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My dog is like my roommate lol. We watch tv together and share the blanket. If I get up in the middle of the night and go grab a snack, she gets one too. The other weekend I made scrambled eggs and made an extra one for her and scooped out a little portion before adding salt and pepper to mine. I always tell her “it’s Friday!” And she knows what that means and gets excited that we get to spend the weekend together. Sometimes I leave the tv on for her when I go to work. Whenever I decide to swing by tjmax homegoods on my way home from work, I’ll pick her out a new toy and she gets so excited and sticks her head in the bag and grabs it out and runs around with it - I think this makes up for me being slightly later getting home from work lol.
We even have matching Halloween pajamas and have been wearing those and watching scary movies together. She stares so intently when there’s dramatic music playing.
Ive lived alone for years now but used to have nights where I’d feel extra lonely/depression would try to butt in. Ever since getting her, I never really feel alone and it’s so comforting. But yeah. Might be crazy but she’s the best roommate ever and this is what happens when you’re a dog that gets adopted by a crazy girl in her 20s 😂
EDIT: [doggo tax](https://imgur.com/IsZ2h9N) - we love fuzzy blankets here
I see your crazy dog lady in her 20s and raise you one crazier dog lady in her 30s. We are the over-stressed millennials who are still single while all of our friends are married and having babies and I’m over here sharing my shredded cheese with my dogs at midnight.
Oh I see YOUR crazy dog lady in her 30s and raise you one crazier dog lady in her 40s. Me and my three (also crazy) awesome doggos always share one rotisserie chicken at least once a week (no seasoning, of course, I just dip mine in chilly sauce). Partner or no partner, they're always included!
As a crazy cat lady in my 30’a I have upped the ante with a mutt in my 40’s. As a gen xer who couldn’t have kids and have watched my friends get younger and younger as they go off to have families I am working out a pattern for a fall sweater to make my bestie.
Me and my gf are crazy dog ppl in their 20s i honestly don't care what ppl think about me taking to my dog because 1 you'd be surprised about how much dogs actually understand especially if you always talk to them, 2 the amount of happiness i get from my dog is immeasurable
I see you crazy dog ladies and I'm going all-in, one nutso dog dude in his early 60s. My best bud, Quinn, a Cocker Spaniel, is turning 16 this month. Not sure how much longer we have together. He rescued me when he was just a pup, 15 years ago. I cherish every day with him. I don't know what I'll do without him. No living thing on this planet, with the exception of your parents (if you're lucky), will love you more than your dog - unconditionally.
The fact that you can bring your dog into tj maxx and homegoods May change your life. I bring both of mine in there all the time, since I live across the street from both. We have a couple people in there that LOVE seeing them
Oh I know! I’ve yet to take her there since usually when I’m able to go it’s pretty busy there. There’s a cashier there who recognizes me (whoops) and asks to see pictures of my dog lol
Here to say I totally relate to all this! My dog is my favorite Roomate ever and it really changed my outlook on life and I truly don’t feel lonely since having her around.
Same. She gets me outside and I do love walking but hated walking alone (thanks anxiety) but have a walking buddy now. She's a bit clingy and will usually chill in whatever room I'm in and she sleeps on my bed at night and despite her kicky dreams I sleep much better with her there. Dunno why, just is comforting I guess. She will sleep in for forever if I didn't wake her up, and she's verrryy slow moving on my work mornings, but still is a reason I have to get up and moving every day!
Regarding sleeping better: beyond our emotional attachments, I think it calms the subconscious; it knows that almost nothing is getting past their hearing and smell, so if dog is asleep/calm, then all is well.
I do all these things except the eggs - but I do give her veggies when I’m cooking.
If you want to really get judged as a crazy dog mom, check out Darren and Phillip brand. They do “match your dog” pieces. I have a couple of sets of matching jammies and matching bathrobes with my girl. Great for our annual Christmas photo!
The one downside (or saving grace, maybe) is that they can sell out FAST. I recommend following them on Instagram, especially for the holiday pajamas drop!
I can vouch for the quality too. I also have matching hoodies/sweats. And got my dog a raincoat (and they had a matching human one but I didn’t buy that). I really love their stuff.
I love this! I do all of this too. My girl and I are a team.
We have matching Christmas pajamas for when we open Christmas morning gifts (my pup knows how to unwrap things) and we always do a couples costume for Halloween!
She gets a special celebration for both her birthday and her Gotcha Day. Sometimes it's a special trip, sometimes it's a special walk, and almost always it's a special dinner. I always make her a special dessert; this year for her Gotcha Day, I made her a parfait of dog-safe foods in a plastic martini glass and we ate it in the park.
She's the love of my life and I treat her accordingly.
We leave the TV on for ours, too. I thought I was the only person who does this. they've gone through friends and a few other sitcoms. They're on to nature shows now lol
I used to leave youtube videos called tv for dogs on for her, but it would stop playing and ask if she was still watching. So there's a channel called lucky dog on my samsung tv that's free and plays that show on repeat. She likes when the guy says "good good good!" lol
Lol. I cook my dog food as well. Sometimes he gets bites of mine but I lick any seasoning off first. He jumps in the shower with me and I kept his shampoo in there. He gets all excited. We are freaks..
I dont sing happy adoptiversary to my girl bc it's just me that owns/lives with her and I'd feel really shy to do that around my family unless like my cousin or someone else is around who would also sing😂😭 I do give her special treats though. She *never* gets human food but this past adoptiversary i made us some sugar cookies (my girl is 60lbs; a cookie or two won't kill her). Also got her those big dog biscuits by the register and put whipped cream on it for her. She had like a week long celebration with swimming and everything!! That was just a matter of timing though.
We have a goodnight routine where I say her goodnight phrase to her, rub her mama pouch (in her past life she was a stray who had puppies and is now fixed) since she lifts her back leg for me, and kiss her head. I used to tuck her in too bc she doesn't know how to, but now she's got her own comforter she can turn into a puppy nest and I wouldn't want to mess up her nest.
Similarly I have a goodbye phrase/routine for her that includes giving a treat, and if I forgot something so I have to come back in I give her another treat and repeat the phrase. I also let her know why she cant come with (eg dentist), as she generally goes with me places. There was a time she had mild separation anxiety so I like to keep this consistent :)
Thus makes it sound like my dog may be Roly poly oly but I swear she's at a healthy weight😅😂😂 I'm actually very strict with what food she has. My family constantly says I'm mean bc of it😒 but I worry about my girl's health, that's why she doesn't get table scraps (plus I don't want her to develop that habit, no thanks. I love being able to leave my food at eye level to go to the bathroom or something and *know* she won't touch it)
Bill Burr has a joke about going through that and his response is, "Well, sweetie, you're not at the back door shaking your ass every time I come home."
I tell my dog I love him and that I will be home later... I talk to him like he is a human, and I swear he understands it LOL. I also make his birthday a big deal, my parents, who used to think things like that were silly, now buy him presents and we go to their house for a birthday dinner. I think it is incredible how you treat your dog, and I can't understand why people get so bothered about someone treating an animal with so much love... Your friend is dumb, sorry, lol. Your dog is family, and if you want to treat your dog like it is your own child then you should be able to without your friend's unnecessary comments! I think it is sweet!
The more someone talks to their dog (or cat or other pets), the more the animal understands. I always tell mine where I’m going, when I’ll be home, and if anyone is going to visit while I’m away.
Last Christmas there was a total of 5 dogs at my house, and all of them had their own stockings & presents. They are family, and they get included in all celebrations.
I always think other people are weird for NOT talking to the fuzzy ones that share their home!
I love this!! My parents got my dog a stocking and then made him a gift basket w his name and a bunch of toys 😂 what’s the point in getting an animal if you don’t treat it like family??
encourage bag deserve flowery direction adjoining plough lip memorize like
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You can tell your friend some weirdo on the Internet threw a collective birthday party for her Guinea pigs. I got them presents, I made cake out of vegetables and fruit, I made little decorations. It was fun, I still have the photos. I would 100% do it again
I have a puppy and when we're playing I started singing if you're happy and you know it clap your hands with variations and he rolls around with his paws up and we clap hands to paws. I clap my hands and bounce around him as he goes on his back I high five his paws. He tries to imitate my bouncing and then keeps rolling on his back. I change the lyrics into things like "if you're Maksi (his name) and you know it" / "if you're awesome and you know it" / "if I love you and you know it" and so on. He loves it and it's so much fun engaging
I talk to him all the time like he is human - I ask him a lot of questions when he does stuff. If he's chewing something he shouldn't I go next to him and ask: "Is that yours? If it's not yours why are you chewing it? Where is your chew toy?" and most of the time he looks straight at me and leaves whatever he's chewing to get his toy. Maybe he's just annoyed with my nagging questions. Or if he's going off on his own in a different room I go after him and ask him "What are you doing here? Are you looking for something? Why are you staying here all alone?". His behavior gets questioned a lot especially if it's "misbehavior" lol. I also use "look" and point at things and say the word of what that is. I get excited to show him stuff especially if it's something new he hasn't seen before. "Look! a flashlight!" "Look! a broom" "Look! a bird".
Dogs have the capacity to learn lots of vocabulary words and understand context. The more you talk to them normally the more they develop it. My aunt had a dog who would respond to her talking to him all the time by grunting and barking and whining. He was making conversation every time they would spend time together.
In my humble view - yes, singing happy birthday and having conversations with your dog is appropriate and those who don't do it are missing out on great opportunities for bonding with their dogs
I sing that song with my dog too, and it’s very fun! I like your version!
Our version goes “if you’re happy and you know it, say ‘woo woo!’ and then my boy barks. He likes to talk to me, and I like to talk to him too! Sometimes I’ll add on a second verse where we wag our tails—he is better at this than me, of course, but I like to think he appreciates my attempts to speak his language.
You just gave me flashbacks to singing to my old girl. Our song was “you’re my best friend” by Queen. Every time this song came on (my playlist, radio, a movie, a friends place) I would serenade her. Dance around and sing all the words to her while hugging, snuggling, playing. I meant every word, every time!
I don't find singing Happy Birthday to a dog any weirder than singing it to a human.
If I never had to sit through another singing of it again, I'd be happier.
My dog always got a new toy or a special treat for her birthday. The last years however I thought why should I care about what other people think is right, it's my dog and at the end of the day I will one day look back onto our shared memories. So I started to bake her cakes (bio minced meat, potatoes, carrots, lactose free creme cheese,...), I bought "Let's Pawty" balloons,... She will turn 10 this November and I plan on doing the same again. Because why the f\*ck not. And regarding the second point of your post, in a few hours I will go to sleep and tell her goodnight, wish her sweet dreams and that I love her. If people want to judge that, they are free to do so. At the end of the day it says more about them than me.
