Friday, February 18, 2011

Why do you love your pets?

Lately, a friend of mine adopted a dog because the dog's ex-owner thought her dog wasn't going to win any rosettes in the shows so she gave it away and she thinks my friend is a better person to look after this dog.    

It made me wonder why we keep and love our pets.


Why do you love your pets?

Isn't it a simple question which comes with a simple answer?

You love your pets because they are your pets.

Wait, it seems some pets are loved because they are their owner's pride; they are good at agility, they shine in conformation shows, they are clever and beautiful, they speak and understand five languages, they can perform tons of tricks and etc etc.

However, I'm sure most pets are loved because they love you, they sit beside you when you watch television, listen to you when you're complaining about some small matters, put their heads on your lap when you're upset and play with you when you need a playmate.



So why do we love YOU, Eva? 

You never cease to make us laugh (whether it is at you or with you), 
You are the best to cuddle with,
You have a beautiful smile and a beautiful heart,
You are willing to do anything if food is involved,
You know how to wrap your daddy under your paw,

You may not be 'perfect' for show, or agility
(although if it wasn't for your legs, I know you'd be awesome!) 
But you are perfect for us and our family.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's really too bad your friend's new dog wasn't good enough for her former owner. But I am very glad she is now with your friend, someone who will love her just as she is, and not for what she will win for her.

Shiva is a member of my family, first and foremost. If she ever manages to win any agility titles, that will just be extra. What matters most is that we love being together.

Thanks for this sweet post! Eva is very lovable. You are very lucky to have each other.

Cat and DOG Chat With Caren said...

That is so sad about your friend giving up their dog because it couldn't win prizes. That is the main reason why Dakota was up for sale when we got him. The breeder couldn't "show" him. That makes me sad.

Eva couldn't be a luckier dog. She is with the perfect people who love ALL animals, that is quite evident!

Dogs and all animals offer unconditional love, and that is how it should be! xoxoxo

Sara said...

We love Eva too :)

Dogs, unlike people, never let you down. They are calming, gentle hearted spirits. They emulate the best of what we all could be.

We are so lucky to have dogs in our lives.

Cowspotdog said...

I have never understood how a beautiful loving pet can suddenly become "less" then it is because it's not a good show dog or breeder. When I looked for Reilly I found a breeder who loved all her dogs 100%. Reilly's mom was VERY hard to breed, she only ever had two litters and had to be artificially inseminated to get pregnant - an expensive thing to do and the breeder never thought of getting rid of her because of this or any of her dogs which all live fantastic lives out on a farm. I chose Reilly because he is unique, yes he's a pedigree Sheltie and comes from a line of champions, but he also a white Sheltie which is big NO-NO in the Sheltie breeding world. Do I give a hoot about that - NO. He is my Reilly who I love and adore because he is who he is and a better dog I could not find. I have had many dogs through out my life and I am pleased to say they all lived long and loved lives (my last doggie died at the age of 20 !!) and they give back to me far more then I could give them. So providing them with a stable home, one that they are loved in and one that will be theirs their whole life - is only natural. How could it be anything else for someone who truly loves their pets.

jen said...

Our dogs our first and foremost a member of our family. We love them because of the unconditional love that they show us everyday no matter what. I don't love them any less if they don't do well at a show, showing is just a fun sport for us. If they were to never show again I would love them as much as I do now:) I never understand how some people can give away their pet just because they haven't grown into what they expected.
Great post today :)

Corbin said...

My mom sees people surrender their dogs all the time, and it's heartbreaking. Pets should be a part of your family... and that's one of the things mom drills into people interested in adopting... the dogs have already had a hard life, they don't need a fake forever home to make it even worse. So many dogs are tossed aside for crazy reasons... I was one of them! Some are lucky enough to find a really wonderful home... I'm glad your friend took that dog. It'll now have a better home than it could have ever dreamed of!
-Corbin

DSS said...

Why do I love my pet? Where do I begin?

Because he's clumsy, and funny, and proud, and snuggly, and my heart. He will never win any prize ribbons, that's for sure, but he's my #1. Always :)

Anna the GSD said...

Awwww....your mom is so sweet! My mom loves us cause we love unconditionally, we make her laugh, we know when she needs a cold nose or warm paw, and because we make her a better people! And we're pretty stinkin' cute!!! :)

Amy Wood said...

Sad that owner would give up her dog for such reasons. I'm glad the dog is going to a more loving home with your friend.
I could never give up my shelties. They are my family and there isn't any length I wouldn't go to to provide them a good, loving home.

Trixie, Lily, and Sammy-Joe said...

That is such a sweet post! These are the reasons why people SHOULD have and love pets... NOT because they want to win dog shows and thats all.

houndstooth said...

What a great post! I know why I love each of our dogs, but I don't want to write a novel in reply. I look at all of them every day and am so happy I share life with them! There's Bunny's innate sweetness, Lilac's brassy manner, Blueberry's desire to make us laugh and Morgan's need to make us happy with her. We have been very blessed!

