Anonymous wrote:When talking to my kids about our dog, I jokingly refer to him as their little brother. I don’t literally think he’s their brother, but they need to watch out for him like they’d watch out for a toddler: don’t leave things out that you don’t want him to get into, correct him if he’s doing something he shouldn’t, don’t let him wander out the door alone. I don’t call myself or think of myself as his mom, but I sure do mother him! I feed him, groom him, clean up after him, discipline him, teach him things, get him medical care, try to keep him safe, healthy and happy. I worry about him, I love him.

Decades ago, I knew people who kept their dogs outside, never took their dog anywhere, had zero concern about their dogs being mentally stimulated, and would have laughed at the suggestion to brush their dogs’ teeth. I’d never heard of a dog being on anxiety medication 35 years ago. I didn’t know anyone who had a regular dog walker. Things have changed and more people now consider their dogs to be members of the family. They want their dogs to have the perfect nutrition. They won’t buy dog toys made in China. They’re willing to spend big bucks on memory foam dog beds so their aging pets can be more comfortable. I can understand why people feel like they’re parenting their dogs. “Dog mom” is shorthand for all that.

I do this, but with the Roomba.

Anonymous wrote:It's pathetic. This whole dog mom thing is a thing for Sad Ladies that are trying to fill up some kind of gap in their life by calling themselves mother to their dog. The last few years I see people like this celebrating "mother's day" as mother to their dog. Pitiful.

Mother’s Day is very hard for childless (not by choice) women. If this made her happy, why do you care? In a world where childless women are considered cold and peculiar, it can be comforting to know that you are nurturing another creature.

Anonymous wrote:It's pathetic. This whole dog mom thing is a thing for Sad Ladies that are trying to fill up some kind of gap in their life by calling themselves mother to their dog. The last few years I see people like this celebrating "mother's day" as mother to their dog. Pitiful.

Oh really? And women who have child after child aren't trying to fill some emotional void inside themselves? Please.

Some of us consider our pets to be members of the family. I'm sorry that you don't have that type of connection to any pets.

It's pathetic. This whole dog mom thing is a thing for Sad Ladies that are trying to fill up some kind of gap in their life by calling themselves mother to their dog. The last few years I see people like this celebrating "mother's day" as mother to their dog. Pitiful.

It doesn't bother me. However I rolled my eyes HARD when I saw a FB post from someone who bought/received gifts from her husband for Mother's day because she's a "dog mom".

When talking to my kids about our dog, I jokingly refer to him as their little brother. I don’t literally think he’s their brother, but they need to watch out for him like they’d watch out for a toddler: don’t leave things out that you don’t want him to get into, correct him if he’s doing something he shouldn’t, don’t let him wander out the door alone. I don’t call myself or think of myself as his mom, but I sure do mother him! I feed him, groom him, clean up after him, discipline him, teach him things, get him medical care, try to keep him safe, healthy and happy. I worry about him, I love him.

Decades ago, I knew people who kept their dogs outside, never took their dog anywhere, had zero concern about their dogs being mentally stimulated, and would have laughed at the suggestion to brush their dogs’ teeth. I’d never heard of a dog being on anxiety medication 35 years ago. I didn’t know anyone who had a regular dog walker. Things have changed and more people now consider their dogs to be members of the family. They want their dogs to have the perfect nutrition. They won’t buy dog toys made in China. They’re willing to spend big bucks on memory foam dog beds so their aging pets can be more comfortable. I can understand why people feel like they’re parenting their dogs. “Dog mom” is shorthand for all that.

It's the same as the term "furbaby". It's not a baby it's a pet that you can buy on Craigslist.

Cringe-worthy! An eye-roller!

I'll explain "dog mom" when you explain why moms call themselves "CEO of the Smith Household"

It’s the owner of a dog, OP. Why in the hell does this matter?

I don't mind other people referring to me as mom, like at the vet's when they tell my dog they'll give him back to mom in a minute. Other than that, no way in hell.

It's a cutesy way of mentioning you have a pet that you love. It doesn't bug me, but #boymom does, so I get that sometimes innocuous stuff can get under your skin.

Why do you care?

WTF is with this term? It is a dog not a baby!