After a while, you begin to wonder if there is something wrong with you. All these people and all this advice. DO they really know what they are talking about or is it shaming for shame sake?
And just wait until you actually have your four-legged family member! The dog-mom shaming continues at the pet store and puppy playgroup. Depending on where you live, the “right” doggy diet can be natural, raw or grain-free; meaty or vegan; canned or kibble—you name it. But if you’re feeding your pup something different than what’s on the another mama’s menu, brace yourself for a lecture on proper nutrition and how you could be depriving your dog of it.
Training is a contentious topic, too—some puppy parents are against the use of “aversives” (prong collars, spray bottles, invisible fences, etc.) and will take other dog mamas to task for using them. Flexi leashes are fun or fundamentally dangerous, depending on who you talk to. Potty training isn’t a science—it’s an art, and regardless of what any self-appointed potty gurus try to tell you, different approaches and timelines work better for some dogs than others.There are even fur mamas in the #InstaDog community (here’s Zeke’s account) who put down other puppy parents for not sharing the “right” kind of photos.
A few weeks ago, I came across one dog mom’s lengthy rant about seeing pictures of “lazy” pets taken from their owners’ couches rather than ones of them enjoying themselves outside. Now, I don’t actually know this particular pet parent, but as someone who takes far too many pictures of Zeke lounging about while we’re in the den, I couldn’t help but feel defensive.
Another problem we see is in those who do not have their own dogs but are all about advising you on your dog’s behavior.
For instance, a friend has a dog that has always been a guard dog, protecting the yard from man and beasts (meaning stray cats) and one day our self and a neighbor friend observed the dog chasing a cat in the yard. She immediately said: “That dog needs a lesson in self-control. She should have taken him to obedience school!”
Now, you need to know that in every other way the pup, a lab, is adorable and probably felt he was merely doing his job. I mentioned that and the neighbor merely rolled her eyes.
In the end, you know your dog better than anyone else. Love them, keep them safe, and know they are the best they can be. For more on this article go to Dogster.