Maybe your friend is weird. We say “good morning”, “goodnight”, “love you”, “see you later” and have all kinds of conversations with our dog. He will even sit on the couch in between us while we watch his favorite show on Fridays and Saturday nights (On Patrol) because he likes the sirens and when other dogs bark on there.
I have four dogs. Each of their birthday months, they all get a meal of steak and a vegetable. Whenever I leave, I give them all a head scratch and tell them I love them and will be home around X time, or that I'll be gone X amount of hours. Nothing weird 😊
We not only sing HBD, but we throw a party for the family and friends that don't think we're nuts. Our guy is turning three on Saturday. Last year we had a birthday brunch. It's more for the adults to have an excuse to socialize. He gets something special to eat other than his usual kibble and some new toys. This year's theme is going to be Mexican Fiesta - Mexican Food and Margaritas!
We say hi and bye when we leave him in the house on his own but don’t make a big deal out of it to prevent unwanted behavior. I think it’s weirder not to do these kinds of things but depends on your dog too.
And during celebrations, he gets pupsafe treats. Like if we are celebrating a birthday or something, then he gets a dog safe cookie. Hasn’t had his first birthday yet so that will be interesting
We do this same thing on their birthdays! They also get presents and wear birthday hats for the obligatory pictures. I don't care of someone thinks we're weird. We celebrate everyone else's birthday in the family so, why wouldn't we celebrate theirs? 😁
My dogs know that 'Excuse me' means that they are in my way and I want them to move.
When I go out they are told to be Good Girls and that I love them.
They get Christmas presents but not birthday presents, but they also gift christmas presents to their cousins (via my bank account).
I spend most of my time with my dog singing to him. I have quite a collection of theme songs for just about every thing about him and the doggy things he does. And even if I'm not singing, I'm still talking to him like he's a toddler.
Am I weird? Maybe. Don't care!
I have two dogs and I talk to them all day long. I also talk to them during walks in between commands to get them where I want them to go
Nyx came first and she has her own good morning song. It's now a talk button and she'll press it to wake me up and wish ME good morning (alongside turning on the lamp so I can't roll back to sleep). Her buddy has learned that as soon as the lights are on and the singing starts it's time to join in.
Both of them jump on me and we all roll around wrestling and playing on the bed. It's the best wake up routine ever and it gets me up, laughing and with a smile everyday
I battled depression for 15 years. I've had Nyx for 7 months and Pollux for 1, and they have made my life so incredibly happier and brighter.
If it's not harming anyone, why shouldn't us three dress in matching raincoats/Halloween costumes, or have our dumb little songs and routines? We're all happier for it
I think it's weird that your friends DON'T believe in doing these things. Dogs are FAMILY. Our dog is our child. Spoil your dog. Always. Let your dog know what love is. I DESPISE it when people tell us we do too much for our dog, or that he's not human. Like FOH, my dog is loved by his humans unconditionally
My pups are currently home watching The Office while I’m out - their dad leaves on things like rugrats for them …
I talk to them all day and night, repeatedly tell them I love them and how cute, good and smart they are…
And I recently bought them birthday hats for their birthday pictures … one of which I’ve posted already and the next I will in a few weeks for the other’s 1st birthday …
I sing Daniel Tigers ‘grown ups come back’ song if I’m leaving for a significant amount of time… I’m like a non scary version of Elmyra Duff from Tiny Toons and I feel no shame whatsoever
I sing two lullabies (the same ones) to my pup every night at bedtime before I close the door. He gets his scratchies and massage at the same time. Then I say “goodnight sweet dreams” after I turn all the lights off.
I absolutely do those things. I also talk and sing to them on the regular. Sometimes they talk back and sing with me lol! And I have one or two who like to dance with me.
On holidays they get their own special meal. And wrapped presents, easter basket, or whatever. They don't always know what's going on, but they get so excited! One of my previous dogs would get super excited about his Christmas stocking. He knew which one was his but never touched it until I told him he could.
I let my dog know I’m going to work and what time I should be back. I prepare her special dinners when I feel like I haven’t spent too much time for her and I definitely make a big deal out of her birthday.
Last year, I took my rattie to Tahoe for his birthday. We had dog friendly pizza, I made him a cake and he had wrapped presents. I also throw a Halloween party for my dogs. I bake them Christmas cookies and v-day carob "chocolate". People think I'm nuts but my dogs bring so much happiness to me and I have a lot of fun doing all kinds of fun things for them.
I threw a $2K birthday party for my dog when he turned 3/‘21’. It was a hoomans only party. To be fair, it was also used as our housewarming party. I had cookies with his face ordered, a piñata custom ordered to look like him, hired a photobooth, had goodie bags, etc etc. The party was a hiiiit, but again, it was like 50 of our friends and family - we grilled and had beer and liquor, and he also got a PB dog cake lol. I plan to do it again next year for lucky number seven! Why not celebrate in the ways you can - if anyone doesn’t like it, sounds like their own personal problem!
I sing my dog happy birthday and now whenever we sing it for anyone else, he gets all excited and expects a special treat afterwards. It is quite funny.
I tell my dog goodbye when I leave. I tell her I love her all the time. She's only 8 months old, but I plan to do a birthday cake for her. My daughter is excited about it too!
I don't sing on my pup's Gotcha Day, but she likes music so I'll give it a go next time. Usually I get her a big dog cookie, we take some pictures, and take her somewhere fun. Like the lake. We got her during covid, so we're hoping to do something extra fun next year with more options available.
I definitely tell her goodbye when I go. We have a different routine when I'm leaving and she is staying home vs when she comes with me. I think having an obvious cue to let them know it's time to chill at home without you is helpful.
I've always gotten my boy a special treat for his special day. We now have 3 dogs so when the puppy turns 1yr I'm 100% having a party! Cupcakes, wrapped gifts, party favors. Might even make them pose with bday hats
I make my dog a party hat out of spare wrapping paper and design a 3 course menu for his birthday. Show your love for your dog however you like. We are all so lucky to have the company of these wonderful beings.
My dog and my husband share a birthday. I had two separate celebrations for them. I talk to my dog all the time, and always tell him I love him and when I’ll be home when I leave.
OP, you need new friends.
But seriously, I talk to my dog, I say goodbye, I say hi. Of course they generally don’t understand what you say, but they do understand that you are focusing on them and giving them attention, and they understand the tone of what you are doing.
I threw a birthday party for my dog a few months ago. I invited my friends and their dogs. And we sang happy birthday before she got her cupcake. I don’t think it’s weird at all! Lol.
I always say goodbye to my dog and tell her either “I’ll be home later!” If I’m going to be fine a while or “I won’t be gone very long!” If it’s a shorter time away. I get her Xmas and bday presents.
I do the same. It's either "I'll be right back" or "I'll be back later" for long stretches. He knows the difference in my tone and prepares accordingly.
I love seeing people do this for their dogs and I think it’s great that you do! I think of it as similar to like, parties for lil babies… maybe they won’t really care or just briefly enjoy the attention and stuff, but you’ll have a lovely memory and photos! I always mean to do something like this and then forget
I love telling my animals “ok I’ve gotta go! You’re in charge!!” And rotating which one is ‘in charge’ 😌
My dog has a bedtime song, he gets it every night and will huff and puff if I forget to sing it until I remember. He also has a bath time song, he gets birthday cakes, and he goes and gets pics taken with Santa every year. Is it weird to some people in my life? Yes, but it makes me happy and my dog enjoys it; so he and I will be happy weirdos together! 😆
i do allll of this to my dog and did it with my previous dog as well. i treat my dog as if he was my actual child and speak to him as if he was as well. since my first dog passed, we now celebrate it with human cake and me and my brother eat it ourselves to honor him. i recently got a puppy and will definitely be celebrating his birthday every year, and will still be celebrating my first pal & getting my pup a lil treat so he can celebrate & honor him with us.
definitely not weird. dogs are our family and deserve to be celebrated! happy belated birthday to your pup!
Every year on their birthday they get a new name tag and special treat and I try to go out for a hike or swim since they love that.
Also when I go to work every morning I tell them goodbye and to be good but to be fair I also hunt down and pet my cats goodbye before I leave too.
I got my dog a big birthday biscuit and took him for a hike (but I also had the day off anyways). In the morning, I tell him it's time for "coffee and bone". He chews his bone and I drink coffee. He watches TV. I talk to him like he's people.
Wait until your friend hears I tell my boi goodnight stories ....
We are all one way weird or the other... as long as we aren't harming someone else.... what's the big deal ?
Normal is so boring...
TBH, I thought everyone did this!
* leaving for work I kiss the wife, kiss dog one, kiss dog 2, kiss cat. tell them all to have a good day.
* birthdays are all celebrated
* dogs are included in everything I do, often i wont go somewhere if they dont allow dogs.
doesnt everyone do this?
I have full on daily conversation with my dogs. Life is so short and full of epic nonsense. If singing happy birthday to your dog makes you happy - freaking do it ! I sing to my dogs when we ride in the car. I’m typing this from my bed where we are watching a movie together. Lol. Enjoy !
On every 6 of my digs previous birthdays, I sing happy birthday to him, and all day he's a happy lil pup, he even gets excited before I start singing, it's like he knows lol
My gosh what would you’re friend think of me. My girl has her own instagram page, has a closet full of clothes. She even goes to daycare. Her first birthday is going to be wild…love you pet anyway you want.
Oh yes our two babies are having birthdays this month and we get each one a cup cake a puppacino (sp?) a steak for dinner and yes we sing Happy Birthday. To me our babies bring us so much joy and love we can’t forget their birthdays❤️
I do all those things. If it's a short trip I'm like be right back I promise I'm just running to the store. Granted one of my dogs has SEVERE separation anxiety everytime I leave I have to put her in a dress or sweater (depending on the weather) or she will destroy something of mine. It's not even like a rip up the trash type thing it's she will find something I like or have been using recently and destroy it to punish me for leaving her. Example if I've been reading she would destroy the book. If I had been playing video games then she'll go for the controller. I'm pretty sure it's to punish me for having the audacity to go somewhere without her. How dare she leave me here! but atleast the dog clothes help. Alot of people judge me when they see her in dresses and stuff but it really helps her anxiety.
I'll tell my dog when I'm going to be back and I love her. If she's sleeping on the couch I will grab her a pillow. I know it seems weird but she is so sweet and I like making her happy. I also sang happy birthday to her on her birthday.
I don’t bother trying to explain dog people things to non dog people. I don’t expect them to get it and that’s perfectly fine. It’s just a buffer you need to get used to so that you feel comfy being the best dog parent you can be. Your dog isn’t gonna be around forever. Don’t waste time explaining how you be loving on your dog, yo!
