he’s saying, "Now pick it up.” After having no choice but to clean it up, a satisfied Odin drags me back to my place. When we get inside, I fill his bowl up with food, along with some water. His next three hours following our walk is spent switching from demolishing his bone to obliterating one of the many toys he has, and then to vigorously licking every inch of his body. Entertaining stuff, right?

So now you're sitting there, reading this, wondering if getting this puppy was a good idea, and all the while, the puppy is causing a frenzy in the middle of your living room for God knows why. Well, if you already got one or decided to get one, there are a few things you should know.

1. Plastic bags: your friend with a helping hand.

I'm going to get straight to the point here, there's going to be poop. Lots and lots of poop. Sometimes you won't even see it, but the smell … oh, the smell. You will smell the smelly smell that smells. People see puppies and they forget the whole aspect of them being cruel. They give no regard to where they go to the bathroom. Your kitchen, living room, hallways, you name it. Nowhere is safe. And that’s when it dawns on you that going to the grocery store serves only two purposes: 1) feeding yourself and 2) restocking on your ammunition of plastic bags. Nothing is more defeating when your puppy leaves you a present and you have nothing to wrap it up in.

2. You will never eat alone.

Yup, that’s right. You will never have alone time when you have food to eat. Your puppy will be there no matter what. This only sounds adorable because you hate seeing people eat alone, but very soon you'll get tired of it. Eating used to be a relaxing activity. Now it's more like a job, what with constantly guarding your food. Did I mention that it doesn’t even matter if you just fed him the whole bag of Pedigree? The dog. will. beg. It will beg and beg until your guilt builds up and you cave in, giving him that one piece of chicken. What do you suppose happens after? They will beg even more. So what do you do? The answer is something that takes a lot of will power and practice. Don't give your dog your food. If you can achieve this feat, the begging will come down to just a minimum. It sounds simple, but let me tell you, if you can deny a puppy your food while they beg with those adorable eyes, you could just as easily quit cigarettes if you were addicted to them.

3. Get ready for some energy.

You know when you go to a family party and all your younger siblings and cousins drink a bunch of soda and run around the house for a couple of hours? Now just imagine that, but without the debilitating sugar crash at the end. Puppies are like batteries that run on nuclear energy. Be ready for non-stop energy, especially when you just come home after work or class. It has the ability to whittle down the spirit of a weak-hearted person. The solution to this dilemma is simple: you need to bring the dog outside and run them to the ground. This will ultimately reduce the crazy nature of your puppy and save you a lot of stress from repeatedly telling them to calm down. Don't get me wrong, this won't make them tired. Nothing ever will. Accept that fact. They’re like wind-up toys that never stop unwinding.

In short, despite all of the trials and hardships, why would you ever get a puppy? The love. If there’s anything a dog has that’s more than energy, it’s the love they have to give.Through many long and exhausting days, your dog will be there for you. They have this weird way of knowing what you're feeling all the time. That’s how amazing a puppy can be. Through all the trouble and work, they still find a way to make you fall in love with them.