The Dog: Unfortunately, Not Human

I. Love. Dogs. Between that and my husband's experience in raising Seeing Eye dogs, we knew we were destined to get one as soon as we had a place that allowed pets. That's exactly what we did, and much to my dismay we quickly became Doggie Parents. You know, people who think of their pets as kids and refer to themselves as mommy and daddy. Thankfully, Ryan and I stop short of buying Daisy little embroidered sweaters and getting her picture taken with Santa each Christmas. Maybe next year.

Us good midwestern girls are a little too down-to-earth for those kinds of antics. Where I come from, dogs are not coddled. Oh, they are appreciated and loved, but decidedly NOT carried around like they are attached at the purse and talked to in a voice so high-pitched we wish only dogs could hear it.

Even though my homegrown background forbids me from carrying on like Sharon Osbourne, I was seriously over-coddling Daisy the other night. It happened several hours after we'd been walking her. On this particular morning, two large dogs came out of nowhere, on a dead sprint right up to Daisy. They were snarling, nasty, and aggressive, and one of them quickly got her on the ground with its mouth near her throat. Ryan came to the rescue and yelled so loudly at them that they began to shrink back, and we drove them off. Daisy seemed fine when I checked her. (And, mind you, Daisy is a friendly, sweet dog who loves to play with other dogs if their names aren't Killer and Hellion.)

Later on that night, I was petting Daisy when I saw a scratch under her chin that we'd missed when we were looking her over. All of my motherly instincts kicked in and I babied her like, well, she was an actual baby.

All of this made me wonder how much time I'd have to cuddle with her after we have kids. Do new moms tend to leave their dog behind in a trail of dirty diapers and burp cloths? Do the demands of the baby and all the changes leave mom unable to spare a moment with her puppy? Does the stark reality hit that the dog isn't human after all?

Hopeful Exhibit A:

Why, it's Alyson Hannigan holding her DOG only 3 months after having her baby. Where's the baby, you ask? Her hubby is at her side, pushing her baby girl in a stroller. Alyson looks happy and completely at ease, and both her baby and her dog are being given attention. Hm.

When I think about having kids I tend to feel sorry for Daisy, because I know she will have to sacrifice our attention. Her serene world at which she is the center will never be the same, and she doesn't have a choice.

I guess it's about striking a balance, just like lots of things in life. On the spectrum of doggie parenting, I hope to be somewhere between "what dog?" and "what baby?" Just like Alyson.

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