The Difficulties of Parenting

As a parent, you constantly have to worry about your child. Have they been fed, have they gone to the bathroom, are you raising them right?? It sounds like I am describing a child; but really, I am describing raising my first dog on my own. Growing up, I always had dogs and cats and I was able to enjoy the perks of loving these furry creatures without actually having any “real” responsibility. Sure, I was able to take them for walks after school or have the pleasure of feeding him. When I was in high school, my dog passed away. I was devastated, but I wasn’t nearly as upset as my parents were and I didn’t understand why they would be more upset then me. Looking back, I now understand that they were devastated because they had raised this living thing and cared about it as if it was not only a child but a companion. The animal was their complete responsibility and the life the animal lived was based on how much or how little effort they put into it.

First semester of junior year, when I got a dog, I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to raise him. I just figured it would be great to have a dog running around my house and that he would be adorable and I could play with him and take him everywhere. What I didn’t consider is the actual responsibility that this entailed. If anyone has seen “Marley and Me”, what happens in the movie is not exaggerated. I somehow seemed to block out of my mind what it was like when my dog growing up was a puppy probably because I didn’t have to take care of him all the time. The first couple of months with Bo were brutal, especially the first couple of weeks. Whether he was crying at 4 a.m., peeing all over my carpet, or chewing up almost every pair of shoe I owned, I would have moments where I thought that maybe I wasn’t cut out for it. I finally caved and moved his crate into my room to sleep through a night.

As he got older, the responsibility never left, but the actual fun I had been craving could happen. He was old enough to take to the dog park. I was able to be a proud mother when I would throw him the ball and he would come prancing back with it. He was making friends at the dog park and he was no longer chewing up the corners of the walls in my house, which I can’t wait for my landlord to see once my lease is up. Sure, shoes were still chewed, and his potty training was not yet perfect, but I was starting to see the companion in him that my parents had in my dog Nikki. However, the responsibility never ceased. There was no staying out till the wee hours of the night, no staying away from home for longer than five hours and definitely couldn’t forget to walk, feed, walk, and once again feed him.
Unfortunately, and more quickly than expected, I was able to relate to my parents feelings of losing a companion. In October, Bo was hit by a car and it was something I will never forget. He was my first dog and my companion. Losing a pet is obviously not even comparable to losing a child, but until I have a child of my own, this is the closest thing I had to one. He depended on me, loved me unconditionally, and I loved him even more. The responsibility was exhausting but it was worth every day of stress. My roommates and I always joked that we would never meet a guy that got as excited to see us as Bo did when we would come home.

Since then, I got a new puppy, Ollie, and it has been slightly less stressful because I was able to learn from my mistakes with my first “child". I now know to keep my shoes off the ground and not to leave a plate of fresh food on the table because dogs are somehow acrobats as well. I also know that there is nothing that they wouldn't eat or chew if they can get their paws on it. For anyone considering getting a dog, even if people say we are too young to have one now, I strongly recommend it. It is a major change in your life, but one that will change you for the better. There is nothing like the love of a pet, especially a dog, and despite all of the stress I wouldn’t change getting a dog of my own for one second. Every person's experience is different and this has been mine and that furry child above, up to no good, is mine...looks like I have a long way to go.