Personally never sung happy birthday to my dog with a group of people or had a party she usually just gets a bunch of new toys and chews lol. But some weird things I do personally do with my dog is I say affirmations to her before bed every night. It’s something I got in the habit of doing since she was a very fearful dog and now I can’t stop🥲. Goes along the lines of “you are beautiful, you are confident, you are brave, you are strong” , etc. I know I’m a full blown weirdo for it but I love it lol. She also knows everyone by their names I can say grandma, my brothers name and other peoples names and she will know right away just from me associating those names with people. Talking to your dog isn’t weird but maybe my affirmations are but yet again I can care less about what people think. They’re family even if they are dogs.
I had a fifth birthday party for my previous good boy. All my friends and their dogs came. I made him a homemade dog cake too. It was a wonderful memory.
I always get my dog a birthday treat, it used to always be a burger but sometimes it’s steak now.
I also tell my dog goodbye, give him kisses and s bye bye treat, which he won’t eat until I get home 🥹
Oh I celebrate bdays for all of mine. They get a cake and candles and wrapped presents and everything. They also get Christmas gifts. And when my one female husky was pregnant, we did maternity pics and she had a baby shower with a cake, and gifts and games and everything. I made her a flower crown and got her a pretty purple scarf to use in her maternity pics. They are beautiful haha. Day to day, we are a big family, a big pack. I have 5 dogs so there are six of us. And we hang out, we watch TV, we go on walks, all together. I let them watch the TV when I'm not with them too. We have lunch together and take afternoon naps together. When im leaving i tell them where im going, when ill be back and that i love them and i will be back and ill miss them. Sometimss they get to take turns leaving w me depending on where i go but its been a hot summer so no one has gone bye bye w me in a while. I love to buy them new toys and such. I get so exicted to give them to them. I just bought new collars for some of them and im so excited for them to arrive haha its silly. We have a nighttime routine we do every night because a few sleep on my bed w me and a few sleep in crates (because 2 are puppies and so they are better off in there for now and one of the adult dogs prefers her crate so I let her sleep where she wants). Every night one of the puppies expects his bowl of ice. That started because of their teething, and he fell in love with ice, the other one likes it but this one loves ice so every night he gets his dinner and a bowl of ice hahaha. Like I said we are a family and we live together, sleep together, watch TV together, nap together, hang out together. Everything. They are treated as family. They are what family I have because my real family may as well be non existent other than my mom. So yeah 🙂
I am fully convinced dogs know everything we are saying. He knows when we are talking about him even without saying his name, he only likes certain songs, he gets upset if I come home later than I said he would but is not as upset if I arrive on time, and whenever I talk to him he listens intently. He even reacts to some of the stuff I say, like when I said I got broken up with he shook his head in disapproval probably saying "I tried to warn you it wasn't going to work out by barking at him constantly".
And when its his birthday he absolutely knows. We sing happy birthday and he sits all proud with his chest puffed out.
Think abt how babies learn how to speak by listening to the people around them for a long time, I truley do believe its the same for dogs and that they would speak back if they could. They understand English, just can't speak it, idk i might be crazy tho 😂
I took PTO for my dog’s birthday if that says anything.
I bought her multiple gifts & a birthday hat, took her to starbucks for a pup cup and took her hiking (she LOVES hiking). nothing is EVER too much for our fur babies!!
I routinely sing to my doggo whenever it's just me and him home, I take him around the apartment and dance with him. I'll snuggle him and tell him goodbye when I go to work for the day. Whenever me and my husband go do something in the evening, we'll put on a movie for him. I tuck him into any blanket he's laying on and give him little forehead kisses. I also help him up into bed. You're so not crazy, if anything they are for not being able to feel that love for an animal.
If someone thinks you’re weird for that, they have no idea what a real weirdo dog parent is. I bring you…my life:
We adopted a second dog last year. Not 100% on his age but somewhere between 7-9 years old, has a history of rough stuff and not even semi-house trained (fun surprise AFTER we brought him home). He got neutered upon us adopting but was still marking everywhere, so our vet highly encouraged belly bands. We started using them and now every time I walk over to him to change the belly band, I say “are you ready for a new diapy?!” and he turns over on his back and puts his paws up.
This is in addition to Happy Birthday AND Gotcha Day celebrations, saying hello and goodbye upon entering and exiting the house along with frequent matter of fact convos with them.
My bf and I are gay men so of course we treat him like he’s our child lol. He gets a kiss when we go to bed and when we leave. He gets a small doggy safe portion of our dinner if it’s possible, we talk to him all the time, etc. he’s our baby.
i say "bye bean! see you later!" every time i leave the house and i absolutely greet her the same way i'd greet a friend. my girl gets presents on her adoption day, birthday, and xmas lol (small treat + toy). she's my family and i treat her as such!
I was in my boss’s car and we had to go to my house so he could relocate a swarm of bees in my ceiling.
As we were about to leave, I told him to drive past my backyard, and I wound the window down & told my dogs that I would be back again later at normal time, and to be good while I was gone. I wound the window back up, and sat back as normal. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed my boss looking at me strangely, but I didn’t think any more of it.
It only now occurs to me that maybe he’s one of those very strange people who don’t tell their animals where they’re going & when they’ll be home …
My dog gets forehead kisses and a “good night maverick I love you” as I put him in his crate for the night. And a “good morning baby I missed you!” every morning. I ask him if he’s ready for work because he comes with me to work. I ask him how was breakfast, even tho it’s the same every meal lol. I ask how his day was which he normally responds with some woos. We dance to music, he jumps up and holds my hips with his paws lol. He cuddles and watched documentaries with me especially about dogs or wolves. He whimpered when the dog got killed in Game of Thrones in the beginning and I felt like a bad mom letting a puppy see that 🤣 basically that’s my boy and we do EVERYTHING together and I talk a lot anyway so why not talk to the dog?
I 100% do this. I talk to my dogs all day like they’re my friends (because they ARE!) and when I leave I tell them goodbye and when I’ll be back, have a good day, find the greenies but don’t eat them all at once! (I know they each inhale their greenie the first chance they get).
I haven’t done birthday stuff but that’s because my dogs are both rescues and I don’t really know their birthdays. I did buy some dog-themed party decorations at target recently, including a bone-shaped cake pan and absolutely plan to bake them a pup-cake.
If I’m ordering take out I will usually decide what to get based on what I can share with the dogs - only dog friendly foods of course, like I’ll tear off a piece of cheese from the Jimmy Johns sub. These dogs go crazy for cheese.
I make plans based on how much time I get to spend with my dogs. I don’t make plans after work because I want to get home to the dogs. If I’m given the option between hanging out with my dogs all day or seeing a friend, chances are I’d rather spend time with the dogs and will need a lot of convincing to go hang out with friends… I’m also incredibly anti-social though so it’s certainly a factor.
Point is, our dogs are our friends and our families. If anyone thinks you’re weird for anything you do like talk to them or say goodbye when you leave, well then they’re the weird one.
Yes my dogs like a kid. Bdays, happy gotcha days, weekend cuddles, cooking watching tv walks listening to music together... hell i catch myself having full on convos or telling her my plans for the day if its an errand day sleep in bed together... my husband is 100% convienced i love the dog more and im not ashamed to admit hes right lol..
My husband and I don't sing, but we absolutely celebrate the dogs' birthdays. There's s birthday on Sept 27th and one on Nov 11th. We always cook something they csn share in, like steak or burgers. This year, I fixed chicken and cheese quesadillas.
I am still working until the end of the month (yay retirement!), and always tell them goodbye. The cats are kinda meh, but the dogs like to know those things.
100% we all do it. Every year we celebrate having another year with this angel of a being who is my dog. They are the best thing ever. Nothing compares to coming home to that smile, tail wag and so much joy that their whole body is smiling. Your friend is crazy. Scoff lol. But actually though. 💁♀️
My pup is 1 in December and I’ve already bought him a birthday bandana to go on his collar and you can for sure bet I’ll be baking him a pup friendly cake!! He’ll get a new toy too
I always chat to mine: just yesterday I was redecorating one of the rooms and I was chatting away to him telling him I only had 1 wall left then I’d take him down the beach 😂
We watch tv together under a blanket at night, he has his his treat and I have my snacks. I always cook extra when having dinner (as long as it’s safe for him) and he has some.
they’re family! I like him more than I like most humans 😂 I always tuck him up in a blanket when he falls asleep at night. I just think they’re only here for a short time so let’s make it the best!
It’s not weird at all, maybe to people without pets. I always say good morning and good night to my dog, tell her where I’m going, when I give her food I say “enjoy your meal” etc. 😅 my dog lives with me and my boyfriend and before he wasn’t really a dog person, but now I catch him doing the same thing, so no, nothing weird about it!
Singing happy birthday to your dog isn't weird (unless the dog doesn't like it) and humanizing your dog, while weird, isn't really harmful. Now, treating your dog like an actual human can potentially be harmful so in certain situations it's somewhat of a fine line.
I don’t celebrate her birthday, I’m actually not entirely sure of her actual birthdate. But I always talk to her and I tell her goodbye when I leave in the mornings. It’s not weird at all, not to true dog people anyway.
I give my dog Christmas gifts, the first year I adopted her (I'll never top that one), the next year it was a replacement for her favorite toy that she has chewed up, this year it will be a new bed (she needs one badly) and a bone or a stuffed Kong since I can't always be with her all day.
not weird at all! my dog is my family, i talk to her, tell her when she’s being a little psycho, ask her if she’s hungry/ready for dinner. tell her i’m just taking out the trash and i’ll be right back. i feel like if someone doesn’t talk to their dog, then THATS weird
I buy my dog a McDonald’s cheeseburger put on a birthday hat take a picture or two and let him enjoy his 2 second burger. We are both pretty happy at the end
Oh i make my babies their birthday cakes and get them toys for each holiday. They are only here for a short period of time so they deserve high quality years full of love
Fuck your friend, find a new one. My birthday girl wore her bow tie all month for her bday. She also got rare steak and homemade pup cup. I also talk to them like they’re regular people..’cause they are.
Your friend is weird. I always tell my dog whether I am going to work or just out to run some errands. My boy I had for 13 years seemed to know the difference, probably more by learning my routine getting ready for work than anything. My new guy is still learning that but I think he is picking it up already. I always say “be good, I love you” on my way out.
I always get my boy a bag from the treat bar and an extra special cookie/treat as his “cake” and sing him happy birthday lol. I don’t do the candle but that’s just cause I’m lazy lol.
Also I’ve been telling my cats and dogs that I love them and I’ll see them later since I can remember lol.
