My Child, the Dog
There is a lot to be said about having a dog, but the first word that comes to mind is responsibility. Did you have a dog growing up? Were you that kid who begged their parents for a puppy and promised to take care of it? Then two weeks after it came home you either consciously, or sub-consciously, ditched your dog walking responsibilities and just wanted the puppy love? Well, yes, taking care of a pet is probably the first real responsibility your parents give you as a child, because for a child taking care of a pet can be fun, cute, and also give you some sense of pride - that is, of course, if you stick with keeping up with your responsibilities!
As an adult, deciding to get a dog seems a bit different, doesn’t it? First, you ask yourself, “Do I want to adopt a dog, or do I want to get one from a breeder?” “Do I want a puppy, or an adult dog?” The real question is, “Do I have the patience for a puppy? Do I have the time for a puppy/dog?” But then you ask yourself, “What if an older rescue has issues I can’t fix?” See, as adults we understand the responsibility of having a dog a lot more than we do as children. Sure, we know the benefits of having a dog; enjoying their affection, the companionship, or having a good laugh when it tries to jump into the bathtub with us. But are we ever really prepared for the daunting task of raising a dog? The truth is, having a dog is just like raising a child. Or, is it?
Let’s compare the two:
Puppy: needs to go outside every 2-3 hours, including in the middle of the night.
Baby: needs to be fed every 2-3 hours, including in the middle of the night.
That’s a clear 1 to 1 tie
Puppy: eats too fast and throws up all over your new rug.
Baby: eats too fast and throws up all over your couch, your new sweater, and your clean hair
I’d say that’s another 1 to 1 tie
Puppy: pees and poops in your house.
Baby: (if it’s a boy - and ask me how I know) pees, and aims for your face, and poops as soon as the diaper comes off.
Some will argue this, but this is another tie.
Puppy and/or any dog: buying puppy supplies - the food, the bed, the crate, the bed that goes in the crate, the dog bed that matches your living room, the second crate four months later because they have grown out of the first crate. The leash, the collar, the harness, the second leash that replaced the first leash that was eaten. The food bowls, the toys, then more toys, and then the toys that replace the toys that were eaten, and then the toys that replaced the second set of toys that replaced the first set of toys that were eaten, then the toys you buy that can’t be digested. Then there is the shampoo, and maybe a new towel to replace the towel that was torn-up while trying to dry the dog after the bath. The brush, the special maze food bowls that replace the regular dog bowls, because your dog eats too fast and throws up all over your new rug. And then there is the car seat, and car seat covers, heck maybe there is even a new car needed because the one you had before is too small for your road trips now - oh and then you need the dog travel bag and the dog coats (we mean four dog coats, because you need the rain coat, the winter coat, the stylish coat, and then the who-cares-if-this-gets-muddy-and-destroyed-on-a-hike coat). New food as well, because your vet just told you your dog is actually throwing up on your new rug because it’s allergic to its food, not because it eats too fast… and… and…!
Baby: baby supplies - car seat, stroller, bottles and bottle warmers, 4 onesies, diapers, a crib, and maybe a sound machine.
Puppy trumps baby
Puppy: vet bills - dog eats sock, rock, oysters, toys, a ball, grapes, chocolate, onions, more socks, another ball, but smaller, this time it’s stuck in the intestines, dog destroys its cone of shame 2x, rips bandage off and tears open stitches on their abdomen both times = $133,876,456 - your insurance reimburses you maybe 80% - so $26,775,291.20
Baby: medical bills - HSA $3k annual deductible is met - now visits are fully covered
Again, puppy trumps baby
Puppy: securing a play area - fencing in yard $5,000+, electric fence maybe $1,500 or more
Baby: securing a play area - play pen - $150 on Amazon
…
Are you seeing a pattern yet? While young dogs may be expensive, as well as come with heaping responsibilities, it’s obviously our children that take the financial cake in time. Luckily, dogs are only puppies for about two years, which is short in comparison to our children.
But if there is one thing that having a dog does teach us it’s how to be a parent. Like children, dogs thrive on structure, consistency, discipline, and rewards. Learning how to create and manage these behavioral traits in your dog is a skill which is not too far from the skills that are required when raising a child. If you have raised a dog, then you understand the fundamentals one needs to be a human parent, and possibly you can be more prepared for parenting children then those who have not raised a dog. There are several articles I found online that support this theory, but most of them suggested that couples should get a dog prior to having children to see if their partner will be a fit parent (or spouse). That is an entirely different story. When the marriage is over, or we are widowed, don’t we get another dog? Or when the kids leave the nest, we don’t jump to the conclusion of having another child, but it does give us the idea of “maybe I should get a dog?” The more you think about it, the dog becomes the favored child. The dog becomes the one that doesn’t talk back, doesn’t cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in college tuition, nor will it require you to keep an entire room (or section) in your house for when it comes home to visit.
The reasons for having a dog changes as we get older and older. Now, it’s for support or possibly for a sense of purpose. Maybe it’s even for medical reasons, or you need something to get you out of the house, to meet new people, or for you to fill the void of your children moving on to start their own families, and you still want the feeling of having a dependent. One thing is for sure, we only remember the good times, the affection and constant companionship, and we forget what the first two years are like. No matter how young or old we are, we may put ourselves through puppyhood over and over again just to have that child, the dog, by our side.
