Super Dog Only Exists in Comics

It’s Summer. And Summer in my house means Summer Camp! My son’s days are filled hiking, swimming and generally frolicking around Baiting Hollow Boy Scout camp. It also means massive amounts of bug bites, scratches, rashes, swimmer’s ear and God knows what else by Labor Day. I have the pediatrician on speed dial and just accept the fact that his Summer fun means I have to keep a stash of money to cover my co-pays for the season.

But so what right? He’s having a ball! He comes home with pink cheeks, smells like a lake and falls into bed every night so excited for the next day to come. As a mother, I feel good about him being there.

There is a natural parallel, always, between children and dogs. The dogs who come to board here do a lot of the same things kids do at camp - they swim, wrestle and frolic for a good 12 hours a day and fall into their beds exhausted at night. And you know what else happens? They get sick. Or they get a few bumps and bruises.

WELL as logical as it is that they might be tired and scratched when they get home, there are some humans who cannot wrap their heads around the fact that if THEY played and swam and wrestled for 12 hours they would be a little pooped as well. Every so often, I will get a new customer on the phone who is HORRIFIFED that his or her dog came home, slept for 3 days straight and had a nick or two on it’s neck. And I will say to him or her, “Can you run around and wrestle for 12 hours a day without getting tired or scratched?” Inevitably they say no but still insist that there is something wrong and Fluffy should NOT be so tired and have irritated eyes.

So I will say this, as I have said probably a million times in my tenure here: dogs are not super creatures who are immune to exhaustion, illness or injury. If it’s alive, it can get tired, sick or hurt. That’s just a fact. There are people who would keep their dogs (and children) in a bubble if they could even though the dog (child) would be miserable. And they would do this because they can’t bear the thought of their baby being uncomfortable for even a second. I understand this. Honestly, as a parent and owner of 3 dogs, I completely understand how upsetting it is to see something wrong with your baby.

However keeping them close, TOO close, is totally unfair. It’s unreasonable for anyone to expect a dog be 100% healthy and perfect everyday of it’s life. It’s also just plain old mean to board a dog somewhere for 10 days straight with it locked up in a crate 24/7. Dogs love crates but come on - that’s too much. (Side Note: if their crate is next to another dog’s crate who has kennel cough - they’re probably gonna get sick anyway). And while I’m sure your backyard is lovely to play in, would you want to see it day after day after day for 10+ years, with no breaks? My son and my dogs love our home but trust me, when they get bored it’s a miserable place to be for everyone.

Naturally there are ways to minimize illness in anyone. Feed your pets well, give them vitamins, get them checked out by the vet regularly (and here is my plug for Dr. Templeton at http://www.animalhealthwellnesssetauket.com/  He‘s an AMAZING vet!).

After that, let go a little bit. Let your pup run free with other dogs, let them wrestle, swim and roll around. The weather is beautiful, get them out and about! Walk around your town, bring them with you to the beach, bring them to daycare - do SOMEthing. In return yes, you may have an extra vet visit or two a year but more importantly you will get a dog who loves you for letting it have fun. The extra cuddle time with you on the couch is also a bonus.