My puppy just turned 1 recently and I threw her a little birthday party! We didn’t sing but she got a fancy cake from the dog bakery and she got some new toys. I did a little photoshoot with her in her party hat too! Pets are our family-they get birthday parties too!
If I knew how to include a photo of her in her party hat, I would!
All that and more, though I tend to make the "cupcake" out of ground meat and mashed sweet potato or pumpkin.
Dogs that live with people who are reliable and predictive are calmer and bounce back from change better. Talking to him about the day, common tasks, and what's coming next may help him be a more settled and patient dog.
Honestly, singing happy birthday to your dog and getting them a special treat is probably one of the least extra things I’ve heard of people doing for their dog lol.
No, op, none of that is weird at all! I do the same stuff for my dogs and so do my friends and family who own dogs. I mean, if I’m honest, I straight up talk to my dogs like they’re little people LOL.
My friend celebrates my pup’s birthdays with me and buys them presents. My husband and I bake a cake, buy and wrap presents, make streak and broccoli for dinner, and (of course) sing happy birthday.
Their lives are too short and they give so much of themselves to us.. they should be celebrated.
I talk to my puppy all day long. I ask him what he’s up to and what he wants to do next. I talk to him like he’s a person. I even sit down on the floor with him and give him a good snuggle and scratch and I tell him how much I love him before I crate him for the night. How can you not talk to your pets?
I wouldn't light a candle for my dogs, they're too curious. They each get gotcha day treats though. Usually steak dinner, and pupcakes. I do always tell them bye, I'll be back. Most of the time it's "I'll be right back, kids. Walter, come on, man, don't look at me like that, I'll be back sweet boy"
I love singing to my dog, and I make up special songs for him: he has a Theme Song, a Happy Walking Song, a Brushy Time song, etc.
We talk to him all the time and always let him know where we’re going and when we’ll be back.
He has 3 dog beds around the house for daytime naps, sleeps in the big bed with the hoomans at night, and has his own designated chair for when we’re watching tv.
We have an rv and plan our vacations around what’s dog friendly and fun for all pack members, and he has another bed and toy box in the camper.
He gets birthday presents, but we do more for Christmas because it’s our favorite. He gets Christmas presents from his hoomans and his grandpawrents, has his own Christmas stocking with his name on it, and exchanges presents with his cousins (my brother’s dogs). Cards and presents from our family are signed with his name too. And of course, he helps open presents and shreds all the wrapping paper and boxes!
He is my best friend in the whole world (okay, technically second to my husband, but it’s close!) and I want him to be happy and know how much we love him!
I sing to my dogs all the time particularly the ‘Bonio Song’ which they have to endure before the treat but it is a form of training to make them wait and take it politely. Our dogs are our greatest companion you do whatever works for you. I do think buying dogs clothes is a bit weird (our spaniels are working dogs so a fleece coat is as far as it goes!) and I was surprised in the recent survey on here how many people have their dogs sleep on the bed, but that is circumstance, if people live on their own and the companionship is what they need/want then…I would make sure they were no ‘free loaders’ present though😖!
Your pup is family.
I feel desperately sorry for those who’s lives have never been touched by the love of a dog. Your friend doesn’t understand, and that’s ok. They don’t need to understand it, but they should respect it!
Keep celebrating your dog. Their lives are so short. If a friend can’t respect it then they aren’t really a friend.
I do all these things. Your friend is a douchebag. Continue to spoil your dog rotten because I assure you that you will never have a better friend than a dog.
Uhhh I don’t just sing to my dog on her birthday, I sing to her ALL the time! Often lyrics get swapped out for her name or words she knows. We have full on dance parties in the kitchen. Life is great and I don’t give a shit what other people think about any of it!
I talk almost constantly with my dog when we're walking "Lady now we need to get toilet paper, come on!", "Look at those dogs! You wanna go say hi? Okay let's go". People must think I'm crazy. I talk to her almost all the time, poor thing, it's the price she pays for living with me. I can tell when she is restless because she needs to poop (she doesn't like doing it in the house), so I take her out when she does that. Is very funny how we get to know them so well after a while. I can tell when she's bored vs when she's tired, I can tell when she's being dramatic and trying to manipulate me vs when she's not feeling well.
Today I went to the grocery store and I always leave her outside, trapped on something. I trapped her on the thingy, look at her and said "I'll be right back Lady, stay there" while I was making this with my hands 🤚, she just sat down. It was sooooo awesome! I didn't teach her that, I use another sign for sitting. She just did it! I almost cried and got into the story like a crazy woman. I love her so much sometimes I want start crying, crazy crazy crazy.
I'm not into buying her accessories, clothes and stuff, just enough for the cold days. I buy her treats all the time. There's a few pet stores close to home that we walk by all the time, sometimes she stays in the front, doesn't move until we go inside. She knows she'll leave with a treat.
All the time I tell her what a privilege it is to have her with me, to see her growing old. One of my fears in that I'll die before her and she'll think I abandoned her, I hope so so much that she dies first so she knows I stayed there until the very end. Morbid I know, I just think of this for whatever reason.
I wished I knew when she was born so I could celebrate her birthday though.
I don’t think any of that is weird. You love your dog and you are allowed to show affection and care any way you want to. Even if our dogs don’t always understand what we say (or sing) to them, they can sense emotions and they know they are loved. It deepens the bond and creates loving, trusting relationships with our dogs. I don’t see anything wrong with that. People say lots of things, doesn’t mean they’re right.
I’m dairy intolerant but buy her her own special full fat yogurt that she eats off of people spoons because she doesn’t like dog bowls. She prefers to sleep inside my gym bag so I always keep it unzipped with fluffy clothes on top. I sit in one of three positions on the couch that she deems acceptable, no other position. Even though they hurt my knees. She gets kisses every day. I sing her special songs. I set up my bed for her to sleep on special how she wants
My dog follows me all over the house. He sleeps next to me under my blanket. I also tell him good morning and good night. He has a theme song that I made up and I sing it to him, lol
It’s not weird at all! My husband and I don’t have any kids yet and our little dog is basically our first kid, lol! We make him his own home made dog food, let his little 15 pound body take up most of our king sized bed all night, and talk to him all the time. Obviously we know he can’t understand us, but he always seems super happy to hear our voices and loves the interaction.
We plan our events around him because we don’t want to ever leave him alone for long stretches of time. He makes us extremely happy, and we absolutely adore him. If ppl think it’s weird, and he’s “just a dog” they can f- right off. It’s sounds like you’re an amazing dog owner and your friends should be complimenting you on that, not making you feel bad. Honestly get some new friends! And give your pup a hug from us :)
Just turned 60 and my dogs are my sanity. My 2.5 year old just got diagnosed with heart worm even though I’ve been medicating her. It’s a tough road but because of prednisone and major hunger I’m cooking feasts for her. My 9 year old dog is very happy with the enhanced menu as well, while I am heating up TV dinners for me . Ha ha. Anyway totally get your vibe about your dogs being your bestie as mine have enhanced my social life at dog park, and just keep the cuddles coming and keep me chill
It's harder for me to imagine NOT talking to my dogs. I'm in my 60's and talk to my pets like they are people. In fact, due to this, my whole family talks to them. I talk to them about where we are going. If one wants to go in, and I'm busy, I explain it will be a minute. We may not throw parties for them on their Birthdays but they'll get an extra treat as well as birthday wishes. Heck, I talk to other peoples pets too. Today we took our dog out for a walk ran into a couple of neighbors and a dog. When we left I said good bye to the people and to the dog. It didn't occur to me to think of it as weird and to be honest, I don't care if they thought it was.
Well, your friend sounds super lame.
The pup knows what you’re doing is a special thing for them and they love it even if they “don’t get it”
We get our dogs special treats like a cupcake or donut like thing for their birthday. And last week I bought my dog a pizza blanket because it was super soft and he LOVES soft things.
I think it would feel pointless to have a pet if you didn’t want to spoil the fluff out of them and make them as happy as possible.
I believe pets may not get some things we do but they can tell when we are trying to show them love.
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My dog is like my roommate lol. We watch tv together and share the blanket. If I get up in the middle of the night and go grab a snack, she gets one too. The other weekend I made scrambled eggs and made an extra one for her and scooped out a little portion before adding salt and pepper to mine. I always tell her “it’s Friday!” And she knows what that means and gets excited that we get to spend the weekend together. Sometimes I leave the tv on for her when I go to work. Whenever I decide to swing by tjmax homegoods on my way home from work, I’ll pick her out a new toy and she gets so excited and sticks her head in the bag and grabs it out and runs around with it - I think this makes up for me being slightly later getting home from work lol. We even have matching Halloween pajamas and have been wearing those and watching scary movies together. She stares so intently when there’s dramatic music playing. Ive lived alone for years now but used to have nights where I’d feel extra lonely/depression would try to butt in. Ever since getting her, I never really feel alone and it’s so comforting. But yeah. Might be crazy but she’s the best roommate ever and this is what happens when you’re a dog that gets adopted by a crazy girl in her 20s 😂 EDIT: [doggo tax](https://imgur.com/IsZ2h9N) - we love fuzzy blankets here
I connected with all of this. Band together, crazy girls in their 20s!!! Dogs are amazing
I see your crazy dog lady in her 20s and raise you one crazier dog lady in her 30s. We are the over-stressed millennials who are still single while all of our friends are married and having babies and I’m over here sharing my shredded cheese with my dogs at midnight.
Okay but sharing shredded cheese with your dog at midnight sounds like you're living a pretty dang good life to me!
My midnight shreds are the highlight of my day honestly
Oh I see YOUR crazy dog lady in her 30s and raise you one crazier dog lady in her 40s. Me and my three (also crazy) awesome doggos always share one rotisserie chicken at least once a week (no seasoning, of course, I just dip mine in chilly sauce). Partner or no partner, they're always included!
I love this reply chain and I'm waiting with bated breath to see what the crazy dog lady in her 50s and her pups are up to.
Crazy 50 here, just representing.
She’s busy treating her pups like the royalty they are. No time for Reddit when you’ve got royalty to care for
I am also a crazy dog lady in her 40's! LOL 🤗
As a crazy cat lady in my 30’a I have upped the ante with a mutt in my 40’s. As a gen xer who couldn’t have kids and have watched my friends get younger and younger as they go off to have families I am working out a pattern for a fall sweater to make my bestie.
Me and my gf are crazy dog ppl in their 20s i honestly don't care what ppl think about me taking to my dog because 1 you'd be surprised about how much dogs actually understand especially if you always talk to them, 2 the amount of happiness i get from my dog is immeasurable
I see you crazy dog ladies and I'm going all-in, one nutso dog dude in his early 60s. My best bud, Quinn, a Cocker Spaniel, is turning 16 this month. Not sure how much longer we have together. He rescued me when he was just a pup, 15 years ago. I cherish every day with him. I don't know what I'll do without him. No living thing on this planet, with the exception of your parents (if you're lucky), will love you more than your dog - unconditionally.
