Eight ways Dogs are like Children

  Now before I get some angry responses from parents being offended that I compared their precious bundles of joy to animals or their parenthood to owning pets, I just want to make a disclaimer that this is meant to be a light hearted post.  I know that my dogs are in no way children and that I am not a parent because of having dogs, but I do see similarities between experiences I have with my dogs and experiences that friend's and family have with with their children.  That being said, here is my list.  I hope all those who have pets, and children, can relate to this blog post.

1. House training a puppy is not fun

  When we adopted Sophie we were so caught up with how cute of a puppy she was that we forgot about the whole house training thing.  We would take her outside and walk her around to encourage her to relieve herself.  All she would do is sniff around and bark at things.  After giving up we would bring her inside and within five minutes she would be squatting on the carpet.  She eventually caught on that when she would potty outside she would get a treat.  Then one day we noticed she had gone a whole week without an accident!  We were practically high fiving each other with a sense of accomplishment.  She has had an accident here and there, but for the most part she is really good at holding it in.

2. They get really excited to see us when we get home from work

  One fun thing about having dogs is how ecstatic they get when we come home.  It's a good feeling being loved, and dogs give plenty of it.  Sophie likes to jump up on us and "hug" us.  Keif will then run over with a wagging tail and high shrills of excitement.  The longer we are away, the more they are happy to see us.  Ever see those youtube videos of military people coming home and seeing their dogs after being gone for a long time? It's a pretty similar reaction our dogs get when we come home from being on vacation.  Which brings me to my next topic.

3. Pet sitters/ Boarding

  Going on vacation can be tricky when you have dogs.  Although this part of having a dog differs slightly from having children, finding a pet sitter can bring about the same concerns as those who are looking for baby sitters for their children.  Can this person be trusted with your precious children/ pets?  Will your children/ pets get along with the sitter?  Can the sitter handle your children/ pets without running the other way screaming?  In the past we would just board our dogs at Petsmart.  We figured they had each other so it shouldn't be too bad.  When we were in California my parents and my sister were nice enough to watch Keif and take him out for runs.  We are lucky enough here that I have a coworker, who our dogs love, who can watch our dogs when we need him to.  

4.Missing them when you are away from them

  It doesn't matter how long we are gone, could be running errands, out on a day trip or a week long vacation, one of us will make the comment "I miss the dogs".  That phrase is usually said within minutes of being gone from them.  When we see other people with dogs we miss them, when we are relaxing without them we miss them. I hear that parents go through the same withdrawals when their children aren't with them. 

5. They follow you everywhere

  It doesn't matter where I am at in the apartment, my dogs will follow me there.  After I shower I'll get out to find them squeezed into my tiny bathroom taking up the entire floor space.  Using the restroom, they'll be at the door.  We typically keep the dogs out of our room when we sleep, but when we get up in the morning they are right at the door waiting for us.  It's sweet that they want to be around us, it just gets a little inconvenient at times like when I'm cooking dinner and Sophie decides to hang out in the kitchen with me, making it hard to maneuver around.

6. There's no such thing as sleeping in

  Just this morning the dogs were laying next to the bed, ready for when I decided to get up.  Every move I made would stir the dogs, eager to see if I was awake.  At one point Sophie had jumped on the bed and licked my face.  The luxury of being to sleep in is non existent at our home when you have two dogs who have been holding in their pee all night.

7. Over sharing them on social media

  Now parents, let's not pretend that you share pretty much every little thing about your children.  Well us pet parents are guilty of doing the same.  I've shared a few meme's of our dogs as well as plenty of stories and pictures of them being silly.  Such that parents like to show off their children, I like to do the same with my pups.  They make me laugh with their silly mannerisms and playful attitudes and therefore I will probably continue to share it all on Facebook and Instagram.

8. The Reciprocating, Unconditional Love

  When we adopted Keif, he was instantly attached to us.  We felt as if we had always had him.  When we weren't home he would try looking for us.  At least that's what we told ourselves.  There is no feeling like looking at your dog while they wildly wag their tail just from you acknowledging him.  The way they come running at you in excitement when you call them over.  And who can really stay mad at their beloved dog when they do something bad?  Dogs and kids are so easy to love, when they are yours, and they seem so willing to love you back.  It's a wonderful feeling and a great perk when you have a dog.