I Always Wanted to Be a Dog Mom

Growing up, I always wanted a dog. I begged my parents countless times to allow a furry friend to come home with us. I refused to accept that our small St. Louis apartment would not allow us to have a pet. Of course, my parents (and the apartment management) won this battle.

To fill the void, I would spend my time at my grandparents’ house making friends with our canine neighbors while they were in their backyards. With my adolescent hand shoved through the gaps of a chain-link fence, I spent forever trying to give out as many pets as possible. Despite the angry red indentions of the fence wiring in my hands, I walked away with a huge grin as if I outsmarted the system.

As soon as I moved away for college and rented my first apartment in Evansville, I adopted my terrier-mix, Prudence, from the Vanderburgh Humane Society. A six-week-old bundle of reddish-brown fur and white markings, she was named after one of my favorite Beatles’ songs. From then on, I was officially a dog mom.

I'm OFFICIALLY a Dog Mom!

Now, 11 years later, Prudence shares her home with two other dogs. Daisy, a floppy-eared beagle, was a “surprise” my boyfriend came home to after work when I saw she was being rehomed on Facebook. And Duke, our long-haired Dachshund, was adopted from a local rescue after months of searching. Of course, I would adopt many more but according to my boyfriend, there must be a “limit.”

<Insert eye roll.>

Whether you have one dog or ten, there is no doubt that owning a dog can definitely infect you with a case of warm and fuzzies. Despite not actually giving birth to your bundles of fur, becoming a dog mom can induce some major maternal feelings.

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Dog Moms Have Real Maternal Feelings - It's Science

Logically, there is no comparison between owning a dog and raising a human child. However, according to National Geographic, research shows the same areas of the brain that are activated when a mother thinks or looks at her child, are also involved in the emotional processing when growing an attachment to your dog.

Lori Palley, of the Centre for Comparative Medicine told Express, “Several previous studies have found that levels of neurohormones like oxytocin - which is involved in pair-bonding and maternal attachment - rise after interaction with pets, and new brain imaging technologies are helping us begin to understand the neurobiological basis of the relationship, which is exciting.”

12 Things Only a TRUE Dog Mom Will Understand

As a bonafide dog mom, it is no surprise how welcoming a canine friend into your home can change your life (and possibly persona) completely. Here is a list of things only a dog mom will understand.

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