When you enter my house you may be surprised to see my yellow lab mutt sleeping on our new microsuede sectional sofa with quad reclining chairs and his head on a pillow. People say I spoil my dog. I don't spoil my dog, I just don't discipline him. He knows he is not allowed on the couch unless there is a blanket over it to protect it from dog smell. When he wants to lay down on the couch, he will jump on the blanket. If the blanket is not there, he will stare at where the blanket should be and whine until someone puts it there. And you know what, I am ok with that.
Compare this behavior to my children, ages 7 and 10. They know they are not allowed to eat in the family room. There are many an ingenious way to eat in the family room without breaking the rules, such as eating at the top of the family room stairs, where you can still see the TV but technically you are standing in the kitchen. But my children don't show me the respect to come up with any of these sneaky ways around the rules... they just break them. After they go to bed I come to sit in the family room and the end tables are littered with juice boxes, candy wrappers, plates, napkins (At least they use napkins once in a while), and popcorn crumbs. My dog is more respectful. When we first got him he wasn't allowed on the couch, we came to a compromise where he could be on the couch on the blanket. He doesn't break that rule.
Let's talk about cleanliness. My children each have a hamper in their rooms where their clothes should go after they have worn them. These hampers do not have lids on them, they are open at the top. If the children had to go through the extra step of opening them in order to put clothes in there, well then, I might understand the laziness. Instead my children throw, yes throw, their clothes on their floor. In many cases on the floor right in front of the hamper. When I come to bring their hampers to the laundry room, I pick up the rogue clothing and put them in the hamper. My dog also has a "hamper" in the family room. It consists of a milk crate where all his toys are. My dog knows how to pull his toys out. Sometimes he will pick up a toy and not want to play with it today. He drops it back in the "hamper." If a 3 year old SPCA clearance special can put his toys away, why can't my intelligent children put their clothes away?
And of course there is dinner time. I can usually fill up half a plate with the food my 7 year old daughter has spilled off her plate onto the table and what has fallen on the floor. My dog, without the aid of fingers or utensils, never needs cleaning up after his meals. In fact, he helps me by cleaning up after my 7 year old (let me say that in doing this, he does more chores than my children do).
Hygiene. I swear my son's fingers are too brittle to flush a toilet. Boys, just because you did not put anything in there that floats does not mean you shouldn't flush it. Now I am not going to sit here and tell you my dog flushes the toilet. I am not that lucky. But my dog does do his business in the same place in the yard all the time, and he does it in corners, away from the main walkways so if I get behind on cleaning up, I don't risk anyone stepping in it. When we go camping out in the country, he will walk into the woods to do his thing. Unfortunately, peeing is a whole different story. We can't walk 10 feet without a few stops for the dog. I guess I will have to deal with that.
So next time you visit my house and notice that my dog eats people food and lays on the couch or beds with his own pillow, maybe now you will understand. My dog, on most days, illustrates more common sense and respect for me and my house than my kids do. Besides a few table scraps, my dog does not act as if he is entitled to anything. My dog always acknowledges me and even better, he eats whatever I make for him. My dog eats less than my kids do. He only needs a bath once a month AND I can pay someone else to give him that bath. He doesn't talk back to me. He doesn't fight with other dogs or my kids. He can go for a ride in the car without partaking in a battle. He doesn't fight me for control of the car radio or TV Remote control. He can be left home alone. He doesn't require expensive Christmas presents. My list goes on and on....
If you have children and a dog, you are probably thinking "hmmm, that makes a lot of sense". If you don't have children yet, just get a dog!
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