The title of this blog post (followed by all sorts of different scenarios) is probably one of the most entered phrases in my search history on Google since 2016 – the year we had Alf.
Because as a new dog owner, you can be so terrified by the thought of all the mistakes you can make. Not intentional mistakes, but stupid mistakes and misdemeanors because you don't know any better.
Mistakes, like the time when Alf was a puppy and had just moved in with us, and I let him eat 12 grapes before I Googled that dogs (especially puppies) can be seriously poisoned and die from grapes.
It was when we lived in Germany, and one day I was home alone. So my only option was to call the nearest vet on my own and explain the situation in my broken German.
The result was that we rushed off late at night by train and metro all over Hamburg to get to the vet. And here I was given a dose of activated charcoal, but whether I could stuff it down his throat – NO, I could forget about that.
And so I lay there all night, bathed in a cold sweat, thinking that my dog was going to die and that it was all my fault. Luckily he's still alive, but damn, I felt like an irresponsible and bad dog owner in that situation.
And that very feeling of fear and inadequacy was something that stuck with me for most of his first year of life. Is he getting the right food? Is he getting too much exercise? Too little exercise? Is the collar too tight? Should I buy a harness instead? Is his nose too dry? Are his claws too long? Shouldn't he grow more? Am I spending enough time socializing him? – In short, endless thoughts and worries that were probably completely unnecessary.
Because all in all, things have probably gone very well with Alf. Despite my (probably countless) mistakes in raising him, I have still managed to get a healthy, happy and curious dog who loves adults, children, babies and all other animals. A dog that can be taken in the car, train, bus and to work. A dog that can be alone all day, or be with you everywhere. A dog that rarely does, but likes to give lots of kisses. But still also a dog that has far from had a perfect dog owner. And who has far from become a perfect dog. And that is precisely his charm.
That's why I want to take a stand against imperfect parenting. Mostly because I don't believe it exists. Because I believe that no matter how good our intentions as dog owners are and how hard we try, we're going to make mistakes. And that's mostly okay!
So, if you're a new dog owner and your search history or thoughts are filled with questions about your abilities as a dog mom (or dad), don't worry. We've all been there. And I can almost assure you that everything will be fine.
About the blogger:
Celine is 28 years old and works daily with social media at the Danish Nature Conservation Association.
Alf is a 1.5 year old French Bulldog who calls himself a "professional lifesaver". Most of it is something he came up with himself. As bloggers, we get to blog about life on the go, as we are often out and about. Alf was born in Denmark, raised in Germany and has visited 5 countries.
Plus, we have many great stories to tell about a life that is pretty much all about dogs. So much so that I've sworn that I'll have to keep all updates far away from Facebook for fear of becoming known as the crazy dog lady among my friends.
Am I a bad dog owner if…
The title of this blog post (followed by all sorts of different scenarios) is probably one of the most entered phrases in my search history on Google since 2016 – the year we had Alf.
Because as a new dog owner, you can be so terrified by the thought of all the mistakes you can make. Not intentional mistakes, but stupid mistakes and misdemeanors because you don't know any better.
Mistakes, like the time when Alf was a puppy and had just moved in with us, and I let him eat 12 grapes before I Googled that dogs (especially puppies) can be seriously poisoned and die from grapes.
It was when we lived in Germany, and one day I was home alone. So my only option was to call the nearest vet on my own and explain the situation in my broken German.
The result was that we rushed off late at night by train and metro all over Hamburg to get to the vet. And here I was given a dose of activated charcoal, but whether I could stuff it down his throat – NO, I could forget about that.
And so I lay there all night, bathed in a cold sweat, thinking that my dog was going to die and that it was all my fault. Luckily he's still alive, but damn, I felt like an irresponsible and bad dog owner in that situation.
And that very feeling of fear and inadequacy was something that stuck with me for most of his first year of life. Is he getting the right food? Is he getting too much exercise? Too little exercise? Is the collar too tight? Should I buy a harness instead? Is his nose too dry? Are his claws too long? Shouldn't he grow more? Am I spending enough time socializing him? – In short, endless thoughts and worries that were probably completely unnecessary.
Because all in all, things have probably gone very well with Alf. Despite my (probably countless) mistakes in raising him, I have still managed to get a healthy, happy and curious dog who loves adults, children, babies and all other animals. A dog that can be taken in the car, train, bus and to work. A dog that can be alone all day, or be with you everywhere. A dog that rarely does, but likes to give lots of kisses. But still also a dog that has far from had a perfect dog owner. And who has far from become a perfect dog. And that is precisely his charm.
That's why I want to take a stand against imperfect parenting. Mostly because I don't believe it exists. Because I believe that no matter how good our intentions as dog owners are and how hard we try, we're going to make mistakes. And that's mostly okay!
So, if you're a new dog owner and your search history or thoughts are filled with questions about your abilities as a dog mom (or dad), don't worry. We've all been there. And I can almost assure you that everything will be fine.
About the blogger:
Celine is 28 years old and works daily with social media at the Danish Nature Conservation Association.
Alf is a 1.5 year old French Bulldog who calls himself a "professional lifesaver". Most of it is something he came up with himself. As bloggers, we get to blog about life on the go, as we are often out and about. Alf was born in Denmark, raised in Germany and has visited 5 countries.
Plus, we have many great stories to tell about a life that is pretty much all about dogs. So much so that I've sworn that I'll have to keep all updates far away from Facebook for fear of becoming known as the crazy dog lady among my friends.