William and Kate's Royal Romance: Is It Puppy Love?

It's just days before Kate Middleton and Prince William tie the knot on April 29. Royal watchers think the couple is ready for marriage because they’ve known each other for a decade. But I think there’s another factor in their favor that's completely overlooked: Each has a dog.

This may not be a make-or-break matter, but it's significant. Knowing where your beloved stands on dog-related issues can eliminate battles that often arise when a furry addition joins the household later on.

William’s pooch is a chocolate labrador named Widgeon. Kate has a cocker spaniel named Otto. Otto already tested the couple’s relationship last year when he ate a pair of pearl earrings the prince gave Kate for her 27th birthday. Reportedly, William laughed and offered to buy his bride another pair. 

Whether you're royals in London or just parents in Encino, it's important to discuss your pet parenting styles.

My friend Karen’s husband, for example, doesn’t find his current situation all that laughable. Despite repeated threats to sleep on the sofa, he’s still forced to share a bed with his wife’s 100-pound golden doodle.

Worse yet is the tension at my friend Lisa’s house. Her new money-suck of a rescue dog, Rex, has quickly bonded with her and the kids but snaps and growls every time her husband enters the room.

“I thought about hiring a trainer to come work with us, but I’m afraid my husband will kill me if I spend one more penny on this dog,” she said.

Before tying the knot, couples routinely discuss how many children they want and how they will be raised. But unless a canine is already in the mix, dog issues go unexplored. Yet, inevitably, when a four-legged roommate moves in, so do a host of potential conflicts, compromises and sacrifices.

Will Fluffy sleep in her dog bed or yours? Will you follow “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan’s “Dominance Training“ technique or the “Positive Reinforcement” approach espoused by experts such as Bruce Blumberg, professor of dog psychology at the Harvard Extension School? Will the dog go on family vacations or be boarded?  What about sweaters and bows? Are those a yay or nay?

My husband and I never discussed our dog-rearing beliefs before marriage because neither of us wanted one. Then three years ago my daughter, the animal lover, guilted us into adopting Lulu. And though we love our high-strung little yapper, she has definitely thrown a wrench into the works. While I’m the more lax one with our kids, when it comes to Lulu, my husband prefers that I play bad cop, booting her off the bed when her paws are wet or reprimanding her for terrorizing the mail carrier.

It’s a similar dynamic at my friend Sally’s house. She’s a devotee of Millan’s "owner as alpha dog" rearing approach. Therefore, when she leaves the house and her Maltese has a meltdown, she refuses to coddle him. She simply says, “See ya,” which her husband complains is terribly cold and cruel.

Presumably, that’s just one less disagreement Kate and William will have.