I have two dogs and I love them dearly. They are part of our family, which is what 75% of pet owners report. Over half of the 90 million dog owners allow their dogs to sleep in bed with them. Some people throw their dogs birthday parties, complete with cake, balloons, and doggie party guests. While taking your dog on vacation may not seem that unusual, I have heard of some who have had DNA tests done on their dogs to find out the various breeds that compile their fur-child’s history. However, the event that seemed a bit extreme to me was the Jewish dog owner who had a “bark mitzvah” when their dog turned 13.
Statistics certainly indicate that we do love our dogs – sometimes more than our human family members. But why? One reason is because our dogs love unconditionally. I heard somebody once say, “Lock your spouse and your dog in the trunk of your car for an hour and see which one is glad to see you when you let them out.” (Not something I recommend doing) Dogs are there for us no matter what. They sense our moods and respond caringly to us when we need their love.
I have heard spouses complain that they just wish their mate would love them as much as they do the dog. While I would certainly agree that this is important, I would suggest that we can make it easier for our mate to do so if we will simply began to love unconditionally – like our dog does.