By Jamie Strickland
I’ve never been big on the terms “dog mom” or “pet parent.”
Has anyone else ever seen posts on Facebook like “my baby went missing today” or “does anyone know who’s baby this is?” or “this lost baby was in my yard,” and had a mini-panic attack, thinking the post was about a human child? I certainly hope Facebook wouldn’t be their first recourse if that was the case.
I’m not minimalizing the owner/pet relationship at all by not using those terms— there’s a very special kind of love and a unique bond that develops between a pet owner and their animals.
Maybe it’s just me, but the parent/child relationship is very different from the relationship I have with my dog.
For starters, my dog listens to me way better than my kids do.
He lives to please and will do anything for a treat. He stays when I tell him to, sits when I say “sit” and he never sneaks food that he’s not supposed to have. None of these are true for either of my kids.
He also cares way more about my happiness than they do. It’s his joy in life to spend time with me, and as my kids evolved into teenagers, they care a lot less about that too.
I never had to change his diaper, he doesn’t need a college fund and he doesn’t talk back. Maybe just the occasional heavy sigh or grumble when I make him go lay down.
He never complains about what’s for dinner and always happily eats all of his food.
He has a loud, intimidating bark that would definitely scare off an intruder. I’m pretty sure my son would invite a burglar in and start showing them his Pokemon card collection.
My dog never holds a grudge. Even if I feel bad about not spending enough time playing with him or if I yell at him for standing right behind my legs and tripping me up, he is always just as happy to see me and ready to forgive and forget.
No, my dog is not my baby. But he definitely fills a little pup-shaped hole that would be in my heart without him.
