Not sure about having kids? Try caring for a pet first

First pets, then children. That has always been Sandra Magura's theory, so that's the course the 34-year-old children's author followed. After marrying in 2008, she and her husband, Josh, bought a house and revisited that daunting question: Do we want to have kids?

"We had talked about having kids before, but he told me that up until he met me, he had no plans on ever having them," Magura says.

The newlyweds, who live in the US state of Virginia, soon adopted a golden retriever named Miller, and a month later, another dog, a shepherd/lab cross, named Lola. Miller has epilepsy and hypothyroidism and needs medication twice daily. Magura says caring for two dogs quickly taught the couple about dividing responsibility, a test they both needed to pass before having children.

"Josh was always wonderful, caring and gentle with all our pets. It was reassuring to see him like that," Magura says. "I would have to say watching him with the dogs did help to increase my desire to have kids."

In 2009, the couple welcomed their first child.

It's common for couples to adopt a cat or dog before they have children to see how well they "co-parent", says David Klow, a marriage and family therapist. The problem is that even if half of the couple decides their partner isn't a reliable pet owner, they tend to go forward with parenthood anyway. And that tends to illuminate a weakness in the relationship.