who treat their dogs like a child. I'm talking about people who put their dog in a baby bjorn to go for a walk, or a dog stroller. These are dogs that are healthy and completely capable of walking on their own. People that freak out when they aren't allowed to bring their dog (not a service dog) back in the treatment rooms of a hospital or medical facility. People that spend a ton of money taking their dog to a dog therapist, etc.

Anyone who has kids knows how much more difficult children are than dogs, but also how much more rewarding they are too. It's such an asinine argument that has become commonplace. Caring for a dog doesn't even being to approach the amount of work, attention, and emotional energy that is required for caring for a human.

The saddest part though is that after their fertility years, many of these dog parents regret not having kids. I have quite a few patients who fall in that camp and have openly admitted to me that they regret not having kids. They are in their 60's now and wish they would have had kids. They told me that at the time they actively decided to not have children because they didn't want that distraction in their life. But when they get older they regret that decision.

Dogs are great, they are fun, and they are rewarding, but they can't even compare to actual human beings. I love my dogs, but they are not human children. Not even close.