At what point exactly does your dog become your fur baby? For some, it’s the moment you lay eyes on your precious pooch. For others, it may have taken longer. You know the ones … “it’s my wife’s dog” or “I’m a cat person” … even many of these slow adopters cross over to accept their dog as a true member of the family.
How do you know if this has happened to you?
Let’s look at some of the telltale signs:
- Do you refer to yourself as your pet’s mom or dad?
- Do you love your dog as much as you do your children?
- Do you carry a picture of your dog in your wallet and show it to others often?
- When selecting your vehicle, is the comfort of your dog a determining factor?
- Does your dog have its own stocking and get gifts under the tree at Christmas?
- Do you dress your dog in a warm coat for winter walks? (If you do boots too, that counts double.)
- Do you have a harness or car seat in your vehicle for the dog?
- Do you have a stash of dog treats in your purse?
- Are your coat pockets loaded with doo-doo bags?
- Do you celebrate your dog’s birthday? (If you invite neighbor dogs, that counts double.)
- Is your dog’s bed part of the living room décor?
- Does your dog go to see Grandma instead of the kennel when you’re travelling?
- Do you take your pooch to doggie daycare while you’re at work?
- Have you made provisions for your dog in your will?
- Do you have a special stroller or stylish purse for carrying your dog?
- Have you called in sick because your dog is “under the weather?”
- Do you welcome slobbery kisses from your dog?
If you’ve answered yes to one of these, we bet you answered yes to most of them. Congratulations! You’re not alone. It’s becoming more and more common for your pet to become a valued member of the household. These are truly the lucky ones.
There is still too much animal abuse and neglect, but hopefully with the awareness campaigns about puppy mills, overbreeding and the vast numbers of dogs needing adoption, this trend will continue to turn around. Every dog deserves a loving home with a proper medical care, a warm shelter, nutritious meals, and your time and attention. It’s a lifelong commitment, just as you have with your children.
This blog is brought to you by Under the Weather®, provider of freeze-dried bland diets for dogs with digestive issues. Under the Weather is also an avid supporter of finding homes for shelter dogs. We finance the Ruffy Rescue Transport Fund to cover the transport cost of bringing dogs from overpopulated kill shelters to Vermont for adoption. A portion of every dollar in sales is channeled to supporting this cause. Get to know more about Ruffy.
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