AIBU and treating dog like a baby?

[Cath2907]

My DH has accused me of being ridiculous and treating our dog like a baby. He is a 9 month old Bichon pup. He sleeps in the kitchen, eats out of a bowl on the floor, isn't fed at the table, he sits in the foot-well of the car when we are out. He gets two good walks a day and an evening 5 minute trip up the road for a pee. He normally sleeps on the floor in the office whilst I am working during the day. We take him out with us on the weekend for walks or to pubs that are dog friendly or to family houses.
He won't eat dog food so I make up a batch of home made stuff every few days but it doesn't take 10 mins and I cook for the rest of the family. He does sit on the sofa or chairs sometimes.

I feed him and walk him.

I don't think I treat him like a baby - I treat him like a dog. Am I mad? Isn't this normal for people who own dogs? DH wanted a dog and as he grew up with one I assumed he knew what owning a dog was like and we did discuss it before hand and he agreed the dog would need walking and that we'd have to do dog friendly weekend activities. Yes we can't go out on our own all day on the weekend and leave the dog home alone.... that is what being a dog owner is all about. We do leave him in the car (weather permitting) or home alone for 2 - 3 hours if we need to do something not dog friendly but we now own a dog and we can't put him in stasis on a Sunday because DH suddenly wants to spend 9 - 5 at the zoo. I can get family to look after him for the day if needed but that needs pre-organising.

This all kicked off because I booked a dog sitter for the dog for my sisters wedding next March. We want to go to the weeding for the day and stay overnight and so I booked a lady to come and house sit and look after the dog.

DH wants him to go to kennels. I don't think he'd like it so I booked a pet sitter. I am paying for it!

Am I being unreasonable here?

After a break in my friend gets a cat sitter in when they are on holiday, works out as a good security option as well as looking after the pets. YANBU.

As a bichon owner too, definitely not u , they are the most loving dogs who love to be around everyone and hate being alone. From everything I've read on the breed they can be anxious in kennels so I think your decision is the right one. Can we have a photo please 😊

No "furbaby" around here. I don't refer to myself as mummy.

Apparently the raw meat would get round the dog's face and all over the bowl and floor and we would immediately die of salmonella food poisoning. DH does have anxiety issues around food poisoning and whilst I think he is wrong I can let him have this one!

Pre and post a trip to the groomers!

Kennels would be last choice for leaving my little dog. So far I found good people to move in our house and mind him.
I cook for my dog also...it's not a big deal indeed: few minutes to mix everything together and in the oven goes. After cooking I divide the batch and freeze portions, so he has food for around 2 weeks.

Pre and post a trip to the groomers!
Awww! he's gorgeous!

You sound like a good dog owner. I would never have someone stay in my home though- if your DH feels the same maybe you will have to find another solution.

Also I get the 'ew' factor for raw dog food. Each to their own- learning to compromise on things like this and not being able to do what you want when you want because of responsibility IS a lot like having a baby.

I wouldn't leave mine in kennels either. He goes to a home boarder who has dogs in his home and he loves every minute. Bounds in without a backward glance, though always happy to see us when we pick him up. He goes three days a week while we work, gets tons of exercise and socialisation and is always happily shattered at the end of the day!

I think it shocked DP slightly how tying dogs can be - if we want a day out without the dog it has to be planned in advance, but our daycare is flexible and generally only needs 24h notice. I appreciate we're incredibly lucky though.

I baby mine a little, especially my new rescue. I even call myself their mum!

My rescue dog hates being on his own so he sleeps with me and I wrap him up in blankets when it is a little cold. He comes with us on small car journeys and there is no way I would put him in kennels ever. I wouldn't want to put my other dog in one either. They even go shopping with me on a Tuesday night for a new bone

You sound like a normal dog owner to me OP.

A puppy is a baby.. and does require an extra bit of care and attention. Nothing you've said really sounds too over the top but to be honest dogs deserve love and attention and as long as you don't spoil them to the point it affects their behaviour than what's the problem?!

People always have an opinion, I took my puppy on a walk the other day and took a wrong turn on a nature trail, ended up getting hopelessly lost and when I google mapped the way back to the car it was a 50 minute walk. Poor pup had already walked nearly an hour and he's so little I'd read over walking them can damage their legs as they grow or something, so I carried him the 50 mins back to the car - in that time not one but TWO random women literally tutted at me and made comments he's a dog not a baby and that I was ridiculous and smothering him

Also I am totally guilty of calling myself his mum. And I am not ashamed. I am his mum