Christine Amorose Merrill - Dog Mom: How to be the Best Mama to Your Fur Baby

Text copyright 2018 Christine Amorose Merrill. Illustrations copyright 2018 Krishna Chavda. Design copyright 2018 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any means (including but not limited to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions, and the internet) will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Published by:

Ulysses Press

P.O. Box 3440

Berkeley, CA 94703

www.ulyssespress.com

ISBN: 978-1-61243-815-3

Acquisitions editor: Casie Vogel

Managing editor: Claire Chun

Editor: Barbara Schultz

Proofreader: Renee Rutledge

Front cover design: Krishna Chavda

Interior design and layout: Malea Clark-Nicholson

Background patterns: Nadezhda Molkentin/shutterstock.com, L. Kramer/shutterstock.com

Author photo: Jillian Wishart

Distributed by Publishers Group West

IMPORTANT NOTE TO READERS: This book is an independent and unauthorized publication. No endorsement or sponsorship by or affiliation with celebrities, products, or other copyright and trademark holders is claimed or suggested. All references in this book to copyrighted or trademarked products are for the purpose of commentary, criticism, analysis, and literary discussion only.

To Mom,

for teaching me that dogs are always part of the family.

Table of Contents

Contents

My name is Christine, and Im a certified crazy dog mom. I come from a long line of devoted dog moms: Women in my family have always had dogs, and have always treated their fur kids just as well (if not better) than theyve treated the children and husbands in their lives. I grew up in a household where the dog was considered a member of the family. Although I was an only child, we always had a dogand that dog was basically a sister to me.

My dad jokes that when he dies, he wants to come back as me or the dog; weve both been equally spoiled by my mother. My husband recently said the same thing in regard to our dog, which means I must be doing something right in raising our pup.

My husband and I brought home a tiny pug puppy in the spring of 2016. Gertrude Rose Merrillaffectionately known as Gertie or simply Gertis a smush-faceed, curly-tailed, wriggly, and wrinkly ball of personality. I quickly and effortlessly turned into a full-blown crazy dog mom, complete with a nanny cam to watch her every move while I was at work, an @cestgertie Instagram account, and a trunk stuffed full of dog outfits and costumes (especially impractical when you consider the minuscule size of our Brooklyn apartment).

My camera roll shifted from cityscapes and far-flung beaches (we lived in New York City, but I moonlighted as a travel writer) to 100 percent pug: photos and videos of her sleeping on my husbands shoulder, cuddling with her stuffed turtle, proudly parading down the sidewalk with a leaf in her mouth, and riding on the subway for the first time with puggy eyes wide.

We joke that we moved from New York City to San Diego to give our pug a better life, but in reality, its not that far from the truth. As much as I struggled with subway delays, harsh winters, and our insanely expensive rent, I also worried about how our long working hours, sidewalks covered in slush and salt, and lack of proximity to a park affected our pup.

My husband often reminds me Im being ridiculous. And in my heart of hearts, I know that my pup has a better life than most. But a dog mom always wants whats best for her pooch!

Although I grew up always having a dog sister in the house, being a mom to my dog-hter changed me in ways I didnt expect. I have become the woman who whips out her cell phone to show off photos of her pup to friends and strangers, whether or not theyve expressed even a hint of interest in dogs, and mine in particular: Here she is after a bath! And here she is in her pirate costume, isnt she adorable? Ive obsessed over sleep schedules and poop consistency and the attentiveness of her midday walker. Ive left parties early to come home and snuggle on the couch with her. I spend vacations checking in on her via nanny cam and swooning over how cute she is via the stockpile of photos and videos on my phone.

More than anything, I love her more intensely than I ever thought possible: being a dog mom will do that to you.

LOVE

IS A

FOUR LEGGED

WORD

First things first: A dog mom is not the same thing as being a dog owner. Anyone can have a dog, and anyone can keep a dog fed, healthy, walked, groomed, and even reasonably happy.

But being a dog mom is something special. It goes above and beyond just keeping your pup alivealthough in those first few moments of bringing a tiny, wriggly puppy home, just the responsibility of that can feel overwhelming.

Being a dog mom doesnt mean you dont have human babies, or dont want real kids of your own. It also doesnt necessarily preclude you from being a cat lady. And its not strictly a millennial thing. I learned many of my dog mom ways from my mom and my grandma.

Being a dog mom mostly means that you treat your pup like a full-fledged member of the family, not just a pet. Members of the family are invited along on vacations, not stuck in kennels. Their birthdays are properly celebrated with treats, toys, and a party. They watch Netflix snuggled up next to you on the couch, not relegated to the cold, hard floor. You have ongoing conversations and inside jokes with them, and a long list of lovable nicknames for them. And most importantly, the pup children of dog moms are loved so incredibly fiercely; youd do just about anything to keep your pooch by your side.