Dog Mom

I saw a hat at the store with a patch that said "Dog Mom." I really wanted that hat. I thought about wearing it in the pick-up line while I get my kids from school. It would be so cute in the selfies I take with my dog every day.  One day, I will have a hat that says Dog mom, because it is a really fun thing to be.

Now I'm about to get controversial. It's a sign of the times. Buckle up for an opinion. People sometimes say that having a puppy is the same as having a child. Those people are wrong unless a) they are really weird dog parents or b) they are terrible human parents.

This one is on Etsy.

I love dog people. They are good, decent people. I am one of you. I love my dog. I take my dog with me places. I get told that my dog does not belong in places because of her innate doggness. It's a prejudice within society. I get allergies. Don't touch the dog if you are allergic. But she's not hurting you if she's standing quietly by my side on a leash. I was picking my kids up from school and a woman told me that my dog was scaring some children and I couldn't have her on the sidewalk. I felt protective and grumpy. It's a dog world humans, and you need to get over it. Service dogs are part of our society and dogs are wonderful. The problem here is not with my dog. The problem here is with a child who has not learned how to interact with a dog.


I was surprised at my feisty defensiveness, my protectiveness over my dog baby. She's staying! Deal with it or call the cops! (I didn't say any of that. I just said OK, with no intention of following the rules). Being a dog mom involves planning days to accommodate potty schedules, getting in play time, cleaning up poop, shopping for snacks, socializing, and training. I do all these things. I have lost beloved leather shoes to my dog's chewing habits. I have lost sleep to my dog when she first arrived. I have considered, but have not yet, baking dog biscuits for my dog. I am sure the day will come. Despite the clear responsibility of a dog, it's not the same as a baby.

I cannot kennel a baby. It is frowned upon. Also, it is illegal. 


A baby is an always. There are no breaks. That baby needs me at all times. ALWAYS. As a breastfeeding mommy, my babies were biologically tied to my body. My boobs hurt when it was time to feed the baby. This does not happen with my dog. Bottle feeding mommas are the same. They are on it because babies eat all the time. A puppy doesn't have the same eating schedule. My puppy left her momma when she was 9 weeks old. And then I became her momma. She had a sad night crying in her kennel, and then she was over it. The next night she only cried a little bit when I first put her in. This is not so with a baby. Babies cry. Many times. Many, many times throughout the night.

A puppy can go for hours without food. I only need to feed her breakfast and dinner. I put some food in a bowl and I'm done. If I mess it up by a half hour or so, the puppy will be fine. Babies are very fru-fru about their dietary requests. I couldn't eat chocolate while I was nursing because it would make their tummies hurt. My dog doesn't care what I eat. Puppies are also really great about not making me do laundry for them. I so wash a few more rags because she digs in her water. It's not the same as when I was doing cloth diapers. NOT AT ALL. And, a baby gets diaper rash. Thank heavens that is not true for a dog. My pup, while not accurate in where she poos and pees, will certainly get it off her bum. A baby can't walk for an entire year. (Overachiever babies do it sooner, but my babies were just average, so back off fancy moms). My dog is really good at walking and has been since the day I got her. In fact, it is one of the things she does best. My kids all take turns walking her. This is another way in which babies and puppies differ. My five-year-old son is a great playmate for the dog. He can feed her, and watch her, and make sure she doesn't chew on stuff. He would be a terrible babysitter for a baby. I wouldn't trust him for a minute alone with a baby.

My puppy is only little for a few months. It's a small time. Babies are babies for years. Like, several years. Many, many years. 

So, while being a dog mom is super fun, and definitely not a casual relationship, it isn't the same as a human baby. And this is why I don't have post-partum depression. Bless my pupper and her furry beautiful self-sufficient heart. I'm going to give her a treat for being so super.