Several of our friends happen to have pets. And several of those friends regard their pets as gods and goddesses. I listen to the stories of how little Chan is kept in line by Lizzy, how Sammy is going through his rebellious teenage years, and how Oskar was taught to take a shot.
I, on the other hand, have a child, who is my own personal fairy princess, complete with the sparkly dust and a wand. And I often think about how kids and pets are SO not on the same level.
But then I catch myself speaking to my dogs the same way I speak with my little girl, molding them into the creatures I think they should become - fun, smart, and not peeing on various pieces of furniture.
So the other day i walk into the house and start talking to my dogs. I find out that Baxter yet again scaled our fence to further explore our front yard. With disappointing eyes, I explain that this is not good - he could get lost or hurt. Then I tell Coco that it's her responsibility as an older sibling to be a good example for her brother.
Later, I think, "This is not how I'm supposed to talk to the dogs! This is how I talk to my daugher. I'm a people-person!"
After re-thinking my natural tendencies to mother both dogs and children alike, I feel that it's important to define the difference between the two: loyalty comes only at the price of how well you treat them physically. Feed, water and exercise them, keep them bug-free, give them a comfy bed. As an added bonus, it's not the words you use as much as the tone of voice you say them in. So I can call my dogs stupid if I say it nicely and pet them at the same time.