Dear Kid,

Puppy: Mom.
Me: Mmm?
Puppy: Mom!
Me: What honey?
Puppy: That’s a commercial on TV, right?
Me: Yes.
Puppy: And commercials are to sell things, right?
Pi: I sense a trap.
Me: Generally, yes.
Puppy: There are sad dogs in that commercial. Why are they selling sad dogs?
Pi: Can’t wait to hear how you answer this one.
Me: Well, they aren’t exactly selling sad dogs.
Puppy: Good. Because dogs are supposed to be happy.
Me: True. But not all dogs are happy.
Puppy: What? Don’t their families make them happy?
Me: Not all dogs have families.
Puppy: WHAT?? How could they not have families? Ridiculous.
Me: Some dogs don’t have families. Or the people they live with don’t treat them well. So they are in shelters. That can make dogs sad.
Puppy: Why are you just sitting there? We have to go!
Me: Go where?
Puppy: To get the dogs! We can’t let them be sad!
Me: Where do you think we will put all those dogs?
Puppy: They can both stay here until their families get them.
Pi: Harder conversation than you thought, huh Mom?
Me: Oh, baby. There are more than two dogs that need to be rescued.
Puppy: This is terrible! We have to do something!
Me: Well, we rescued you.
Puppy: What. Did. You. Say?
Me: We’ve talked about this. Don’t you remember?
Puppy: No, I don’t remember. I have a very small remember-er.
Me: We adopted you from a rescue shelter.
Puppy: Nonsense. I’m part of this family.
Me: Well of course you are. Now. But before you were part of our family, you were at a shelter.
Puppy: I was not.
Me: Really and truly you were.
Puppy: I was a Sad Dog? Like on the commercial?
Me: Honey, the good news is you were never a sad dog like the commercial. But you were in a shelter.
Puppy: And you rescued me?
Me: We adopted you.
Puppy: I have to go lie down.
Me: Would you like me to scratch your tummy?
Puppy: Yes! Yes! Yes! I love having my tummy scratched!
Pi: You really do protect him, don’t you?
Me: Of course. He’s family.

Today is Love Your Pet Day. If you’re thinking about getting a new pet, please consider adopting a shelter animal. In the US there are almost 3 million healthy cats and dogs waiting to be adopted. Even if you can’t adopt or foster a pet, please think about supporting the wonderful shelters that care for these animals. And if you know of (or even suspect) animal cruelty, be sure to contact authorities immediately.

Love, Mom

Who do you know who would enjoy Puppy Conversations? Share the DearKidLoveMom.com love
See more puppy conversations

• Puppy Conversations and Food Observations
• Spring Puppy Conversations
• New Puppy Conversations
• Winter WonderPuppy | Baby It’s Cold Outside
• Puppy Conversations Translated for the College Kid
• Puppy Conversations and FIFA World Cup Soccer
• Puppy Conversations and the Joy of Quirkiness
• Puppy Conversations| In the Beginning
• Puppy Conversations | What’s In a Name?
• Puppy Conversations | Puppy Plans a Party
• Puppy Speaks Foreign Languages…Sort Of
• Summer Puppy Conversations | Speaking of Hope
• National Dog Day | Puppy Has His Say
• Puppy Conversations | Completely In Love with Tal
• The Puppy and The Cricket | Wildlife in the House
• October is National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month |Puppy Has an Announcement
• Puppy Tries to Talk His Way Out of a Bath
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge (vegan) for Breakfast
• Puppy Conversations | Mom Has a Headache and Puppy Tries to Help
• Puppy Conversations | Discussing Halloween
• Puppy Conversations | There Are Strangers in the House
• Puppy Conversations | Ricky The Yorkie Comes to Visit
• Puppy Conversations | Puppy Talks Turkey
• Puppy Conversations | Puppy Discovers Leftovers
• Puppy Conversations (Sort of) | The Sleep Challenge (Mine)
• Puppy Conversations | DeScarfing the Frog and Freezing Weather
• Puppy Conversations | Take Your Puppy to Work Day (Not)
• Puppy Conversations | Split Attention: Cat vs Food
• Puppy Conversations | The Adoption Event
• Puppy Conversations | Going to School and Going to Work
• Puppy Conversations | Puppy’s Innards Do the Talking
• Early Morning Puppy Conversations
• Puppy Conversations | April 15 and Puppy Takes Over the Blog
• Puppy Conversations | Walking in the Rain with My Puppy
• Puppy Conversations | It’s All About the Food
• Puppy Conversations | Puppy Logic Doesn’t Get Him Out of a Bath
• Crutches, Be a Millionaire Day, and Puppy Commentary
• Puppy Conversations | How to Get Rid of a Stink Bug and Pi Saves the Day
• Puppy Conversations | Walking in Sharon Woods Park
• Puppy Conversations | Morning Walk and Considering Breakfast
• Puppy Conversations | Puppy Rolls in Something Dead
• Puppy Conversations | Going to the Vet
• Puppy Conversations | Kid Moves into First Apartment
• Puppy Conversations | Mom Explains Weeding
• Puppy Conversations | Views on Dinner
• Puppy Conversations | The Photo Shoot
• Puppy Conversations | Being a Cat
• Puppy Conversations | Happy Thanksgiving, Puppy!
• Puppy Conversations | Happy Hannukah
• My Conversations | Puppy Helps Second Semester Senior
• Puppy Conversations | Walking in the Cold
• You Won’t Believe How Puppy Reacts to Farts
• Puppy Writes Today’s Blog

Dear Kid,

Only a few more days left in International Flirting Week, so—if you’re so inclined—it’s time to get your international flirt on.

Pi’s friend Emma was here yesterday.

Pi: They almost bought a goat
Emma: What? Who? What are you talking about?
Me: Let me interpret. By “they” she means Dad and me. By “almost bought” she means never even considered buying. And by “goat” she means she said the word goat.
Emma: Oh, my
Pi: Well, they almost brought home a bunch of puppies
Me: Again, I shall interpret. By “almost brought home” she means saw. And by “puppies” she means rescue dogs.
Pi: You held a puppy
Me: Nope, saw puppies
Pi: Really?
Emma: You are a sassy family! I love it

And I’m pretty sure that by “sassy” she did not exactly mean sassy.

Today is (I kid you not), Love Your Pet Day. This is clearly the winner in the Most Redundant Holiday Ever Contest.

How is every day NOT Love Your Pet Day? And how can anyone even begin to think that their pets don’t know they are loved beyond all reason?

(Do not make me answer those questions or I’ll have to go to a dark place about people who mistreat pets and that seems like a bad idea on Love Your Pet Day.)

If you were to query My Friend The Internet about Love Your Pet Day, you would find lots of people who sell pet things and pet services offering to sell you pet things and pet services on Love Your Pet Day (and all the other days too).

I did not find anything (in my admittedly limited search) for a pet goat. Which is not a problem for us since we don’t have a goat.

To be abundantly clear, in our house every day is Love Your Pet Day. Please do not give the puppy any ideas about extra treats since he is sufficiently spoiled.

Love, Mom