Dogs

All summer long I observed a change that has taken over our country – dogs.  Not wild dogs or packs of dogs but pet dogs.  It used to be that evenings and weekends you would see people waking the neighborhood with their babies and/or children.  It was a sweet picture.  But that was then – NOT now!  Now it is people walking their dogs.  I have not done a survey but it seems that dog walkers outnumber children walkers two to one.  And like the child walkers of yesterday, many today are walking two dogs – occasionally three.

What is noteworthy – dogs have replaced children.

You can see this at Menards.  About ten years ago, Menards reorganized their store interiors to greatly expand their dog and pet merchandise.  I don’t know if there was any reduction in children’s things for there never was much other than at Christmas time.  But the obvious is the expanded pet offerings.

And then TV ads.  The same.  So many more dog and cat food commercials and so few ads selling goods for kids. Somehow I regularly get e-ads from ‘Best Friends Animal Society” – this month announcing that it is pet memorial month because “losing someone special is never easy”.  So, I’m invited to make a pet memorial.

Just recently our local paper had an article on how to “parent” a puppy.

Parenting means – at least according to the American Heritage Dictionary:

1. A female person whose egg unites with a sperm or a male person whose sperm unites with an egg, resulting in the conception of a child or the birth of a child.
2. A female person who is pregnant with or gives birth to a child except when someone else has legal rights to the child.
3. A person who adopts a child.

I don’t see parenting connected with dogs or any pets.  Do you?

However, the Cambridge Dictionary says this under the word “parent” – a mother or father of a person or an animal, or someone who takes care of a person in the same way that a parent does.

The mother or father of an animal!  Seriously!  Follow the science!

That article about parenting a puppy gave these six tips: 1.) Don’t overdo play, 2.) limit treats, 3.) get plenty of exercise, 4.) be consistent, 5.) manage household dangers, and 6.) train.   Under tip 6 it says, “training and socializing go a long way in dog adulthood.” (OWH, 08/27/23, Am Kennel Club).  From what baby book did they get those tips?

A week later there was a report of doggy paddling on Labor Day in a city swimming pool. There was no article about special activities with children on that same holiday.

Among a number of lessons to grasp is this most important one – dogs have replaced children in many homes both as occupants and as the center of blessing.  That point is in the face of this from God:  Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them, Psalm 127:3-5.

And this from Jesus: Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.  Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there, Matthew 19:13-15.

A good parent – leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, Proverbs 13:22.   A good parent is focused on children, NOT their dog.  A good parent doesn’t spend piles on their dog(s) that should be laid up for the grandchildren.

American culture, and too many Christians, have moved away from God’s will and God’s blessings.  Their purpose in life has “gone to the dogs!”