by Deidre Mcdowell

Created on: July 23, 2008

Last night, as my husband and I curled up in bed, we looked between us and realized we were not alone. After ten years of marriage, something seemed to have genuinely come between us-one very cute golden retriever puppy named Champ. To make matters worse, (or some might say better) Champ was not alone. Down at our feet was Gypsy, our other golden beauty. So here we were, two adults, one big dog, one growing puppy and an ever-shrinking queen-sized bed. My husband looked at me, "this is just not right," he said. Then he turned over and went to sleep, one arm draped around the puppy.

I swore to my husband that if he let me get another puppy it would not sleep in our bed. As soon as Champ was housetrained, that promise was broken. Every night he would repeat his mantra, "This is just not right," and we would shrug it off and go to sleep. This was a nighttime ritual we were getting used to. No matter how many times he repeated the phrase, we would still go to sleep with both dogs on our bed. In the end, it seemed to us this really was just normal.

Yet, there are times in dog lovers' lives where they do question the normalcy of their relationship with their four-legged friends. I find that my own insecurities tend to follow a visit by a non- dog-lover who looks at me funny when I mention that my dogs share our household furniture including our bed. I start to think, Is this really the norm? Is it healthy to allow your dog to become the equivalent of another family member? And even more so lately, is it slightly insane to do all the above with not one, but two dogs?

I might let these questions simmer for a few moments and then I remember that to mine own self I need to be true. I always felt it was silly to have a dog if you did not take advantage of all the joys it can bring to your life. Let's face it; the greatest joys of dog ownership come from when they curl up with you anywhere you wish to relax. Therefore, anywhere in our home is a free for all.

Now, amongst all this dog banter did I meant that our home also holds two young children. Children, like dogs, are wonderful creatures. They accept most of the faults and shrug off even the obvious differences of all the people they meet. If they are raised with dogs, they grow to love them like a sibling, and if they are anything like my two, they even will fight with them like a sibling. My children think of Champ and Gypsy as humans. This can cause some tricky situations. For example, how do you explain to that dog-despising relative that it is ok for your toddler to share licks of the ice cream cone with the puppy? I know I always used the excuse that it simply built up their immune systems.

Is it really ok for you to treat your dogs like a human? Ask any dog lover, and I am sure they would respond with a resonating cry of, "absolutely!" Would others agree with this opinion? Does everyone think it is ok for a family to live with an animal that shares every bit of its furniture, space, and even sometimes, food? If you find yourself to be one of these dog lovers, do you even care? I know I do not. In fact, right now I am going to snuggle up on my couch with my kids, two dogs, and my husband. I am going to scratch behind my dog's ears while I watch my favorite show. Maybe I will even share my snack with them.

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