Having a four-legged pal is probably one of the best things that you could ever be blessed with. Almost everyone that I know has owned a family dog because their parents bought it for them when they were kids. Now that I am the adult in my house, I am fully responsible for everything that my dog does. At least when you were a kid, all you had to deal with was the fun stuff, like taking the dog out, playing with the dog, feeding the dog, bathing the dog, etc. Since it's only me and my furry girl, I am in charge of her appointments, her documents, buying all of her things, making sure she's well socialized so she doesn't go crazy talking to me all day.
I know what you're thinking, "this girl is crazy, having a dog is nothing like having a kid." Well, I can't even tell you how to compare the two, because I don't have a kid to compare my dog to. I've taken care of a lot of newborn babies, infants, and toddlers. I know that it's extremely challenging. Being a nanny all throughout college, I know that raising kids is a whole different level of parenting. So maybe it's not like having a human child. I didn't have to push it out of me and go through all the pain of the "beginnings of Motherhood", but there is still a lot of responsibility when owning a furry companion. And if you don't believe me, look at your dog right now and tell me that you don't consider that love pup a big part of your family. (And if you said no, then you sit on a throne of lies.)
Okami going through a mood on her birthday
Just kidding, not really. Anywho, I brought my dog over from the states and she's finally settling into becoming a European doge. She's not a fan of the busy streets. She's not a fan of the barking dogs around our neighborhood. She's not really a fan of being left alone when I go to work for 13 hours at night. We've both had to make some adjustments. She's tried to run away twice, once from the house and once from the dog park. She didn't eat her first week here, but she's starting to gain her appetite back. And her times for her actual sleep schedule (not her morning, afternoon, and evening naps) were all screwed up.
Luckily, being on night shift allows me to be with her throughout the day when I'm not terrified to walk in the forest to tucker her out with a 5-mile walk. The only downside to that is that I am sacrificing all of my sleep to tend to my Shiba-baby. No, I know, it's still "not as bad" as having a human child so you can hush now, thanks.
When my dog has a bad day, I know it because she doesn't listen to me. She gets stubborn, she rebels (ie. runs away very quickly without any regards to moving vehicles.) She'll cry literally all day. And if you've ever heard the yelp of a Shiba, then you might as well think it's a dying child, because it's God awful. She'll get sick. She gets hurt. She needs attention, love, and care just like a child would. But no, she's still not a child, and I get that.
Happy baby Okami
But I love my dog. I love her like I love babies. And I'm sure when the day comes that I have my own human child, then I'll see what this "big difference" is in Motherhood. But since that's not an option for me right now, I'm going to keep posting my fur-child photos in her cute little t-shirts, mini doge backpack, and yellow rain jacket. I'm going to complain about my lack of sleep, and all of the messes she makes in the house (which isn't a lot, but this fur, my God... let me tell you my new found relationship with my duster...) I'll always find it hard to leave home without her, and I'm terrified when I place her in the care of others. She's my baby. And if anyone has the balls to tell me that my dog isn't important enough because she isn't a human, then seriously, fuck off. I don't think I've cussed too much on my blog or on my social media posts, but really, fuck off mate. Delete me, do it, cause I don't need that negativity in my life, lol. BYEEEE.