Three Months With A Dog

I have shared in previous posts about being a dog parent and some of the challenges and learning experiences. Time flies when you are having fun. Thus it has been 3 (three) months since Buddy showed up following me to the mailbox that day.

Dog Park = Dog Conversation

Where I am, there is a park dedicated for dogs to be able to run freely and socialize with other dogs. Buddy enjoys going to the park mostly because he enjoys being outside (weather permitting) and not so much for the socialization of other dogs.

For the human aspect of being at the dog park, it's similar to how parents talk about their kids when at the playground. My dog has this habit. My dog as this condition. My dog is this years old. You get the idea. One person that was at the park, mentioned that one of her dogs had to have surgery and the surgery was around $5,000 (USD) to perform. I thought to myself that the $150 vet check up every 6 months doesn't sound so bad compared to that.

Other dog conversations include where you buy certain things from. For exmaple, Buddy has a harness that goes around his chest. On the back of the harness, there's a handle that can be used to keep the dog next to you if he is trying to run away. While at the park, another dog owner mentioned about getting a harness for his dog. Thus I shared with him where I got it from and the reaction the dog has when the harness is being put on.

Shoes = Going Outside

Buddy knows that if I have on shoes, there's a great chance that I'm about to go outside. Buddy is always up for going outside until he gets tired of being outside and wants to come back in. After all he is an indoor dog. Sometimes I do go outside but tell him to stay inside because of the weather or other reasons. He's not a fan of this when it happens, so he will stand up on or scratch at the screen door, which I have to yell back for him to stop doing that and I will be back inside shortly. At this point he will just stand there looking out waiting for me to return.

You Eat, I Eat (Sometimes)

Any time that I eat food, Buddy always wants some, even if it would be bad for him (e.g. chocolate). Sometimes I will give him human food, but only if he has eaten his dog food first. Do not want to spoil his appetite and don't want him being used to getting human food everytime that I eat. Sometimes I have to tell him no, which he objects and looks a me sideways because of it, but he knows who is boss.

Dogs Throw Temper Tantrums

Kids throw temper tantrums and dogs do too. When nobody is at home, the dog goes in the kennel. He doesn't like to be in the kennel and will often times run to another room or sit down when told to go into the kennel. Ultimately, he is forced to go into the kennel, by either being picked up and placed in the kennel or by being pulled by the collar into the kennel.

Sometimes, the dog, like a kid, will not eat his dog food. However, he'll ask (by licking his lips) for human food to eat. This is the equivalent of asking for dessert before eating dinner. No way am I going to allow that to happen. If he doesn't get the human food that he wants, he will stare and look at you with a head turned sideways as if he was saying you know I want some of what you have so share it. When this happens, I advise him to eat his own food first and then he will get human food. Sometimes he will then eat his own food, others will not.

Conclusion

I mentioned some of the dog issues to another individual. He told me that he and his wife got a dog before having kids and he admits that he helped him better prepare for kids. Reason being is that with the dog, he got to see how he and his wife would mesh when it came to caring for kids. Once the kids came along, things worked smoothly because they had seen who was the friendly parent and who was the restrictive parent. I'll be honest, I'm seeing the same in regards to my fiancee and myself. If you see your dog as a toddler aged kid and not just an animal, you will realize that your interactions will be better with your pet.