Morganne said...

I love my dogs because they love me:-)

I even love their little quirks.

A MilShelb Mom said...

Great post! I know that seems like it would be a simple answer and I guess it is... but it isn't at the same time. Kind of like your love for another person, your love for a pet varies based on the relationship. :)
~Maggie

Peggy Frezon said...

Eva is one lucky dog! I know she knows you think she's perfect. A dog's heart is so full of love, and all they want to do is share that love.

♥I am Holly♥ said...

I cannot imagine giving my dog away because she will not be the best in something or win anything. I love my pets because they are the best in my life. Eva is so beautiful and so lucky to have you and we love that picture! Lots of love, Debbie and mom

Brandon - The dog with a blog said...

Oh gosh, I couldn't ever give away my dog like that, that's so sad!
And I do it every year for the guide dog program :(
My dogs are my life, and I love them dearly!

Rudy's Raiser

Unknown said...

We can so relate with this post.
Ginger is a perfect dog. she has the features recommended by the Kennel Club for a perfect show dog. Her mother was best in show and her father a police dog.
But do you know why her previous owners sold her off to us/ Because she was a very boisterous puppy and they couldn't handle her.
They kept pestering us to show her because she was sure to win all the shows (those people are our neighbours)
But we never trained her as a show Dog.She grew up as my own little princess. And even now those people keep passing comments like we wasted a good show dog. since we had already 'Cut down' her boisterous nature, we should have shown her!!
The NERVE!!

Shadow is just 7 months old, our darling little puppy and the love of our lives. and many people are sceptical about why we would want to adopt a street dog when we could have taken the trouble to train n bring up a pure bred!

You are right. We just love our dogs, cats or any of our animal friends because of how they enrich our life. And what we give them hardly ever measures up to how much they always give us back..
And I think people who do not understand this do not really even deserve an explaination about why we love our pets so much...

Molly the Airedale said...

We love our pets because they give love back to us freely in return.

Kirby, CGC said...

I am always amazed when I see dogs turned into the shelter because the family no longer wants them. I don't know how people could do this to a family member, that's how I look at Kirby.

I am glad that your friend will be able to give this dog a good home, he deserves it.

All dogs have a talent of some sort, some are show dogs, agility stars, couch potatoes or anywhere in between. But the one thing they are, are teachers. Sometimes I think we think of ourselves as the teachers, but they teach us so much more...unconditional love, patience, humor,..the list goes on.

Kirby's mom

Dawn said...

We love our pets because each one is unique and special and wonderful and warm and loving and funny and wise and crazy....just like us!

Vonnie said...

We love our pets as they love us unconditionally! I just want my dogs to be happy and have a good quality of life. I do agility with both my dogs as it's good to do this together where we're both having fun whether to win or not! It keeps us fit and gives us a deeper bond too!

Ryker said...

Some people are not pet people, they are missing an important genic code or something. They look at animals as property and do not recognize their souls. These "people" are broken. I am glad that this show dog ended up with your friend in a real home.

I love Ryker because he is Ryker. When I look in his eyes my heart melts. I love his slobbery kisses and his howls to greet me when I get home from work. He wants to please me but also just wants to run, play and enjoy life in the moment. Time spent with him erases worldly problems and i live in the moment with him too.

Dexter said...

What a wonderful ode to eva. She is truly a wonderful little gal. I love my Mango because he is just all heart. A simple, loving soul. I love Dexter because he is happy and patient and makes me smile.

Mango Momma

ForPetsSake said...

Beautifully stated. I love my dogs for their innocence and openness. Their child-like wonder at the world. Their whole-hearted greetings, licks, cuddles. I just love them!

Sagira said...

What a beautiful post. I can understand why you love Eva so much. She is one cool pup. :)

MadameMoiselle said...

Sometimes I wonder if those people's hearts are made out of stone..So heartless and insensitive..

Eva is such a lucky puppy to be in such loving family !

Kristin G. said...

I love this post. Eva is definitely deserving of lots of love, and I can tell she gets it. Zoe makes me laugh all the time too. Roxie is just one of the sweetest, well-behaved dogs I've ever encountered. Almost nothing phases her. Xander is quirky, but very loving. And you're right, I love all of them because they love me!

The Thuglets said...

What a lovely post to Eva.

We love our dogs more than we can put into words..they mean the world to us. They give us unconditional love, smiles, laughter, welcomes, cuddles, fun they give their all. We love them to bits!

Big Nose Pokes
The Thugletsx

lew said...

Life can be cruel... a lot of people have dogs in order to full fill their dreams of winning big on the obedience field, at conformation shows etc. Not fair to the dog at all. As far as I am concerned, you'll love your dog no matter what. In good times and bad times... My Goodness, we would have gotten rid of James a long time ago otherwise... LOL ... only kidding! Jamie is the best - Mr Personality himself. :)

Kisses to beautiful Eva & handsome Mika.

 
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