Comments on: Is a Dog as Good as a Child?

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:09:54 +0000

I missed that gene also. It probably makes some of my friends and family think I’m emotionally cold–but NOT the ones who’ve seen me with my three canine “girls”. 🙂

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:08:16 +0000

In reply to Roxy the traveling dog. We have three but don't have to get up in the middle of the night. My brilliant husband put in a dog door that opens onto our deck and into a fenced portion of the yard. Our dogs love going in and out as they please!

By: urban hounds

urban hounds — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 23:42:26 +0000

Well I know my answer, I don’t want kids and neither does my husband, but I do want dogs. Dogs are not a child substitute, and I say this even when I call myself a pet parent and my dogs my babies. Sure they do fulfill some maternal/paternal needs to care for others but they are not children. If you really want a child a baby will never satisfy and if you really want a dog the same holds true.

urban hounds

By: Pamela

Pamela — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 15:41:23 +0000

In reply to Madai Miller. Thank you for your kind remarks. As someone who is childless by choice I worried about being sensitive to people whose choice about children was made for them. So glad you liked the post. And so glad you have a furry friend to nurture and love.

By: Madai Miller

Madai Miller — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:48:07 +0000

This post is amazing. It so fully and perfectly describes my feelings, it’s almost as if I wrote it myself. Thank you especially for those opening lines. I don’t think people realize how lunch pain they inflict when asking about one’s plans to have children. I love my dog very very much and give her the very best I can, but she can never take the place of a human child. But she does ease the pain of being childless in her own way. That is what is so precious about dogs – they can comfort us in almost any circumstance. Really lovely post. Thank you.

By: Amy@GoPetFriendly

Amy@GoPetFriendly — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 17:10:23 +0000

Great post! I think for people who don’t have dogs, explaining to them that I love mine like they are my children is a way of expressing the deep devotion I have for them – but that doesn’t mean I think they’re a substitute for kids. I’ve never had a desire to have kids of my own, but I’ve always known that I’m not a whole person without a dog in my life.

By: Pup Fan

Pup Fan — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:39:27 +0000

I love this post. Dogs are dogs, and kids are kids. Although there is nurturing involved in both relationships, they are very different. It’s shortchanging your dog to just view him or her as a furry child instead of appreciating the canine-human bond and how special it truly is. 🙂

By: Deborah Austin

Deborah Austin — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 00:31:19 +0000

I just visited amazon.com to order your book but it’s not in eBook form yet – so I will have to try to be patient and wait.

Best wishes!
Deborah

By: Mike Webster

Mike Webster — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:18:00 +0000

In reply to Ximena. Yes, definitely too rubbery. Also, too chewy.

By: Peggy Frezon

Peggy Frezon — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 17:09:10 +0000

It’s important for people to remember that dogs are not people. We might love them just as much–or more than– some people. lol. We just have to remember that dogs have needs, feelings, emotions, even desires, that are not the same as a child’s…but need to be understood and respected on their own, on an individual dog basis. Adopting a dog to fill a void, as long as you don’t expect your dog to solve your problems, is a valid enough reason to get a dog. We got Kelly when I empty nested. She didn’t take the place of my kids, but she sure has been a welcome addition to the family.