Dog Ownership and Parenting?

For the last 3 weeks, NewSpring has been in a series on parenting called “The Perfect Kid“.  And for the last 3 weeks, I’ve felt a little out of touch with the sermons … not because they weren’t good, but because I’m not a parent.  I’m not saying they’re not useful for the future, but for right now the information isn’t that important to me.

At least, that’s what I thought

You see, one of the most important things 2 people can do in their lives is have children.  Not only are you just keeping the population growing … you’re actually creating a new life from the lives of you and your soul mate.  I don’t think there’s any higher calling really.

But when you realize that calling comes with demands and responsibilities, it makes you take a long, hard look at the decision, coming to grips with the fact that what you’re about to do has eternal consequences.  These little creatures have souls that need guidance.  They need to be mature, responsible adults one day, and it’s YOUR job to teach them that.  They will have to make a decision one day about their beliefs, and you have to be there to guide them if necessary.

Far from irrelevant, this series is necessary for singles and newlyweds.

For those of you who don’t know, I just recently purchased a new puppy American Pit Bull Terrier.  His name is Rocky and he’s a handful.  But over the last 3 weeks or so since I got him, he’s taught me some valuable lessons on being responsible for another life that I think translate well into parenting.

1. You need endless patience to deal with a puppy.

This guy needs to go outside to pee and poop.  He needs food.  He needs to always have water.  He needs to play.  He needs to walk.  He needs to go outside 2-3 times in the middle of the night.  He takes work.

2. He has the potential to be dangerous one day if I don’t train him right.

Pit Bulls have a few unique characteristics that most other dogs don’t have.  They don’t bite to warn.  They bite down and don’t let go.  They can pull 30x their body weight, making them the most powerful dog breed.  If I don’t teach him what is and isn’t appropriate, he could hurt, or even kill someone.  But catch that … I HAVE TO TRAIN HIM.  If he does something bad, it’s MY fault and reflects badly on ME.

3. He needs my attention.

Dogs are social creatures, just like humans are.  And as such, dogs need to have interaction with other living creatures. That means that even if I’m busy or in a bad mood, I still need to take him for a walk, play with him, and let him lick my face. It just comes with the territory.

4. He needs to know how to treat others.

Other dogs and other humans.  That means I have to let him meet people, experience things, and learn from me.  If I shelter him up in the house with no other contact, he will be an anti-social dog.  If I never let him experience the joys of a hike up a mountain or jumping in a lake, then I take away his fulfillment.  I can’t shelter him from dangers forever.  Eventually, I have to let him off his leash and let him experience life.  That’s hard, but he needs it.

5. He needs my leadership.

I had to face it … no one else is going to teach my dog how to behave.  Like it or not, he is a reflection on me.  If I’m scared of the car driving by while we walk, chances are he will be scared too.  If I’m afraid he might bite, he probably will.  He is constantly observing me, wanting to please me.  If I don’t offer discipline and rules, he will think that he runs the house, which will lead to an unbalanced dog.  He needs strong, confident leadership, and no one else but me can provide that for him.

The good news is, he’s a great dog so far.  He’s young and still likes to play rough, chew on furniture, pull at your pant leg, etc.  But he’s doing really well.

OK, shameless proud parent moment coming up … beware!

Rocky knows and responds to the following commands (in 3 weeks, mind you!):

• sit
• down
• stand
• stay
• jump
• speak
• spin

Also, it’s been 3 days since we’ve had an accident in the house.  In fact, yesterday I was on the phone with Meredith and I heard a faint whimper across the room.  I thought something might be wrong, but to my surprise there was Rocky sitting at the back door asking me politely if he could go outside.  I let him out and he took a nice poop.  If that’s not a victory, I can’t tell you what is!!!  Yeah, he’s a good dog

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