With Teddy’s recent health issues, I’ve become particularly aware of how similar dog ownership is to baby ownership. :) Here are some of the reasons why:
1. I bathe him, feed him, cut and comb his hair, talk to him, teach (i.e. train) him, love him, and play with him. I make sure he gets everything that he needs. He’s completely dependent on me for these things.
2. Sometimes he keeps me up at night. On numerous occasions I have gotten up in the middle of the night to care for him: whether it was to get him water, take him outside, change his pee pad, or just tell him to go back to bed (he actually listens!).
3. When there’s something wrong, I just know. I can easily read his body language and behaviour, and can sense when he’s in pain, when he’s anxious, uncomfortable or scared.
4. I had never felt more fearful of losing something than when Teddy started peeing blood.
5. I was (and am) willing to expend all of my resources to figure out what the illness was: time, money, sleep, etc.
6. I cried when the vet said he needed to stay overnight at the clinic. It’s awful to not be able to care for your baby when he’s sick!
I’m thankful for this preparation for the future, for being a mom (hopefully). I know that caring for a baby takes much more work, and is waaaay more complex, but I like to think that caring for Teddy is good practice anyway.
I’m so thankful for this trial, as it has helped me to realize that Teddy is just another thing that I have failed to trust God with. May I learn to surrender all things, even my doggie, to the Lord.
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