Real-Life Things Only Dog Owners Truly Understand

Dogs are magic. They can instantly turn that frown upside down, purely by existing. They’re adorable, cuddly and, for the most part, have three purposes in life: to please humans, play, and eat things. Ultimately, dogs just want to love and be loved, kind of like humans. Okay, exactly like humans. So, it only makes sense that dogs and humans form powerful bonds. The relationship between a dog and his/her person is really sweet and healthy, but may not always seem that way to non dog owners.

Here are some things that only dog owners truly understand:

They sleep on top of you, and it’s totally fine.

Dogs like to be close to humans, because they love us. My dog, Riley, sleeps in her own bed, but if she happens to be sleeping on me in the morning, or like, half on me, there’s an unspoken understanding that I will always allow it to happen, even if it’s super uncomfortable and I can’t sleep. Because my dog’s comfort is more important than sleep (and because I’m usually too tired to move her).

Thunderstorms/fireworks are the devil.

Thunderstorms and fireworks are the best, but not for dogs. They’re the worst for dogs. Some dogs are super sensitive to loud noises, so as much fun as thunderstorms and fireworks are, they can cause serious trauma for dogs. So, when dog owners aren’t able to go out and celebrate July 4th, because they say they need to stay home to make sure their dogs are calm and alive, they actually mean it.

Don’t feed my dog.

I love that you love my dog, and I love that my dog loves you. But I don’t love one of the big reasons why she loves you. You feed her human food! I feed her an all-natural, expensive dog food for a reason. She doesn’t need anything else to eat. Feeding her will teach her to beg, make her not want to eat her dog food and give her more calories than she needs.

Dog talk is a real thing and all dog owners share the need to do it.

It’s like baby talk. . . for dogs. I don’t want to do it—it just happens. Dogs respond to tone, so naturally, talking in a high-pitched voice makes sense. So, stop judging, you guys!

Dogs know things.

They understand body language. No matter how normal we think we’re acting, dogs always know when they’re going to the vet instead of the park, when the bath is being run for them and not for us (which gives them time to run in the other direction) and when we are leaving for a trip and not just for a few hours.

We’re okay with slobber. 

If our dogs want to lick our faces, even after their tongues have been touching not-so-desirable places, we let it happen. They’re our children. They’re basically blood.

Picking up poop isn’t terrible.

I mean, it isn’t great, but it just sort of becomes habit. Sometimes, you might even see dog owners picking up another dog’s poop as well. Mainly to be good citizens, but also so no one thinks they’re leaving poop from their own dog behind. No poop left behind, guys.

Discipline is hard.

“Did you do this?” is usually followed by a cowering dog, refusing to make eye contact with the this. Because yes, they did this. But they’re too sad and sweet-looking when they’re in trouble for us stay mad for longer than 20 seconds. Ugh.

Grieving takes time.

Losing a dog is like losing a family member. Immediately getting another dog will not heal the heart. Everyone grieves differently, so if it’s taking someone more time than you think it should take them – stop thinking about it.

Disclaimer: I do think that owning a dog is a really great thing, but I do not think that everyone should own one. Make sure you are ready and capable to lovingly care for a dog before you decide to get one. Please and thank you.

Featured image via Shutterstock