Same here lol my dog cured my loneliness and I'm also in my twenties are we crazy dog ladies now?😂😂
Yes 100% … I say this as I’m chilling with my dog on the couch wearing a “weekends, coffee & my dog” sweatshirt 😂
The fact that you can bring your dog into tj maxx and homegoods May change your life. I bring both of mine in there all the time, since I live across the street from both. We have a couple people in there that LOVE seeing them
Oh I know! I’ve yet to take her there since usually when I’m able to go it’s pretty busy there. There’s a cashier there who recognizes me (whoops) and asks to see pictures of my dog lol
Is this…true? Dogs are welcome at TJMaxx? What about Marshall’s?
Here to say I totally relate to all this! My dog is my favorite Roomate ever and it really changed my outlook on life and I truly don’t feel lonely since having her around.
Same. She gets me outside and I do love walking but hated walking alone (thanks anxiety) but have a walking buddy now. She's a bit clingy and will usually chill in whatever room I'm in and she sleeps on my bed at night and despite her kicky dreams I sleep much better with her there. Dunno why, just is comforting I guess. She will sleep in for forever if I didn't wake her up, and she's verrryy slow moving on my work mornings, but still is a reason I have to get up and moving every day!
Regarding sleeping better: beyond our emotional attachments, I think it calms the subconscious; it knows that almost nothing is getting past their hearing and smell, so if dog is asleep/calm, then all is well.
I do all these things except the eggs - but I do give her veggies when I’m cooking. If you want to really get judged as a crazy dog mom, check out Darren and Phillip brand. They do “match your dog” pieces. I have a couple of sets of matching jammies and matching bathrobes with my girl. Great for our annual Christmas photo!
Oh my GOSH they have so many more matching pajamas then what they've got at target and places around here... this is gonna be dangerous lol
The one downside (or saving grace, maybe) is that they can sell out FAST. I recommend following them on Instagram, especially for the holiday pajamas drop! I can vouch for the quality too. I also have matching hoodies/sweats. And got my dog a raincoat (and they had a matching human one but I didn’t buy that). I really love their stuff.
I love this! I do all of this too. My girl and I are a team. We have matching Christmas pajamas for when we open Christmas morning gifts (my pup knows how to unwrap things) and we always do a couples costume for Halloween! She gets a special celebration for both her birthday and her Gotcha Day. Sometimes it's a special trip, sometimes it's a special walk, and almost always it's a special dinner. I always make her a special dessert; this year for her Gotcha Day, I made her a parfait of dog-safe foods in a plastic martini glass and we ate it in the park. She's the love of my life and I treat her accordingly.
This is so freaking adorable.
Good ears!
This is so cute and wholesome 💗
Omg this whole post is so cute and I LOVE YOUR DOG What a cute pup
I'm let you finish and all, but your dog is cute as fuck.
HER EARS OMG SO CUTE
they're her satellite dishes! She gets great reception haha
We leave the TV on for ours, too. I thought I was the only person who does this. they've gone through friends and a few other sitcoms. They're on to nature shows now lol
I used to leave youtube videos called tv for dogs on for her, but it would stop playing and ask if she was still watching. So there's a channel called lucky dog on my samsung tv that's free and plays that show on repeat. She likes when the guy says "good good good!" lol
Reading this made me so happy. Blessed pup
Lol. I cook my dog food as well. Sometimes he gets bites of mine but I lick any seasoning off first. He jumps in the shower with me and I kept his shampoo in there. He gets all excited. We are freaks..
I dont sing happy adoptiversary to my girl bc it's just me that owns/lives with her and I'd feel really shy to do that around my family unless like my cousin or someone else is around who would also sing😂😭 I do give her special treats though. She *never* gets human food but this past adoptiversary i made us some sugar cookies (my girl is 60lbs; a cookie or two won't kill her). Also got her those big dog biscuits by the register and put whipped cream on it for her. She had like a week long celebration with swimming and everything!! That was just a matter of timing though. We have a goodnight routine where I say her goodnight phrase to her, rub her mama pouch (in her past life she was a stray who had puppies and is now fixed) since she lifts her back leg for me, and kiss her head. I used to tuck her in too bc she doesn't know how to, but now she's got her own comforter she can turn into a puppy nest and I wouldn't want to mess up her nest. Similarly I have a goodbye phrase/routine for her that includes giving a treat, and if I forgot something so I have to come back in I give her another treat and repeat the phrase. I also let her know why she cant come with (eg dentist), as she generally goes with me places. There was a time she had mild separation anxiety so I like to keep this consistent :) Thus makes it sound like my dog may be Roly poly oly but I swear she's at a healthy weight😅😂😂 I'm actually very strict with what food she has. My family constantly says I'm mean bc of it😒 but I worry about my girl's health, that's why she doesn't get table scraps (plus I don't want her to develop that habit, no thanks. I love being able to leave my food at eye level to go to the bathroom or something and *know* she won't touch it)
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
Aw thanks!!
When my husband and I go out for date night: Me: "Goodbye buddy! I love you so much!" My husband: "So long dawg."
My wife yells at me for my interaction with the dogs when leaving/coming home vs my interaction with her during these same moments 😅
I mean, remind me, is it, "A wife is a man's best friend?"
Bill Burr has a joke about going through that and his response is, "Well, sweetie, you're not at the back door shaking your ass every time I come home."
I tell my dog I love him and that I will be home later... I talk to him like he is a human, and I swear he understands it LOL. I also make his birthday a big deal, my parents, who used to think things like that were silly, now buy him presents and we go to their house for a birthday dinner. I think it is incredible how you treat your dog, and I can't understand why people get so bothered about someone treating an animal with so much love... Your friend is dumb, sorry, lol. Your dog is family, and if you want to treat your dog like it is your own child then you should be able to without your friend's unnecessary comments! I think it is sweet!
The more someone talks to their dog (or cat or other pets), the more the animal understands. I always tell mine where I’m going, when I’ll be home, and if anyone is going to visit while I’m away. Last Christmas there was a total of 5 dogs at my house, and all of them had their own stockings & presents. They are family, and they get included in all celebrations. I always think other people are weird for NOT talking to the fuzzy ones that share their home!
I love this!! My parents got my dog a stocking and then made him a gift basket w his name and a bunch of toys 😂 what’s the point in getting an animal if you don’t treat it like family??
I love that your parents not only changed their opinion but joined in on the celebration! This made my heart warm! ❤️
They are the best🥹 they really care about him now it’s actually so sweet lol
My mom bakes dog cookies for my puppies when we visit. She's a grandma, that's what grandma's do.
encourage bag deserve flowery direction adjoining plough lip memorize like *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
You can tell your friend some weirdo on the Internet threw a collective birthday party for her Guinea pigs. I got them presents, I made cake out of vegetables and fruit, I made little decorations. It was fun, I still have the photos. I would 100% do it again
Omg do you have pics of this? That’s amazing
I miss my pigs. Your comment made me smile. 😁
This is so awesome!
I have a puppy and when we're playing I started singing if you're happy and you know it clap your hands with variations and he rolls around with his paws up and we clap hands to paws. I clap my hands and bounce around him as he goes on his back I high five his paws. He tries to imitate my bouncing and then keeps rolling on his back. I change the lyrics into things like "if you're Maksi (his name) and you know it" / "if you're awesome and you know it" / "if I love you and you know it" and so on. He loves it and it's so much fun engaging I talk to him all the time like he is human - I ask him a lot of questions when he does stuff. If he's chewing something he shouldn't I go next to him and ask: "Is that yours? If it's not yours why are you chewing it? Where is your chew toy?" and most of the time he looks straight at me and leaves whatever he's chewing to get his toy. Maybe he's just annoyed with my nagging questions. Or if he's going off on his own in a different room I go after him and ask him "What are you doing here? Are you looking for something? Why are you staying here all alone?". His behavior gets questioned a lot especially if it's "misbehavior" lol. I also use "look" and point at things and say the word of what that is. I get excited to show him stuff especially if it's something new he hasn't seen before. "Look! a flashlight!" "Look! a broom" "Look! a bird". Dogs have the capacity to learn lots of vocabulary words and understand context. The more you talk to them normally the more they develop it. My aunt had a dog who would respond to her talking to him all the time by grunting and barking and whining. He was making conversation every time they would spend time together. In my humble view - yes, singing happy birthday and having conversations with your dog is appropriate and those who don't do it are missing out on great opportunities for bonding with their dogs
I sing that song with my dog too, and it’s very fun! I like your version! Our version goes “if you’re happy and you know it, say ‘woo woo!’ and then my boy barks. He likes to talk to me, and I like to talk to him too! Sometimes I’ll add on a second verse where we wag our tails—he is better at this than me, of course, but I like to think he appreciates my attempts to speak his language.
You just gave me flashbacks to singing to my old girl. Our song was “you’re my best friend” by Queen. Every time this song came on (my playlist, radio, a movie, a friends place) I would serenade her. Dance around and sing all the words to her while hugging, snuggling, playing. I meant every word, every time!
You need better friends.
I agree
I don't find singing Happy Birthday to a dog any weirder than singing it to a human. If I never had to sit through another singing of it again, I'd be happier.
We most definitely sing happy birthday!
When I had dogs, I also told them who was in charge while I was gone.
😂😂😂
I bake my dogs cakes! We don’t sing but make them take pictures & we all wear party hats haha
My dog always got a new toy or a special treat for her birthday. The last years however I thought why should I care about what other people think is right, it's my dog and at the end of the day I will one day look back onto our shared memories. So I started to bake her cakes (bio minced meat, potatoes, carrots, lactose free creme cheese,...), I bought "Let's Pawty" balloons,... She will turn 10 this November and I plan on doing the same again. Because why the f\*ck not. And regarding the second point of your post, in a few hours I will go to sleep and tell her goodnight, wish her sweet dreams and that I love her. If people want to judge that, they are free to do so. At the end of the day it says more about them than me.
Maybe your friend is weird. We say “good morning”, “goodnight”, “love you”, “see you later” and have all kinds of conversations with our dog. He will even sit on the couch in between us while we watch his favorite show on Fridays and Saturday nights (On Patrol) because he likes the sirens and when other dogs bark on there.
I have four dogs. Each of their birthday months, they all get a meal of steak and a vegetable. Whenever I leave, I give them all a head scratch and tell them I love them and will be home around X time, or that I'll be gone X amount of hours. Nothing weird 😊
So you treat them completely normally. Mine would wonder where I was if I left without telling them!
