Many of us are crazy in love with our furry, four-legged friends. Our love for them is so strong that we consider them much more than pets, and consider them an integral part of the family.
Fur baby comes from this tendency to treat our dogs as if they were our own children; an affectionate way to show that your dog isn’t just any dog, and he isn’t a pet either. He is simply your baby, your child, and you worry about him just like you would about any of your human children.
How to know if you have a fur baby
It’s very simple. Just read the following statements and questions. If you can identify with at least seven of them, you don’t have a pet – you have a fur baby!
- When he gets sick, you worry so much that you take him to the vet for a checkup and even search for information online to get more details about what’s happening to him.
- The first thing you do every day when you see him is say “good morning”, along with lots of love and petting.
- He sleeps with you or near your bed because you like to feel him close by. If he sleeps separately, you say good night with love and petting before going to bed so he can sleep well.
- You worry about his diet and always try to make sure he has good nutrition.
- You talk to him and sometimes you even answer yourself for him in another voice.
- If you have a bad day and he comes to greet you, it lights up your heart and everything gets better.
- When another dog growls or barks at him, you are very worried about him getting bitten, even putting yourself in the middle if necessary.
- You always give him a little treat while cooking because you know he loves it.
- When training him, did you focus on using positive reinforcement techniques?
- When you hug him, you are in touch with your sensitive side and able to understand all the love that you feel towards him.
Can you identify with at least seven of these statements? If so, congratulations! You have a fur baby!!
Is it good or bad to have a fur baby?
It’s great to have a fur baby! It’s a fantastic thing because they bring out our humanity and help us understand that all animals, in this case dogs, can be loved just as much as any other member of the family. That’s why they go beyond being just pets and become part of the family, as your fur babies.
But we mustn’t confuse loving our dogs and enjoying their company with training them poorly. “Humanized” dogs are the ones with the most behavior problems simply because we treat them incorrectly, causing them to adopt bad habits in their training.
Training a dog correctly is completely compatible with loving him, respecting him and considering him your fur baby. Some good, basic training is more than enough to let everyone in the family live in peace and harmony.
In short, having a fur baby is a blessing. But proper training and not excessively humanizing your dog is also highly recommended.
