The Benefits Of Owning A Pet…My Life As A Pet Parent

44 Comments

1. Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed reading about them. They’ve all been so different, but I love them all the same 🙂

2. Good point! Non-pet owners really don’t get it, but hopefully some day they will.

3. Aw, I loved reading about all of your pups!

4. I love being a pet parent too! They give you so much. I know non-pet owners just dont get it which is one reason I LOVE blogville. Great post

   urban hounds

5. I wonder what the dog equivalent of purring is? Stetson snores pretty loud 🙂

6. Maybe you can take your cats and certify them as therapy cats. Linus is very good at sensing emotions, but he doesn’t usually try to sit on my lap unless he’s scared.

7. Very well said! Thanks for sharing your story and your love for animals. Maybe it’s time for you to get a friend for Lulu 🙂

8. I agree, there’s nothing better than a cat on your lap. It’s animal therapy

9. This is very true. Once your children leave, your pet companions become your best friend and are always there for you. I remember when I would come home from 8 hour days at the nursing home my Mom was in, feeling so sad and tired, my cats would cuddle up to me just knowing that I needed some extra attention. It was also during those sad days that 2 of my 3 cats actually became “lap cats”….it’s a wonderful feeling having the cats sit in your lap just purring away…..

10. This article holds very true to my heart Colby. We have always grown up with lots of animals as you know and I think as a child I always had a very deep connections with our “animal companions.” I remember the first magazines I subscribed to were Cat Fancy and Dog Fancy magazine. From there, I started receiving information on the Humane Society, PETA and other similar animal groups as a very little girl. I had Mom send $5 of my allowance to one of the groups to help save the homeless animals. From this, my love and bond with our pets has only grown for me. The relationships and joy they have brought me is invaluable. I now only have 1 cat, Lulu, but my dedication to helping animals continues, including being a vegetarian. I will always have pets and am so glad that our family lots of animals friends for me to enjoy!

11. That’s awesome that your dogs keep the peace at home! Yes, Linus did and still does look a lot like a Lab. Although if you met him in person you’d notice that his coat is totally different and his tail curls and feathers kind of like a husky.

    Take care!
    Colby

12. Thank Pamela! Yeah, it’s pretty easy to share how much I love my pets, how great they are, and how much they benefit and improve my life. It really is a no-brainer.

    Thanks,
    Colby

13. One thing I can certainly tell you, my dogs keep the peace in our home. Without them, I wouldn’t have experienced an entire month’s peace because my mom and I used to fight… MONTHLY. When I introduced Peanuts as an indoor dog, those fights went out of the door.

    They make my mom laugh in the most absurd ways and for the most absurd reasons. This is good news for me because it certainly lessens the tension at home.

    Adoption is awesome. Little Linus looks like a black Lab. LOL.

    Huggies and Cheese,

    Haopee

14. What a lovely, heartfelt post.

    But I had to giggle when I read your disclaimer. It’s like “you want to pay me for sharing how great pets are? Well, gee. That’s a no-brainer.” 🙂

    Hopefully this campaign will convince many families without pets to open their homes and their hearts.

15. Hi Sha Sha!

    I think everyone loves Luke. He’s such a good boy. Just like Luke, Linus likes to run around with a toy in his mouth when he greets people.

    Take care,
    Colby

16. Hi Allison,

    I think my sister thought our dog was a better sibling then her 2 brothers. I remember she used to dress up Maffy when he was a younger pup. Did you do the same with your dogs when you were a kid? By the way, those 3 dogs you live with sure are cool!

    Take care,
    Colby

17. I couldn’t agree more. As soon as Linus, Stetson, and Apache greet me my day is instantly better.

    Thanks for stopping by!
    Colby

18. Hi Irene,

    Thanks for sharing! It’s great to hear the stories about other peoples experiences with their pets. It does sound like you’ll always be pet parents. By the way, I will have some pictures of Yuki wearing her Bret Michaels Pet Hoodie soon.

    Take care,
    Colby

19. Our pooch Luke is the life of the party…a 5 year old male beagle who is everyone’s friend. With his laid back temperment, he can handle puppie dogs to little kids with his mild manners, yet command being the leader of the pack. He waits patiently for his masters to come home from work and is always happy to greet them at the door…with a toy in tow. Besides being a happy camper, he never complains, listens to our everyday comments, eats whatever he is fed and truly has that unconditional love for his family and friends. Luke Skywalker is definitely a keeper!

    WE LOVE OUR DOG!!!!!!!!

20. As an only child, the dogs were the closest things I had to brothers and sisters. They were great! We would play, get mad at each other, watch tv, sleep, etc…they would even walk me to elementary school (with my dad in tow). Now that I’m out of my parents’ house, they have Yuki (their little yorkie) to spoil. It’s fun to go to my parents’ house and see this little thing bolt around the corner sprinting to say hi and lick your face!

    I currently live with three dogs and they are amazing. They are super lovable, caring, and entertaining! I love coming home to them everyday and they have a way of making me feel at ease after a rough day at work…just by laying next to me on the couch. 🙂

    I’m a dog person…and will always be one!

21. Owning a dog definitely helps reduce my stress, Betty is the best at making me feel better!

22. As soon as we bought our house, we got our first puppy, Miki. He was so much fun, we soon brought home our second puppy. They were our “children” for eighteen years. Soon after they passed on, we got Chibi. He was such a joy and when we had to put him down, we were all so heartbroken we didn’t want to get another puppy. After a few years we felt like our home was missing something, so decided to get another puppy. Now we don’t know what we would do without Yuki. She is a spoiled brat and is a very needy puppy but is so much fun to have around. I guess we will always be pet parents.

