Comments on: A Problem, a Pet, and the Picture

By: soleil

soleil — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 04:18:01 +0000

I’m with jks. I can only take good care of so many living things, and all available slots are now taken up with children.
Besides – this is embarrassing to admit – dogs scare me. Even well-behaved, small, feeble, old ones.
But I didn’t grow up with one, so I don’t feel any dog-shaped hole in my life.

By: P Joe

P Joe — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 23:29:57 +0000

a bunny looks like a good idea.

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:53:56 +0000

Fine. Try cuddling up to it.

By: Carol

Carol — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:49:35 +0000

I’m thinking of pet rocks just now.

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:21:11 +0000

Ok, jks. Don’t get a dog.

By: jks

jks — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:02:32 +0000

Fiction always depicts nonpetlovers as cold-hearted. Wanting to have pets seems to indicate a good heart in stories. In real life, many of us who don’t want pets are actually good people! I have observed pets and see that they are often not very well trained or taken care of. I wouldn’t dream of getting a dog and then not training it well. I would think it rude if my dog jumped on people, sniffed their crotch, or barked to annoy neighbors. Since I have four children I want to spend my time taking care of them. I have been on the phone talking to moms with dogs while they clean up dog poop, clean up dog vomit, rush out of the house so they can chase down the dog that got out, stress about vet bills, etc. Having a pet is often as much work as having a child.
I have known many pet owners who take their dog to someone’s house for daycare. Who can’t go to church for months and never go out on a date because the puppy can’t be left alone. Bathing a dog is extremely difficult so many people pay for grooming. Am I a bad mom that I’d rather budget that money for dance classes or take a family vacation…someday? Who doesn’t want to reduce what we save for retirement in order to have a dog?
Kids remember the unconditional love of the pet, but have no clue how much work it was for mom to take care of that pet. No clue!
My husband remembers his dog fondly because of unconditional love. I point out that his family was unhappy which is why he was desperate for a safe haven.
I think it would be wrong for us to get a dog, since everyone else in the family would be spending more time away from the dog and I would be around it the most.
My husband conveniently forgets that he went to Europe for 6 weeks, he went to college, he went on a mission, he went back to college. Where was “his” dog all this time? His life went on without the inconvenience of a dog. His mom faithfully kept taking care of the dog while he didn’t have to worry about it.

By: Julia

Julia — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 04:07:21 +0000

Mark,

I think it really depends on what your experiences are. The dog we had when I was a child was a very hyper, not well trained dog (neither of my parents grew up with a dog so they didn’t really know how to train one.)
My stepfather had always had dogs growing up, but not during his previous marriage. He and my mom always had older dogs from the Humane Society because my mom could tell for sure, that the dog was not hyper or yapping. When my stepfather’s allergies got bad, their last dog went to live with my grandparents.

I don’t know if any of the brother in laws that married into the family had dogs, but I kind of doubt it. One was homeschooled and the family moved all over with the father who would do 6-9 months at every big installation. Another one was raised in seven different countries while his dad was in the diplomatic corps. Not sure about the last brother in law, but I know my one sister in law never had one.

I suspect that having a pet/companion as a child significantly impact whether you want one as an adult.

Julia
poetrysansonions.blogspot.com

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 02:01:06 +0000

I always thought that a darkroom was a fine place to take a date. It was always interesting to see what developed.

For all of you who don’t have a dog, and think that somehow your lives are made better by its absence, all I can say is “I am sorry for you.” I realize that some suffer from allergies, and that’s too bad, but I can’t imagine my young years without a dog to be my ever-faithful friend, my confidant, my comforter.

By: Julia

Julia — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:20:52 +0000

I was very relieved to learn I am allergic to all cats and almost all dogs. Ironically St Bernard’s are on the list of “potentially” okay dogs. So if we want a dog we need a very large, and fenced in yard.

Julia
poetrysansonions.blogspot.com

By: Alison

Alison — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 23:15:24 +0000

I had to Google “chafing dish”.