People Like Us

Recently, NPR ran a story on pet lovers in the United States called Heavy Petting. Geema Hooley, who is from South Africa and remembers pets in much simpler times, is amazed at the variety of things we do for our pets today. To be honest, what she describes is also what I experienced growing up in Maryland - the phenomenon of viewing our pets as family and dedicating significant portions of our income to them is more of a recent turn in our sociological history.

But the piece is entertaining and worth listening to if you have 30 minutes to kick back and enjoy. Some highlights:

• Todd the dog trainer offers views throughout the piece. He is the voice of reason in reminding us that dogs are, well, dogs. They like structure by getting consistent direction and knowing you are alpha. As we blend them in as members of the family, we shouldn't forget that just like a child, the dog wants to know what the rules are and as "parents", we need to stay in control.
• Ok, that's the serious stuff, the fun stuff is very entertaining:
• A "Bark Mitzvah" where all activities were underway, like dress up, agility demonstrations, contests ("best personality" to the ugliest dog), and even dog line dancing. But the best had to be the "dog psychic" who addressed only the dog's future: no past, nothing for the human, just the dog and the future. I can hear Chocolate's fortune now: "You will take many walks, eat many treats, and continue to chase the cats whenever you can."
• What we will do for our pets: there's a wonderful story weaved into the program on a pet fish, who gets new pictures placed in front of the tank every day. I never even thought of doing this for my fish, so I love hearing the creativity other pet lovers demonstrate.
  
• A discussion of whether it's better to be a dog or a cat. Todd the dog trainer says it has to be the cat - there's no command, training, or expectation that can be made for them - they do as they please. As Minnie sits on my lap purring as I write this, I have to agree, this is definitely the best gig to have.

The piece wraps up by asking what all this says about us - treating our pets like family, spending significant amounts of money for all stages of their life. I tried to give this some thought, to come up with something deep and pithy, but in the end, it's about the joy they bring us, the fun we have with them, and the companionship they provide. I can't imagine my life without pets, and my guess is that, as a pet lover, you can't either. It's just that simple.