23. Hi Kyley,

    We loved Maffy! and don’t forget Kiko! That’s a benefit I forgot to mention. Dogs get you out of the house for fresh air and exercise. I take all 3 of my dogs out on walks probably 2-3 times a day each. Without them I’d probably be stuck to my desk 12 hours a day.

    Thanks,
    Colby

24. No problem! We love stopping by to see other pet blogs. I’m so glad that your parents have you and love you so much.

    Thanks for stopping by!
    Colby

25. Hi Leslie,

    I have 3 dogs at home right now soon to be 2 after Apache goes to guide dog college. I’m almost positive the puppy department will ask me if I want another puppy immediately after I drop off Apache. It’s so tempting and I don’t have anyone to overrule me 🙂 We’ll see…

    Thanks for stopping by!
    Colby

26. Hi Daisy,

    Yep, it’s very difficult giving them back. We actually put together a video with our last guide dog puppy, Dublin and his turn in day. If you haven’t seen the video yet then check it out: https://puppyintraining.com/puppy-in-training-tv-ep-18-puppy-turn-in-day/

    Definitely a tough day in our lives and we have to do it again this Saturday with Apache.

    Take care,
    Colby

27. Hi Daisy,

    My parents own a small dog for the first time in my life and my Dad loves that crazy little guy to death. So far I’ve been mostly a large dog person, but I’m sure in the future I will have a small dog as well.

    Thanks for stopping by!
    Colby

28. Hi Jen,

    Yes, I really believe in the Pets Add Life campaign and I hope our blogs can help spread the word. As you said “pets make our lives complete”. I couldn’t agree more.

    Thanks for stopping by!
    Colby

29. Hi Snoopy!

    I’m sure you make everyone smile. You sure made me smile when I met you at BlogPaws. I’m so happy that you enjoy therapy dog work. Hopefully some day I’ll get Stetson involved doing Therapy work.

    Thanks for stopping by!
    Colby

30. Hi Jessica,

    Yes! We always had dogs and cats when I was growing up and as I mentioned earlier I was always on the cat side. During college is when I started transitioning to the dog side. Towards the end of college one of my friends adopted 2 puppies and for some reason I ended up being the caretaker.

    Thanks for stopping by!
    Colby

31. I like the (mostly) part…especially during puppyhood which is most likely coming for me again considering Apache starts Guide Dog College this weekend and the puppy department has already contacted me asking when I’d like to bring home another puppy. I’ve heard they have Lab pups, Shepherd pups, and Golden/Lab cross pups in the nursery…so tempting, but I think it’s time for a little break.

32. Hi John,

    It was a big step and that’s why it took me over 30 years to finally owning a pet by myself. Waiting was a good thing because until that time I was wrapped up in many other commitments that would not have allowed me to spend the proper amount of quality time with a new puppy/dog.

    Thanks for stopping by!
    Colby

33. Hi Urban Hounds,

    I’m definitely with you. I can’t believe how my life has changed since the day I picked up Linus from the animal shelter. Almost all of my free time now revolves around dogs.

    Thanks for stopping by,
    Colby

34. Our dog Maffy was such a joy for our family. I took hiim on runs/walks almost everyday and it was always a stress reliever as well as great exercise. We had him about 17 years and he loved going on walks until the very end, he was amazing. Now we have George and he needs a walk everyday as well and it helps the whole family get out into the environment for fresh air and exercise. We’ll be pet owners for life.
    Kyley

35. Thank you so much for visiting my bloggie and leaving a comment! I have the best parents, and we love each other sooooo much!
    Lovies, Miss Mindy

36. I agree with you 100% and I couldn’t imagine life without pets. I’d love to have more than one but Bella and my husband over-rule me. 😉

37. PS~ I think it’s wonderful that you train Guide Dogs. We wanted to do that too, but we’d have too hard a time giving the pup back!

38. We’re like you, we’ve had many different types of pets in our home, from guinea pigs to turtles to dogs. Each pet has opened a new facet of pet ownership and brought joy to our lives in different ways. Daisy is our first *small* dog, and we’ve learned that small dogs are totally different from the large ones we’ve had in the past. I’ve loved all of our pets, but Daisy has totally captivated my heart. 🙂

39. What a perfect post!
    The Pets Add Life campaign is so important because these pets we have make our lives complete!

40. Hey Colby and the Gang 🙂

    I make my family smile every day – it’s my job 🙂 And they make me wag, especially when we go for a run in the morning 🙂

    I’m now also helping Mum to meet lots of people in retirement homes who’ve got awesome stories to share as I work as a Therapy Dog 🙂

    Mum says life is wonderful with Pets around 🙂

    Wags to all

    Your pal Snoopy 🙂

41. I was a cat person all of the the way though college 🙂 Now I can’t imagine my life without Chester and Gretel. I could have had the worst day but a few kisses from them and it all melts away.

42. I love my pets and can’t imagine not having them around. (mostly) LOL

43. I couldn’t agree more – it’s tough taking the leap from being part of a family with a pet, to owning one yourself (or becoming a single parent, as you put it) but it is tremendously rewarding – nothing makes me feel better than my menagerie greeting me when I walk through the front door!

44. There is no end to the joy of pet parenthood if you ask me, they give so much and ask so little

    urban hounds

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