Things Only Dog Moms Understand

Being a mom comes in many forms. Whether you are a mom to a human child or a fur child, the love we feel is deep, real, and unlike any other. We care for them, protect them, provide for them, and sometimes go a little overboard doing it. But it all comes from the same place: wanting to give them the very best life we can.

As a dog mom (I’m owned by two), I feel an instant connection with other dog moms. We’re like-minded in how we build our lives around our furry family members, how we show our love, and yes, even the silly things we do for them.

If you’re a dog mom, I’m sure you can relate to at least a few of these…

1. The thousand nicknames
If you ever put a microphone on me while I’m talking to my girls, you’d hear all kinds of cutesy nonsense come out of my mouth. And the names - oh, the names. None of them sound anything like their actual names, yet somehow they respond to every single one. The best part? How effortlessly it all rolls off the tongue, one nickname after another.

2. Talking to them like they fully understand
I talk to my dogs like they understand everything I’m saying. And honestly… don’t they? The head tilts, the way they somehow know we’re about to go for a walk without me even saying the word (or spelling it). The way they sense things - like bath time.

I’ll ask them how their day was and fully expect a response. And even though they don’t talk back, they might just be the best listeners we’ll ever have.

3. Celebrating their birthday like it’s a real event
Moms of human children get to celebrate so many milestones, birthdays, school events, graduations, weddings. Dog moms don’t get those same moments, so we make the most of the ones we do have.

And that usually means going all out for birthdays.

No, our pups may not understand what turning a year older means, but they do understand extra attention, special treats, and getting to do all their favorite things. And honestly, that’s what makes it so fun.

4. The camera roll takeover
Every head tilt, every cute pose, every little thing they do, it all needs to be documented.

Even as a professional photographer, I still take plenty of photos of my dogs. Scroll through my camera roll and you’ll find dozens… okay, hundreds… of photos of them.

I just can’t get enough, and I know I’m not the only one.

5. The guilt of leaving them home alone
I love getting out of the house, traveling, shopping, spending time with friends. But there’s always that little bit of guilt when I leave my pups at home.

Sometimes it means cutting an evening short just to get back to them. Planning shorter trips. Or standing at the door a little longer than necessary because those sad, droopy eyes make you question everything.

And don’t even get me started on leaving for a trip.

My dogs definitely influence my social life and I know I’m not alone in that.

What do you have in common with other dog moms? What did I miss? Do you find yourself relating to these? I’d love to hear, share in the comments!