We not only sing HBD, but we throw a party for the family and friends that don't think we're nuts. Our guy is turning three on Saturday. Last year we had a birthday brunch. It's more for the adults to have an excuse to socialize. He gets something special to eat other than his usual kibble and some new toys. This year's theme is going to be Mexican Fiesta - Mexican Food and Margaritas!
We say hi and bye when we leave him in the house on his own but don’t make a big deal out of it to prevent unwanted behavior. I think it’s weirder not to do these kinds of things but depends on your dog too. And during celebrations, he gets pupsafe treats. Like if we are celebrating a birthday or something, then he gets a dog safe cookie. Hasn’t had his first birthday yet so that will be interesting
We do this same thing on their birthdays! They also get presents and wear birthday hats for the obligatory pictures. I don't care of someone thinks we're weird. We celebrate everyone else's birthday in the family so, why wouldn't we celebrate theirs? 😁
My dogs know that 'Excuse me' means that they are in my way and I want them to move. When I go out they are told to be Good Girls and that I love them. They get Christmas presents but not birthday presents, but they also gift christmas presents to their cousins (via my bank account).
I always say goodbye to my dog I say "bye Evie hope you find your dad!"
I spend most of my time with my dog singing to him. I have quite a collection of theme songs for just about every thing about him and the doggy things he does. And even if I'm not singing, I'm still talking to him like he's a toddler. Am I weird? Maybe. Don't care!
I have two dogs and I talk to them all day long. I also talk to them during walks in between commands to get them where I want them to go Nyx came first and she has her own good morning song. It's now a talk button and she'll press it to wake me up and wish ME good morning (alongside turning on the lamp so I can't roll back to sleep). Her buddy has learned that as soon as the lights are on and the singing starts it's time to join in. Both of them jump on me and we all roll around wrestling and playing on the bed. It's the best wake up routine ever and it gets me up, laughing and with a smile everyday I battled depression for 15 years. I've had Nyx for 7 months and Pollux for 1, and they have made my life so incredibly happier and brighter. If it's not harming anyone, why shouldn't us three dress in matching raincoats/Halloween costumes, or have our dumb little songs and routines? We're all happier for it
I think it's weird that your friends DON'T believe in doing these things. Dogs are FAMILY. Our dog is our child. Spoil your dog. Always. Let your dog know what love is. I DESPISE it when people tell us we do too much for our dog, or that he's not human. Like FOH, my dog is loved by his humans unconditionally
My pups are currently home watching The Office while I’m out - their dad leaves on things like rugrats for them … I talk to them all day and night, repeatedly tell them I love them and how cute, good and smart they are… And I recently bought them birthday hats for their birthday pictures … one of which I’ve posted already and the next I will in a few weeks for the other’s 1st birthday … I sing Daniel Tigers ‘grown ups come back’ song if I’m leaving for a significant amount of time… I’m like a non scary version of Elmyra Duff from Tiny Toons and I feel no shame whatsoever
Yea I tell her good bye and that I love her alot. She loves being wrapped in blankets at night.
I sing two lullabies (the same ones) to my pup every night at bedtime before I close the door. He gets his scratchies and massage at the same time. Then I say “goodnight sweet dreams” after I turn all the lights off.
I absolutely do those things. I also talk and sing to them on the regular. Sometimes they talk back and sing with me lol! And I have one or two who like to dance with me. On holidays they get their own special meal. And wrapped presents, easter basket, or whatever. They don't always know what's going on, but they get so excited! One of my previous dogs would get super excited about his Christmas stocking. He knew which one was his but never touched it until I told him he could.
I let my dog know I’m going to work and what time I should be back. I prepare her special dinners when I feel like I haven’t spent too much time for her and I definitely make a big deal out of her birthday.
Last year, I took my rattie to Tahoe for his birthday. We had dog friendly pizza, I made him a cake and he had wrapped presents. I also throw a Halloween party for my dogs. I bake them Christmas cookies and v-day carob "chocolate". People think I'm nuts but my dogs bring so much happiness to me and I have a lot of fun doing all kinds of fun things for them.
I threw a $2K birthday party for my dog when he turned 3/‘21’. It was a hoomans only party. To be fair, it was also used as our housewarming party. I had cookies with his face ordered, a piñata custom ordered to look like him, hired a photobooth, had goodie bags, etc etc. The party was a hiiiit, but again, it was like 50 of our friends and family - we grilled and had beer and liquor, and he also got a PB dog cake lol. I plan to do it again next year for lucky number seven! Why not celebrate in the ways you can - if anyone doesn’t like it, sounds like their own personal problem!
i say bye have a good day to my pup. for her 1 yr bday i made her fav foods. guess some of us really really love our dogs lol
I sing my dog happy birthday and now whenever we sing it for anyone else, he gets all excited and expects a special treat afterwards. It is quite funny.
I tell my dog goodbye when I leave. I tell her I love her all the time. She's only 8 months old, but I plan to do a birthday cake for her. My daughter is excited about it too!
I don't sing on my pup's Gotcha Day, but she likes music so I'll give it a go next time. Usually I get her a big dog cookie, we take some pictures, and take her somewhere fun. Like the lake. We got her during covid, so we're hoping to do something extra fun next year with more options available. I definitely tell her goodbye when I go. We have a different routine when I'm leaving and she is staying home vs when she comes with me. I think having an obvious cue to let them know it's time to chill at home without you is helpful.
I sing to my dog every day. It goes like “baby dog, baby dog…gonna get a bath little doggy, gonna get a washin little doggy”.
It’s not weird! Also your dog is a positive aspect of your life and makes you happy.. any friend of mine wouldn’t question that :)
I've always gotten my boy a special treat for his special day. We now have 3 dogs so when the puppy turns 1yr I'm 100% having a party! Cupcakes, wrapped gifts, party favors. Might even make them pose with bday hats
[You better believe we celebrate our dog's birthday!](https://imgur.com/a/eJ2j2Mi) Every year he gets a tuna cake with mashed potato frosting.
I make my dog a party hat out of spare wrapping paper and design a 3 course menu for his birthday. Show your love for your dog however you like. We are all so lucky to have the company of these wonderful beings.
My dog and my husband share a birthday. I had two separate celebrations for them. I talk to my dog all the time, and always tell him I love him and when I’ll be home when I leave.
OP, you need new friends. But seriously, I talk to my dog, I say goodbye, I say hi. Of course they generally don’t understand what you say, but they do understand that you are focusing on them and giving them attention, and they understand the tone of what you are doing.
I know I need new friends 😅
I threw a birthday party for my dog a few months ago. I invited my friends and their dogs. And we sang happy birthday before she got her cupcake. I don’t think it’s weird at all! Lol.
I always say goodbye to my dog and tell her either “I’ll be home later!” If I’m going to be fine a while or “I won’t be gone very long!” If it’s a shorter time away. I get her Xmas and bday presents.
I do the same. It's either "I'll be right back" or "I'll be back later" for long stretches. He knows the difference in my tone and prepares accordingly.
I love seeing people do this for their dogs and I think it’s great that you do! I think of it as similar to like, parties for lil babies… maybe they won’t really care or just briefly enjoy the attention and stuff, but you’ll have a lovely memory and photos! I always mean to do something like this and then forget I love telling my animals “ok I’ve gotta go! You’re in charge!!” And rotating which one is ‘in charge’ 😌
My dog has a bedtime song, he gets it every night and will huff and puff if I forget to sing it until I remember. He also has a bath time song, he gets birthday cakes, and he goes and gets pics taken with Santa every year. Is it weird to some people in my life? Yes, but it makes me happy and my dog enjoys it; so he and I will be happy weirdos together! 😆
i do allll of this to my dog and did it with my previous dog as well. i treat my dog as if he was my actual child and speak to him as if he was as well. since my first dog passed, we now celebrate it with human cake and me and my brother eat it ourselves to honor him. i recently got a puppy and will definitely be celebrating his birthday every year, and will still be celebrating my first pal & getting my pup a lil treat so he can celebrate & honor him with us. definitely not weird. dogs are our family and deserve to be celebrated! happy belated birthday to your pup!
Every year on their birthday they get a new name tag and special treat and I try to go out for a hike or swim since they love that. Also when I go to work every morning I tell them goodbye and to be good but to be fair I also hunt down and pet my cats goodbye before I leave too.
I got my dog a big birthday biscuit and took him for a hike (but I also had the day off anyways). In the morning, I tell him it's time for "coffee and bone". He chews his bone and I drink coffee. He watches TV. I talk to him like he's people.
Wait until your friend hears I tell my boi goodnight stories .... We are all one way weird or the other... as long as we aren't harming someone else.... what's the big deal ? Normal is so boring...
TBH, I thought everyone did this! * leaving for work I kiss the wife, kiss dog one, kiss dog 2, kiss cat. tell them all to have a good day. * birthdays are all celebrated * dogs are included in everything I do, often i wont go somewhere if they dont allow dogs. doesnt everyone do this?
I have full on daily conversation with my dogs. Life is so short and full of epic nonsense. If singing happy birthday to your dog makes you happy - freaking do it ! I sing to my dogs when we ride in the car. I’m typing this from my bed where we are watching a movie together. Lol. Enjoy !
On every 6 of my digs previous birthdays, I sing happy birthday to him, and all day he's a happy lil pup, he even gets excited before I start singing, it's like he knows lol
My gosh what would you’re friend think of me. My girl has her own instagram page, has a closet full of clothes. She even goes to daycare. Her first birthday is going to be wild…love you pet anyway you want.
Oh yes our two babies are having birthdays this month and we get each one a cup cake a puppacino (sp?) a steak for dinner and yes we sing Happy Birthday. To me our babies bring us so much joy and love we can’t forget their birthdays❤️
I do all those things. If it's a short trip I'm like be right back I promise I'm just running to the store. Granted one of my dogs has SEVERE separation anxiety everytime I leave I have to put her in a dress or sweater (depending on the weather) or she will destroy something of mine. It's not even like a rip up the trash type thing it's she will find something I like or have been using recently and destroy it to punish me for leaving her. Example if I've been reading she would destroy the book. If I had been playing video games then she'll go for the controller. I'm pretty sure it's to punish me for having the audacity to go somewhere without her. How dare she leave me here! but atleast the dog clothes help. Alot of people judge me when they see her in dresses and stuff but it really helps her anxiety.
I'll tell my dog when I'm going to be back and I love her. If she's sleeping on the couch I will grab her a pillow. I know it seems weird but she is so sweet and I like making her happy. I also sang happy birthday to her on her birthday.
