After all, having a dog is a lot of work. Everyone knows that, right?
Well, you'd think. But, honestly, I see a lot of people defining the responsibility required for dog ownership in a way that works for them rather than for the dog. I know I throw up a lot of Charlie love on social media (see the "doggie" label on this blog and my whole Instagram account for proof) and it looks like our relationship is all cuddles and kisses, but I want to tell you a little bit about how I understand my responsibility towards him. To make sure that you don't run away in fear of a boring lecture - which this isn't anyway, I promise! - let's take a break to look at some adorable never-before-seen photos of Charlie, shall we?
To me, the first rule of doggie ownership is to make sure that your dog knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that s/he is the most loved dog in the entire world. If we meet a dog who seems happier than Charlie, I feel like I've failed. That works out really well for Charlie, because it means he gets tons of love afterwards! Of course this does include kisses and cuddles and belly rubs and play time, but it also includes lots of walks and games and attention. Which brings us to my second rule of dog ownership...
Did you see my Day in the Life post a few months ago? If you did, you'll know that having a dog is a lot of work even when you just want it to be fun and relaxed. My intention here is not to dissuade anyone from considering getting a dog; I believe that no matter how much work it is, it's always outweighed by how much joy s/he will bring into your life. However, I definitely see one of my responsibilities as a dog owner as educating people about how labor-, time-, and energy-intensive it is to have a dog.
I read a few posts about nine months ago by a big blogger who had recently brought home a brand new puppy. She was frustrated because, in her daydreams about having this sweet companion, she'd work from home with a furry pile by her feet under her desk who would contentedly gnaw on a bone for hours. Shockingly enough, this is not how the first few months went. She said she'd read Puppies for Dummies, but she was clearly completely unprepared for how much work it would be to bring an 8 week old fuzzball into her house. (Or maybe she did realize what would be involved but let her fantasies take over. I don't know.) I felt bad for the blogger, obviously, because she sounded like she was a bit overwhelmed, but I mostly felt bad for the dog because it didn't sound like it was getting the stimulation and training it needed.
I used to read another blog by a dog owner who once, in a post bemoaning how stressed she was about work, said something like, "I know [my pet] would love a 30 minute walk in the morning, but I just don't have the energy." I'm sorry, but in my book that's inexcusable no matter the size of your dog unless s/he is physically unwell or very old. As this article from Mercola points out, "Most dog breeds were developed with a specific purpose in mind, for example, sporting, working, herding and so forth. Consequently, whether your pet is a purebred or mixed breed, chances are he carries genetic traits that drive him to pursue an activity." Making sure your dog gets enough exercise can be fun and beneficial for both of you - do read that link if you want creative ideas! - because it can be a disaster both emotionally and physically for everyone concerned if s/he doesn't.
Speaking of the emotional side of things, my third and final personal rule for dog ownership is this: teach children how to interact with dogs. Now, this sounds like a chore, but it's actually totally selfish in our case because Charlie loves kids. I'm probably sometimes really annoying about it because I think it's so important for children to learn how to love dogs safely, but every time we're out and about and a child (especially a young one, like under the age of 10) gets excited about seeing Charlie, I stop and ask the parent if the child wants to say hello to Charlie. If the parent says yes, I tell Charlie to sit and then explain to the child that s/he should always walk up to a dog slowly and calmly with a hand stretched out in front so the dog can smell it. We talk about how dogs learn a lot by smelling, and when Charlie's sniffs turn into kisses, the child is delighted. One of the saddest things to me is a child who is afraid of dogs, but it's our responsibility to make sure that children don't get themselves into situations - even ones that seem cute - where a dog is afraid or uncomfortable because the the dog will act out against the child, causing lasting repercussions.
It goes without saying that I'm not a perfect dog owner. As a matter of fact, it took me over an hour to write the first half of this post because our walk this morning wasn't long enough and Charlie still had energy when we got back home so he was a total pain in the you-know-what while I tried to blog. (If you want a soundtrack for this post, just click here and keep the video on repeat.) In the end, I gave up and we went out for another walk and finally managed to tire him out! But I find that if I keep these three rules in mind, both Charlie and I stay happy, healthy, and mostly sane - and that's really all you can ask for, right? Well, that and sloppy kisses!
