May 19, 2015

Why my dogs are treated (too) well

Disclaimer: I typed this up in March and never got around to sharing it.  

Jett turned one year old on March 10th.

Happy first birthday to the dog who steals my pillow and worms his way onto my lap whenever he feels like it.  We're convinced you are the alpha-male and first-born of your litter and, while you insist on being recognized by jumping and scratching and clawing, you never leave our sides.  We appreciate that.


I don't know why people get so up in arms about pet owners who treat their animals well.  I know our dogs are spoiled.  They get grain-free dog food.  They get homemade treats.  They get to sleep in a bed.

The dogs were the reason I finally had to give in to Scott's request for "land" in Colorado. They need the space. We researched these dogs and picked them out pretty carefully, so we figure we might as well give them the best we can if we're willing to invest in hunting dogs.  I remember saying something to Scott, when we first got Scout, along the lines of "Eh, we probably don't need that whatever-it-was".  He said, "How much did we pay for him? What was the point of that if we can't spend $8 on whatever-it-was?"  (I clearly don't remember what it was.)

That made perfect sense and that's the route I've taken ever since.



Scout wasn't all that interested in participating.

Anyway, they are much loved and well-cared for because we think they're worth it.  We don't have kids.  We put our energies into these animals.  And I think that's okay.  And to the people who put the dog or cat (or any animal) at the v.e.r.y. bottom of the list when a baby comes along, shame on you. I would have no qualms telling you what I think.  I understand perfectly well that circumstances can be extenuating.  I've accommodated to a lot of lifestyle changes myself in the last few years.  I get it.



But I do know that I would never, ever, ever be able to forget the unconditional love these guys give when I have nothing else around to love.


Jett will wake me up at 3am, most nights, and pretend he has to go outside.  As soon as I get out of bed, he will hop up onto my spot and get comfortable with his head on my pillow.  Even though I've figured this system out, sometimes he really does want to go outside and he won't stop making making noises until he sees that I'm out of bed and then I suppose he decides which route he's going to take: trot to the door or hop up onto the bed.

So, even though he had that run-in with the four-wheeler, this dog does not lack for comfort, so let's not feel too bad for him.


10 comments:

  1. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this post. I feel the same exact way about Emma and Fishy. They are a part of our family and that will never ever change. Like you said I don't understand those who shove their pets aside once a baby comes. It just doesn't make sense to me. I love spoiling our fur babies. :)

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  2. I can't agree with this more. I've never understood why people pride themselves on tearing those of us who cherish our pets down. They should be EMBARRASSED to have a pet who simply exists for them. I've also never been able to get behind the idea of a totally outside dog. I get it, dogs want to be outside to play. But they also like air conditioning or HEAT for crying out loud. Why have a dog if you're never going to let it inside. Okay. I'm getting off my soap box now. Good for you for writing this post. My dog is spoiled. And I'd have it no other way.

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  3. Aww those pups are your kiddos, I mean they even made an effort to send you flowers on Mother's Day! ;)

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  4. Happy belated birthday, Jett!

    I cannot imagine treating my dogs any differently than I do. They get pricey food, they sleep in bed with us, they are my first kids and they are worth everything we do for them. There is no way, when we had Erica, we would even contemplate putting them at the bottom of our priority list. You learn to figure things out.

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  5. I TOTALLY agree with you! Animals are a part of our families, and why not treat them like that? That photo of Jett and Scout with the birthday hats on is fantastic, by the way.

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  6. I love this and feel the exact same way. My dogs are family members.

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  7. your dogs are the cutest :) i feel the same about my cats, and my dogs at home. when we first got our cats, KC went out and bought the cheap food and the cheap litter. i let him have his way for a bit, then i bought the better stuff and when he realised how much of a difference it made in various aspects that i won't go into... he hasn't questioned me since lol. plus i say to him all the time, you want to eat this or that to be healthy, why do we want our cats to be unhealthy? or whatever. they are family. i don't understand people who have pets and don't treat them well.

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  8. I feel the exact same way about our dog & cat. They're our children! We paid quite a bit for our hunting dog, so he get's the best of the best of everything. The only thing we're strict about is him not sleeping in our bed, but that's mostly because he's 90 pounds and still very much a puppy. :)

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  9. Awwww Jett and Gracie share a birthday!!! Except, Gracie turned 10 this year. Ahhhh I can't even think about her age without getting a little sad for all the reasons you listed above. Gracie will always be my "first born." She has brought so much love and happiness in to my life. No matter the kind of day I had, when I get home to let Gracie (and Mac) out....they are SO happy to see me. They spent their entire day waiting for me to get home and they have so much love to give me now that I am there.

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