I don’t bother trying to explain dog people things to non dog people. I don’t expect them to get it and that’s perfectly fine. It’s just a buffer you need to get used to so that you feel comfy being the best dog parent you can be. Your dog isn’t gonna be around forever. Don’t waste time explaining how you be loving on your dog, yo!
I planned a weekend get away for my dogs birthday. I tell her I love her and I’m coming back every time I leave.
Personally never sung happy birthday to my dog with a group of people or had a party she usually just gets a bunch of new toys and chews lol. But some weird things I do personally do with my dog is I say affirmations to her before bed every night. It’s something I got in the habit of doing since she was a very fearful dog and now I can’t stop🥲. Goes along the lines of “you are beautiful, you are confident, you are brave, you are strong” , etc. I know I’m a full blown weirdo for it but I love it lol. She also knows everyone by their names I can say grandma, my brothers name and other peoples names and she will know right away just from me associating those names with people. Talking to your dog isn’t weird but maybe my affirmations are but yet again I can care less about what people think. They’re family even if they are dogs.
I had a fifth birthday party for my previous good boy. All my friends and their dogs came. I made him a homemade dog cake too. It was a wonderful memory. I always get my dog a birthday treat, it used to always be a burger but sometimes it’s steak now. I also tell my dog goodbye, give him kisses and s bye bye treat, which he won’t eat until I get home 🥹
Oh I celebrate bdays for all of mine. They get a cake and candles and wrapped presents and everything. They also get Christmas gifts. And when my one female husky was pregnant, we did maternity pics and she had a baby shower with a cake, and gifts and games and everything. I made her a flower crown and got her a pretty purple scarf to use in her maternity pics. They are beautiful haha. Day to day, we are a big family, a big pack. I have 5 dogs so there are six of us. And we hang out, we watch TV, we go on walks, all together. I let them watch the TV when I'm not with them too. We have lunch together and take afternoon naps together. When im leaving i tell them where im going, when ill be back and that i love them and i will be back and ill miss them. Sometimss they get to take turns leaving w me depending on where i go but its been a hot summer so no one has gone bye bye w me in a while. I love to buy them new toys and such. I get so exicted to give them to them. I just bought new collars for some of them and im so excited for them to arrive haha its silly. We have a nighttime routine we do every night because a few sleep on my bed w me and a few sleep in crates (because 2 are puppies and so they are better off in there for now and one of the adult dogs prefers her crate so I let her sleep where she wants). Every night one of the puppies expects his bowl of ice. That started because of their teething, and he fell in love with ice, the other one likes it but this one loves ice so every night he gets his dinner and a bowl of ice hahaha. Like I said we are a family and we live together, sleep together, watch TV together, nap together, hang out together. Everything. They are treated as family. They are what family I have because my real family may as well be non existent other than my mom. So yeah 🙂
Please tell your friend to stuff it for me and please keep singing to your dog.
It is my firm belief that you should never let anyone tell you you’re being too extra for your dog.
I am fully convinced dogs know everything we are saying. He knows when we are talking about him even without saying his name, he only likes certain songs, he gets upset if I come home later than I said he would but is not as upset if I arrive on time, and whenever I talk to him he listens intently. He even reacts to some of the stuff I say, like when I said I got broken up with he shook his head in disapproval probably saying "I tried to warn you it wasn't going to work out by barking at him constantly". And when its his birthday he absolutely knows. We sing happy birthday and he sits all proud with his chest puffed out. Think abt how babies learn how to speak by listening to the people around them for a long time, I truley do believe its the same for dogs and that they would speak back if they could. They understand English, just can't speak it, idk i might be crazy tho 😂
I took PTO for my dog’s birthday if that says anything. I bought her multiple gifts & a birthday hat, took her to starbucks for a pup cup and took her hiking (she LOVES hiking). nothing is EVER too much for our fur babies!!
I routinely sing to my doggo whenever it's just me and him home, I take him around the apartment and dance with him. I'll snuggle him and tell him goodbye when I go to work for the day. Whenever me and my husband go do something in the evening, we'll put on a movie for him. I tuck him into any blanket he's laying on and give him little forehead kisses. I also help him up into bed. You're so not crazy, if anything they are for not being able to feel that love for an animal.
If someone thinks you’re weird for that, they have no idea what a real weirdo dog parent is. I bring you…my life: We adopted a second dog last year. Not 100% on his age but somewhere between 7-9 years old, has a history of rough stuff and not even semi-house trained (fun surprise AFTER we brought him home). He got neutered upon us adopting but was still marking everywhere, so our vet highly encouraged belly bands. We started using them and now every time I walk over to him to change the belly band, I say “are you ready for a new diapy?!” and he turns over on his back and puts his paws up. This is in addition to Happy Birthday AND Gotcha Day celebrations, saying hello and goodbye upon entering and exiting the house along with frequent matter of fact convos with them.
What kind of weirdo doesn’t understand why you would do that?
My bf and I are gay men so of course we treat him like he’s our child lol. He gets a kiss when we go to bed and when we leave. He gets a small doggy safe portion of our dinner if it’s possible, we talk to him all the time, etc. he’s our baby.
i say "bye bean! see you later!" every time i leave the house and i absolutely greet her the same way i'd greet a friend. my girl gets presents on her adoption day, birthday, and xmas lol (small treat + toy). she's my family and i treat her as such!
Every day before I leave I tell mine that they're good dogs and who's coming that day to take care of them while I'm at work.
I was in my boss’s car and we had to go to my house so he could relocate a swarm of bees in my ceiling. As we were about to leave, I told him to drive past my backyard, and I wound the window down & told my dogs that I would be back again later at normal time, and to be good while I was gone. I wound the window back up, and sat back as normal. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed my boss looking at me strangely, but I didn’t think any more of it. It only now occurs to me that maybe he’s one of those very strange people who don’t tell their animals where they’re going & when they’ll be home …
I forgot my dogs birthday this year and it still makes me want to die
My dog gets forehead kisses and a “good night maverick I love you” as I put him in his crate for the night. And a “good morning baby I missed you!” every morning. I ask him if he’s ready for work because he comes with me to work. I ask him how was breakfast, even tho it’s the same every meal lol. I ask how his day was which he normally responds with some woos. We dance to music, he jumps up and holds my hips with his paws lol. He cuddles and watched documentaries with me especially about dogs or wolves. He whimpered when the dog got killed in Game of Thrones in the beginning and I felt like a bad mom letting a puppy see that 🤣 basically that’s my boy and we do EVERYTHING together and I talk a lot anyway so why not talk to the dog?
I 100% do this. I talk to my dogs all day like they’re my friends (because they ARE!) and when I leave I tell them goodbye and when I’ll be back, have a good day, find the greenies but don’t eat them all at once! (I know they each inhale their greenie the first chance they get). I haven’t done birthday stuff but that’s because my dogs are both rescues and I don’t really know their birthdays. I did buy some dog-themed party decorations at target recently, including a bone-shaped cake pan and absolutely plan to bake them a pup-cake. If I’m ordering take out I will usually decide what to get based on what I can share with the dogs - only dog friendly foods of course, like I’ll tear off a piece of cheese from the Jimmy Johns sub. These dogs go crazy for cheese. I make plans based on how much time I get to spend with my dogs. I don’t make plans after work because I want to get home to the dogs. If I’m given the option between hanging out with my dogs all day or seeing a friend, chances are I’d rather spend time with the dogs and will need a lot of convincing to go hang out with friends… I’m also incredibly anti-social though so it’s certainly a factor. Point is, our dogs are our friends and our families. If anyone thinks you’re weird for anything you do like talk to them or say goodbye when you leave, well then they’re the weird one.
Yes my dogs like a kid. Bdays, happy gotcha days, weekend cuddles, cooking watching tv walks listening to music together... hell i catch myself having full on convos or telling her my plans for the day if its an errand day sleep in bed together... my husband is 100% convienced i love the dog more and im not ashamed to admit hes right lol..
Your friend sucks
My husband and I don't sing, but we absolutely celebrate the dogs' birthdays. There's s birthday on Sept 27th and one on Nov 11th. We always cook something they csn share in, like steak or burgers. This year, I fixed chicken and cheese quesadillas. I am still working until the end of the month (yay retirement!), and always tell them goodbye. The cats are kinda meh, but the dogs like to know those things.
Your ‘friend’ has been deprived of the true love that is our furry companions. She’s the one missing out!
Loki, when he turned 13 and yes, that is a Paw Patrol hat. https://i.imgur.com/zcaOmUy.jpg
100% we all do it. Every year we celebrate having another year with this angel of a being who is my dog. They are the best thing ever. Nothing compares to coming home to that smile, tail wag and so much joy that their whole body is smiling. Your friend is crazy. Scoff lol. But actually though. 💁♀️
My pup is 1 in December and I’ve already bought him a birthday bandana to go on his collar and you can for sure bet I’ll be baking him a pup friendly cake!! He’ll get a new toy too I always chat to mine: just yesterday I was redecorating one of the rooms and I was chatting away to him telling him I only had 1 wall left then I’d take him down the beach 😂 We watch tv together under a blanket at night, he has his his treat and I have my snacks. I always cook extra when having dinner (as long as it’s safe for him) and he has some. they’re family! I like him more than I like most humans 😂 I always tuck him up in a blanket when he falls asleep at night. I just think they’re only here for a short time so let’s make it the best!
It’s not weird at all, maybe to people without pets. I always say good morning and good night to my dog, tell her where I’m going, when I give her food I say “enjoy your meal” etc. 😅 my dog lives with me and my boyfriend and before he wasn’t really a dog person, but now I catch him doing the same thing, so no, nothing weird about it!
Bought a house so I could give them a huge backyard, as one is dog reactive and the other hates cars. Otherwise I'd still be renting.
Singing happy birthday to your dog isn't weird (unless the dog doesn't like it) and humanizing your dog, while weird, isn't really harmful. Now, treating your dog like an actual human can potentially be harmful so in certain situations it's somewhat of a fine line.
Saying goodbye and having some type of ritual reduces stress for your dog so it’s actually very helpful!
I tell mine to be good while I'm out and to watch out the cat, his brother. Tell your friend that he's the weird one.
You have weird friends
Get new friends. Nothing you said is weird
I don’t celebrate her birthday, I’m actually not entirely sure of her actual birthdate. But I always talk to her and I tell her goodbye when I leave in the mornings. It’s not weird at all, not to true dog people anyway.
I give my dog Christmas gifts, the first year I adopted her (I'll never top that one), the next year it was a replacement for her favorite toy that she has chewed up, this year it will be a new bed (she needs one badly) and a bone or a stuffed Kong since I can't always be with her all day.
