The New "Child" dogs
Have you noticed the change at airports and in city streets where people are bringing their dogs with them more and more? The dogs, too, have taken on a whole new reality in some peoples' lives and whether you agree with it or not, these dogs are becoming child substitutes.
A dog can be a great source of comfort and when you can bring it wherever you go, tucked neatly into an oversized handbag, you can always keep that comfort at hand. The American Kennel Club tells us that these dogs are actually bred to want to be near their owners and to love and be loved.
I recently talked to a woman who was staying over a friend's home during the holidays and had a revelation of sorts. While sitting in the kitchen eating her breakfast, she had a minor shock as down the stairs from the bedrooms came a little Yorkie wearing its pajamas. Yes, this dog has outfits, jewelry, nail polish and gets its hair combed while waiting for planes. The thought of this tiny dog in pajamas brings a smile to my face.
When the kids leave home, couples are opting not to have that empty nest. Instead, they've brought in one of the miniature breeds of dogs to fill the void in their home and their hearts and it works well for them. We know that petting an animal can lower blood pressure, decrease stress and help generally calm someone down.
So, be prepared because the next time you are sitting at an airport you are going to see more dogs. They don't have to ride in baggage and they don't have to have a seat bought for them. On a recent trip, I saw five owners board my flight with their dogs in tow and all of them behaved as though travel were the norm.
No, I didn't see any outfits, but they did have bows in their hair and one woman whiled the time away combing her dog's large fluffy ears. I think it was the Papillon breed.
How do you pamper your pooches? Post a comment and tell me about your dogs. I'm going to be talking about this on Good Morning America this Saturday morning, so be sure to tune in.
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Technorati Tags: pets, stress, dogs
A dog can be a great source of comfort and when you can bring it wherever you go, tucked neatly into an oversized handbag, you can always keep that comfort at hand. The American Kennel Club tells us that these dogs are actually bred to want to be near their owners and to love and be loved.
I recently talked to a woman who was staying over a friend's home during the holidays and had a revelation of sorts. While sitting in the kitchen eating her breakfast, she had a minor shock as down the stairs from the bedrooms came a little Yorkie wearing its pajamas. Yes, this dog has outfits, jewelry, nail polish and gets its hair combed while waiting for planes. The thought of this tiny dog in pajamas brings a smile to my face.
When the kids leave home, couples are opting not to have that empty nest. Instead, they've brought in one of the miniature breeds of dogs to fill the void in their home and their hearts and it works well for them. We know that petting an animal can lower blood pressure, decrease stress and help generally calm someone down.
So, be prepared because the next time you are sitting at an airport you are going to see more dogs. They don't have to ride in baggage and they don't have to have a seat bought for them. On a recent trip, I saw five owners board my flight with their dogs in tow and all of them behaved as though travel were the norm.
No, I didn't see any outfits, but they did have bows in their hair and one woman whiled the time away combing her dog's large fluffy ears. I think it was the Papillon breed.
How do you pamper your pooches? Post a comment and tell me about your dogs. I'm going to be talking about this on Good Morning America this Saturday morning, so be sure to tune in.
Related Topics:
Technorati Tags: pets, stress, dogs
7 Comments:
Dear Pat,
Thank you for such an interesting post. I am a Swiss/American who loves King Charles Spaniels (known as English Toy Spaniels in the USA). These little dogs were kept as palace dogs in Europe during the 16th-19th centuries. They are little aristocrats and used to being spoiled. I am retired and now spend my time educating people about this breed. My apartment in Geneva was too small to have more than two, so I bought and renovated an 18th century manor house in Bourgogne, France just for my Kings. They have rooms for sleeping, eating, beauty parlor, etc. all furnished with antiques. I have created acres of gardens for their outdoor activities. They have an extensive wardrobe for various weather conditions as well as formal outfits and faux jewel collars for an evening out. We are very fortunate in Europe to be able to take our little ones to nice restaurants, shops or basically everywhere.
My husband and I are owned by a 5 year old Yorkie named Elmo. He was preceded by another wonderful Yorkie named TAG who lived to be 14 years old. Both of these dogs have brought joy to our lives in so many ways, relieved stress, made us laugh when we were sad, angry or or bored. We travel by jet and by car with Elmo, stay at the better hotels that will allow him and try to take him anywhere he's permitted to accompany us if we feel he'd be comfortable and enjoy the trip. We're going through some stressful times right now with my father being hospitalized and we're out of state (Elmo is with us) and he's a great comfort to my mother when we're away at the hospital. He's there to greet us when we return. I can't imagine life without a little dog like this. We try not to over-do on the sweaters and scarves (after all, he is a boy dog) but they are fun to spoil. We're boomers, put our kids through college, have grandkids but this little guy asks for nothing but our love and attention and for that we gladly get puppy licks.
People who treat their dogs like little girls treat their dolls disgust me. Dogs are pack animals, the operative word being animals. Treating them like little people is a subtle form of animal abuse. They are not little people.
I do think that dogs started out as pack animals, but they have evolved into being very healthy "man's best friends". I work at a Children's Hospital and we have two nice women that bring a pair of golden retrievers, dressed in just their blankets, to visit all the kids. The healing is obvious.
My husband and I have 6 children, all are married or in college. When our empty nest became apparent, we took in two rescue dogs, later we had the opportunity to have two yorkies from the same litter. This past summer another little dog that weighed 8 lbs came dragging a chain about 12 feet long with the stake intact dropped in. We spent 2 weeks trying to find his home. Not one person answered. So we do not have an empty nest, those loud feet of boys are just substituted with little tiny barks.
I have several illnesses, worst of all is bipolar, my guys are so in tune to my moods and they give pounds and pounds of unconditional LOVE.
I try not to judge what it takes others to get thru their days.
Have a great one.
No doubt about it for me, personally, dogs are tops and I'm sorry that I can't have one right now.
I have worked in both nursing homes and psychiatric hospitals where dogs brought smiles and even movement to people who had sat unmoved for what seemed like years. They greet you when your day has been terribly trying and they stick by you through just about anything.
They may be pack animals, but that's what probably makes them so welcome in our lives because we become part of their pack.
I once met a man walking a huge retriever on the beach and asked if he owned it. "No," he said, "we just take care of him. He isn't owned by anyone, but maybe he owns us."
Though I don't dress my Pomeranian like the little prince we both know he is, he definitely owns my heart. After I was diagnosed with major depression a few years ago, I adopted mt little guy from the local SPCA. We bonded instantly and have been inseparable since. I credit his unconditional love as a saving grace for me. He is so gentle and loving and domesticated he would never survive in a pack of dogs--we are his pack. The person who posted about pampered pups as equal to abuse really has it backwards. S/he is perhaps thinking of dog breeds born and bred in the wild and have not been socialized to live with humans. God created dogs as human companions--that's why they adapt so well to love, affection,and nurturing, and they return the feelings. My dog is most certainly "my baby" :)
what a great post. I have a question. I have a girlfriend who has a dog-- and I swear she projects human feelings onto the animal, and then in turn, she reacts to the human feelings coming from the dog (which she created herself)-- as if the dog were a child. I think the dog is definitely a child substitute, but i must admit-- it gets oppressive, especially if we go on a trip, and she is away from her 'child'-- she worries if her dog is ok-- seriously. I don't really know what say to her. Its way overblown. Maybe its her maternal hormones needing a child substitute since there is no child. any advice out there?
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