What I wish my dogs could understand

In honor of National Pet day (April 11), I wanted to share some of the things I wish I could make my dogs understand. Sometimes I feel super mean for not giving them that extra treat or I feel guilty for not having time to walk them every single day. But when all is said and done, I just want to be the best pet owner I can be because they deserve that and much more.


Dear Djinn Djinn & Lulu,

Sometimes I wish I could make you understand...

That I would give you all the chicken and treats in the world if I knew it wouldn't hurt you in the long run. I'm not being mean, I'm just selfish and want you to be in my life for as long as possible.

I wish I could make you understand that car rides are fun and 99% of the time we're going to a fun place (only 1% of the time we are going to the Vet). Speaking of the Vet, I wish you could understand that they only want to make you feel better even if sometimes needles are involved. But a simple nail trim will not hurt you (ahem, Djinn Djinn) so please don't freak out.

I also wish I could make you understand that you don't need to bark at every little sound you hear outside- I appreciate you wanting to be the tough guard dogs that you are, but it's only the mail lady and she's harmless.

I wish you could understand that grass and dirt are very different than blankets and pillows and therefore, you mustn't pee on every blanket or pillow (ahem, Lulu)

Please understand that I keep trying to find the best food to feed you but there's literally a million brands to choose from and all I can do is hope that I'm feeding you the best.

I wish you'd understand that sometimes it's necessary to wear a sweater because you both are naked in the fur department and I don't want you to freeze.

If you could only understand that I don't mean to ignore you sometimes but as a human, I'm forced to have other responsibilities- it doesn't mean I love you any less. I often wish that for one day, you could be fluent in English and I fluent in dog just so that we can be completely honest with each other  about everything (although I'm pretty sure I already know what it means when you're sitting and waiting right by the refrigerator...no words are needed for that).

I'd love to make you understand how happy I was the day I adopted each of you- they are two of the happiest days in my life and I hope that everyone who wants a pet can experience an adoption day.

Above all, I wish that you could understand how much I love you. If there are still people in this world who think animals are "just animals", they have no clue and we don't need them in our lives. I wish I could make you understand, but somehow, I think you already do...