Stop telling me my dog isn’t my child or that my dog is nothing like a child. Have you owned a dog? Have you raised a dog since it was a puppy? Surely you haven’t or you’ve forgotten what it was like. My dog is my child and here’s a few reasons why…
Barks, Whimpers, Cries
Yes, there’s a difference between all three but regardless of which one you’re stuck listening to it’s their way of telling you they need your attention, food, to be walked, played with, etc. They can’t speak English but boy do they know how to speak. It only gets louder the longer you ignore it.
Accidents Happen
Maybe in older dogs not so much, it happens but it doesn’t happen a lot. But with puppies, they have accidents all day every day. Potty training a dog is hard, you can have piddle pads all over the house and you’ll still end up cleaning their accidents. The things with dogs though, you don’t have diapers or pull ups for them, sure stores sell “Dog Diapers?? but how often and how long do dogs actually wear those things for? They end up torn to shreds which just leaves a second mess to clean.
Puppies Sleep Schedule
You sleep when puppy sleeps. Depending on when you get your dog this might not be as big of a deal for some as others. Puppies love sleep but they don’t always sleep for long and don’t be surprised when they wake you up every three hours to be walked. Walking them or letting them outside to do their business at three or four in the morning sometimes happens…a lot.
Puppies Vet Schedule
Every vet is different so your schedule will depend upon your vet but for puppies the first six months of their lives are extremely important. About every 3 weeks to a month you will be at the vet, getting shots, preventatives, and/or whatever else your puppy needs. Your weekend or week day will revolve around your puppy when taken to the vet. Puppies aren’t like kids in the since that they can tell you they’re feeling nauseous or something, you have to make sure you watch your puppy to notice if they’re having a strange reaction to whatever the vet gave them.
Security
As much as people say dogs are there to protect you, they need protection from you as well. You’re their owner, they are at your side through it all and need to be able to trust that you will not lead them into danger of any sort.
Dependent
Without you they have no home, no food, no bed, nothing. They can’t go get a job and provide for themselves, they depend on you to take care of them from the day you bring them into your home until the day they go to Heaven (all dogs go there). You are what keeps them fed, sheltered, clean, healthy, and happy, everything they have and need is because of you.
Don’t Listen
They don’t always listen, kind of like the way your mom use to have to yell at your brother to stop picking on you or your sister to stop bossing you around. Dogs don’t always listen until you’ve gotten loud with them, they have a mind of their own and will do whatever they please even if it leads to a time out.
Destroy Everything
Personally, I’ve lost a phone charger, two pillows, and a shoe…so far. Puppies especially love to chew on everything they can get their mouths on, yes this includes your arms, hands, toes, etc. Not only can their potty accidents ruin your stuff but they’re mouths can ruin a lot too. Dogs love playing and wrestling with stuff, no matter how many toys they have if something of yours catches their attention you better watch out.
Have To Be On A Leash
Sure, some people let their dogs out without a leash from time to time but if you want to be able to control them a leash is what you need. Anytime you want to open the door you better have that leash on because if they aren’t trained well enough to stay inside or in your front yard you will be chasing them. It’s not a huge responsibility but it’s definitely an important one to make sure they stay safe and controlled.
Attitude
Never did I think a dog could have attitude until I had one. You tell them “no?? or “get down?? or anything that they don’t want to hear and trust me when I say you’ll get attitude. They might tilt their heads and give you a look like “excuse me, what did you just say?!?? They might do a huff and puff kind of thing followed by a walk away from you, hell they might even talk back to you by barking a bunch. But trust me when I say they have attitude.
Love And Affection
No matter what difficulties or responsibilities they bring they have all the love in the world for you. They will be there for you to lick your face when you’re crying like a baby. They’ll be there to right by your side when you’re lonely, they greet you with excitement every time you come home from work, the tail wagging, the jumping, the kisses, the following you to the counter to set your keys down…it’s all out of the love and admiration they have for you. Never take that for granted.
Now, in no way am I saying having a dog is worse than having a kid. I’m just simply stating that to a dog owner, hell, to any pet owner, they have every right to see their pet as their child. Don’t underestimate all the crap (literal and figurative) that pet owners have to deal with.
