The trend of becoming pet parents is being normalized in the era of shorter families and DINK lifestyles. But treating your pet like your own ‘baby’ wouldn’t be a good idea.
You have to understand, that it’s a DOG! You cannot treat an animal like human children. No matter how much you are affectionate towards your pup or the deep bond y’all share, you cannot change the facts. Considering your pets as fur babies and going on social media posting all the stuff about them might be cute. And it’s okay if you want to buy all the cute clothes and toys for your dog. It may even be a part of your daily routine and lifestyle. You might love to take your four-legged friend out on a stroll or have it by your side for your weekend Netflix and chill. But that doesn’t make the canine your kid!
Not to harm your emotions, but your dog is an individual being that has its own preferences. Though the innocent and faithful animal understands the slightest change in your mood and stays by your side when you’re just even a little sad, that is how they are. But that doesn’t mean you start treating the poor guy as a human child and piling on it what you want to do with it. Instead of forcing things on your pet, it would be better if you start understanding its language and ways of signaling what it likes and what it doesn’t. If your doggie doesn’t like to wear a certain ‘cute’ outfit you got him or doesn’t want to play with someone else, it will always be evident in its behavior. And if you push the animal further, it may even get reckless and cause unexpected harm.
Your love for the pet shouldn’t ultimately narrow down to its aesthetic value. You haven’t ‘bought’ the dog only for showing it off. It is a living being and a dangerous animal that can cause more harm than you’d imagine. There are even reported incidents where the otherwise ‘harmless’ pet dogs bite the owner’s human baby and the newborn has to be rushed to a hospital. Your fur baby may not necessarily ever bite you. And that is because it doesn’t think like you; it has its own way of thinking and you never know what might trigger it. And even if you get a paw tattoo or necklace, it may make you happy while that ‘fur baby’ might not even understand the concept behind all those things.
You need to express your love towards the animal in ways that make him happy. And, being a good parent means you will understand that IT’S YOUR DOG’S CHOICE and not yours, how it is going to live with you.
