When Everyone Hates Your Dog

Isn’t dog mom culture, crazy? Not that people didn’t love their dogs when I was younger, but having a dog now has taken on a life of its own - they are regarded as children, with their own birthday parties, wardrobes, even daycares.

I’m not judging though, I’m very guilty of falling into this bucket. Nico, my rat terrier - chihuahua mix, (or Rat-Cha as Google claims) is my whole life and I am basically at his beck and call. He has his own vitamins, a mix of fresh veggies and pumpkin on rotation, a daycare he goes to once a week, a stroller, you name it. That being said, if dog mom culture is so popular and has evolved so much to see our dogs as our children, why is being an asshole about my dog being a chihuahua still in style?

When I originally began my search for a dog, I didn’t look for a chihuahua - not for anything negative, just didn’t really think of them, truthfully. After being disappointed and discouraged with my search, I found an article titled something along the lines of ‘the best apartment dogs’ and chihuahuas were at the top of their list for their size, loyalty and low energy play-time demands. It really felt like fate because as soon as I began looking for one, I found baby Nico right away.

Now, what I didn’t know when I became a chihuahua mom, was all the hate I was signing up for. I signed up for unsolicited comments about how mean my dog is, how aggressive he is and how loud he is - all with no proof of any of those things. I know I am far from the first person to get dog breed-shamed, but I am speaking up for all of us when I say, please shut up.

These dogs don’t even get a fighting chance to prove they’re different. Stereotyping isn’t going anywhere (sadly), but it just really hurts to know that your dog is cast in a role before its even auditioned. Aside from my small rant, I leave y’all with a PSA - please leave these dogs (and their owners) alone and focus on what we do have in common. Such as, the fact that we all have to walk them after a night of drinking, or the fact that emergency vet bills cost us an arm and a leg or even the fact that their is hair covering any item in your house.

A dog mom includes any dog, not just the ones deemed acceptable.

I’ll be honest too - some chihuahuas are bad, some aren’t, just don’t make that call until their actions speak for them. Don’t get me started on what constitutes a “bad dog” either, since we all know prior experiences and bad parenting is the culprit for “bad dog” disease. Lets give these dog parents and their dogs some grace, regardless of what breed they are, and be kind humans. Until then, logging off to go grab Nico so he stops barking at the Pizza delivery guy.