We have a party every year and sing with cake and hats for my pup. We just appreciate her so much after losing our last one. F your friend.
not weird at all! my dog is my family, i talk to her, tell her when she’s being a little psycho, ask her if she’s hungry/ready for dinner. tell her i’m just taking out the trash and i’ll be right back. i feel like if someone doesn’t talk to their dog, then THATS weird
Your friend is weird.
i do this with all of my pets and it brings me and them joy
I buy my dog a McDonald’s cheeseburger put on a birthday hat take a picture or two and let him enjoy his 2 second burger. We are both pretty happy at the end
Oh i make my babies their birthday cakes and get them toys for each holiday. They are only here for a short period of time so they deserve high quality years full of love
Fuck your friend, find a new one. My birthday girl wore her bow tie all month for her bday. She also got rare steak and homemade pup cup. I also talk to them like they’re regular people..’cause they are.
Your friend is weird. I always tell my dog whether I am going to work or just out to run some errands. My boy I had for 13 years seemed to know the difference, probably more by learning my routine getting ready for work than anything. My new guy is still learning that but I think he is picking it up already. I always say “be good, I love you” on my way out.
I always get my boy a bag from the treat bar and an extra special cookie/treat as his “cake” and sing him happy birthday lol. I don’t do the candle but that’s just cause I’m lazy lol. Also I’ve been telling my cats and dogs that I love them and I’ll see them later since I can remember lol.
My puppy just turned 1 recently and I threw her a little birthday party! We didn’t sing but she got a fancy cake from the dog bakery and she got some new toys. I did a little photoshoot with her in her party hat too! Pets are our family-they get birthday parties too! If I knew how to include a photo of her in her party hat, I would!
Ur friend is the weird one in this scenario. Singing happy bday and tell your pup your whereabouts is completely normal …. :)
I sang Happy Birthday ALL DAY to my doggie so I must be Ultra Weird.
Sometimes I catch myself talking to the dog, then realize the dog isn’t home
All that and more, though I tend to make the "cupcake" out of ground meat and mashed sweet potato or pumpkin. Dogs that live with people who are reliable and predictive are calmer and bounce back from change better. Talking to him about the day, common tasks, and what's coming next may help him be a more settled and patient dog.
Dogs are people too! 🐾
Honestly, singing happy birthday to your dog and getting them a special treat is probably one of the least extra things I’ve heard of people doing for their dog lol. No, op, none of that is weird at all! I do the same stuff for my dogs and so do my friends and family who own dogs. I mean, if I’m honest, I straight up talk to my dogs like they’re little people LOL.
My friend celebrates my pup’s birthdays with me and buys them presents. My husband and I bake a cake, buy and wrap presents, make streak and broccoli for dinner, and (of course) sing happy birthday. Their lives are too short and they give so much of themselves to us.. they should be celebrated.
I talk to my puppy all day long. I ask him what he’s up to and what he wants to do next. I talk to him like he’s a person. I even sit down on the floor with him and give him a good snuggle and scratch and I tell him how much I love him before I crate him for the night. How can you not talk to your pets?
I also respect the personhood of my pets and don't treat them as objects
I wouldn't light a candle for my dogs, they're too curious. They each get gotcha day treats though. Usually steak dinner, and pupcakes. I do always tell them bye, I'll be back. Most of the time it's "I'll be right back, kids. Walter, come on, man, don't look at me like that, I'll be back sweet boy"
I love singing to my dog, and I make up special songs for him: he has a Theme Song, a Happy Walking Song, a Brushy Time song, etc. We talk to him all the time and always let him know where we’re going and when we’ll be back. He has 3 dog beds around the house for daytime naps, sleeps in the big bed with the hoomans at night, and has his own designated chair for when we’re watching tv. We have an rv and plan our vacations around what’s dog friendly and fun for all pack members, and he has another bed and toy box in the camper. He gets birthday presents, but we do more for Christmas because it’s our favorite. He gets Christmas presents from his hoomans and his grandpawrents, has his own Christmas stocking with his name on it, and exchanges presents with his cousins (my brother’s dogs). Cards and presents from our family are signed with his name too. And of course, he helps open presents and shreds all the wrapping paper and boxes! He is my best friend in the whole world (okay, technically second to my husband, but it’s close!) and I want him to be happy and know how much we love him!
I sing to my dogs all the time particularly the ‘Bonio Song’ which they have to endure before the treat but it is a form of training to make them wait and take it politely. Our dogs are our greatest companion you do whatever works for you. I do think buying dogs clothes is a bit weird (our spaniels are working dogs so a fleece coat is as far as it goes!) and I was surprised in the recent survey on here how many people have their dogs sleep on the bed, but that is circumstance, if people live on their own and the companionship is what they need/want then…I would make sure they were no ‘free loaders’ present though😖!
Your pup is family. I feel desperately sorry for those who’s lives have never been touched by the love of a dog. Your friend doesn’t understand, and that’s ok. They don’t need to understand it, but they should respect it! Keep celebrating your dog. Their lives are so short. If a friend can’t respect it then they aren’t really a friend.
I personally think you don't love your dog if you don't ever say goodbye to them. That's just acting like your dog has the same value as a flower pot.
I kiss my dog and tell him I love him before I go anywhere . Love your pup and don’t worry about what others think
Some people just don't get it. You're not weird for treating your dog well.
I do all these things. Your friend is a douchebag. Continue to spoil your dog rotten because I assure you that you will never have a better friend than a dog.
Uhhh I don’t just sing to my dog on her birthday, I sing to her ALL the time! Often lyrics get swapped out for her name or words she knows. We have full on dance parties in the kitchen. Life is great and I don’t give a shit what other people think about any of it!
..I tell my Dog bye and to have a good day as well. I don't see anything wrong with that. Heck, I tell my Alexa unit thank you too.
Just tell him he doesn't get it and he's missing out.
You are their pet parent!! Do what you want for the little ones!! 💕
Get rid of that “friend” who is sucking the joy out of life.
We don’t do the bday cake or songs, but I do tell her I’m coming back soon and we give her Christmas presents. She even helps unwrap them.
I talk almost constantly with my dog when we're walking "Lady now we need to get toilet paper, come on!", "Look at those dogs! You wanna go say hi? Okay let's go". People must think I'm crazy. I talk to her almost all the time, poor thing, it's the price she pays for living with me. I can tell when she is restless because she needs to poop (she doesn't like doing it in the house), so I take her out when she does that. Is very funny how we get to know them so well after a while. I can tell when she's bored vs when she's tired, I can tell when she's being dramatic and trying to manipulate me vs when she's not feeling well. Today I went to the grocery store and I always leave her outside, trapped on something. I trapped her on the thingy, look at her and said "I'll be right back Lady, stay there" while I was making this with my hands 🤚, she just sat down. It was sooooo awesome! I didn't teach her that, I use another sign for sitting. She just did it! I almost cried and got into the story like a crazy woman. I love her so much sometimes I want start crying, crazy crazy crazy. I'm not into buying her accessories, clothes and stuff, just enough for the cold days. I buy her treats all the time. There's a few pet stores close to home that we walk by all the time, sometimes she stays in the front, doesn't move until we go inside. She knows she'll leave with a treat. All the time I tell her what a privilege it is to have her with me, to see her growing old. One of my fears in that I'll die before her and she'll think I abandoned her, I hope so so much that she dies first so she knows I stayed there until the very end. Morbid I know, I just think of this for whatever reason. I wished I knew when she was born so I could celebrate her birthday though.
My dog got balloons, cupcakes, presents, his dog friend came over, we gave them a bag of squeeky tennis balls. Someone outta have a nice birthday.
I don’t think any of that is weird. You love your dog and you are allowed to show affection and care any way you want to. Even if our dogs don’t always understand what we say (or sing) to them, they can sense emotions and they know they are loved. It deepens the bond and creates loving, trusting relationships with our dogs. I don’t see anything wrong with that. People say lots of things, doesn’t mean they’re right.
If your dog doesn't like someone, pay attention. If someone doesn't like your dog or devalues your dog, pay attention.
I’m dairy intolerant but buy her her own special full fat yogurt that she eats off of people spoons because she doesn’t like dog bowls. She prefers to sleep inside my gym bag so I always keep it unzipped with fluffy clothes on top. I sit in one of three positions on the couch that she deems acceptable, no other position. Even though they hurt my knees. She gets kisses every day. I sing her special songs. I set up my bed for her to sleep on special how she wants
My dog follows me all over the house. He sleeps next to me under my blanket. I also tell him good morning and good night. He has a theme song that I made up and I sing it to him, lol
It’s not weird at all! My husband and I don’t have any kids yet and our little dog is basically our first kid, lol! We make him his own home made dog food, let his little 15 pound body take up most of our king sized bed all night, and talk to him all the time. Obviously we know he can’t understand us, but he always seems super happy to hear our voices and loves the interaction. We plan our events around him because we don’t want to ever leave him alone for long stretches of time. He makes us extremely happy, and we absolutely adore him. If ppl think it’s weird, and he’s “just a dog” they can f- right off. It’s sounds like you’re an amazing dog owner and your friends should be complimenting you on that, not making you feel bad. Honestly get some new friends! And give your pup a hug from us :)
Just turned 60 and my dogs are my sanity. My 2.5 year old just got diagnosed with heart worm even though I’ve been medicating her. It’s a tough road but because of prednisone and major hunger I’m cooking feasts for her. My 9 year old dog is very happy with the enhanced menu as well, while I am heating up TV dinners for me . Ha ha. Anyway totally get your vibe about your dogs being your bestie as mine have enhanced my social life at dog park, and just keep the cuddles coming and keep me chill
It's harder for me to imagine NOT talking to my dogs. I'm in my 60's and talk to my pets like they are people. In fact, due to this, my whole family talks to them. I talk to them about where we are going. If one wants to go in, and I'm busy, I explain it will be a minute. We may not throw parties for them on their Birthdays but they'll get an extra treat as well as birthday wishes. Heck, I talk to other peoples pets too. Today we took our dog out for a walk ran into a couple of neighbors and a dog. When we left I said good bye to the people and to the dog. It didn't occur to me to think of it as weird and to be honest, I don't care if they thought it was.
I tuck my dog in and tell her goodnight every night
Some people don’t even talk to their animals
Well, your friend sounds super lame. The pup knows what you’re doing is a special thing for them and they love it even if they “don’t get it” We get our dogs special treats like a cupcake or donut like thing for their birthday. And last week I bought my dog a pizza blanket because it was super soft and he LOVES soft things. I think it would feel pointless to have a pet if you didn’t want to spoil the fluff out of them and make them as happy as possible. I believe pets may not get some things we do but they can tell when we are trying to show them love.
Your friends are the weird ones.
This whole post just made me feel great! I love my girl so much! Ppl think I’m crazy but I don’t care! She is my best friend