Excuse me, Is that your dog?

I will use the word trendy, although it may not be quite the right word.

It is trendy these days to have a dog or dogs instead of children, and it is trendy to speak of those dogs as if they were children. As in, "I have one child. He's a yellow Lab," or "We never have to put Fido in time out," or "He never talks back," or "He doesn't point or laugh when he sees us naked." (I've never actually heard someone say that. I just thought it would be funny if somebody's dog did point and laugh.)

I like dogs. Ask Ann. She knows this is true. I loved my dog Sweetiepie and considered her part of our family, in a manner of speaking. And I allow anyone to follow his or her tastes.

But I somehow resent the idea that a dog is better than a child. Easier, maybe. Better, hardly. I resent that it is the "green" thing to do to have a dog instead of a child, and so we should choose that alternative, for the sake of our planet. Come on, people, even Al Gore had children. I vigorously resent these ideas being promulgated, as I get a strong feeling they are.

And, by the way, I think clothes for dogs are silly, the idea ludicrous, although I know there's big money in it these days. Oh yes, I see dogs dressed in Snuggies and other strange little garments. Anybody see last week's Pet Parade? Talk about point and laugh.

Yesterday in the grocery store I did not point or laugh, and I did not see the dog, exactly, but I saw the woman--thirty, maybe--with her dog carrier in her grocery cart. Right, carrying her "baby" with her. That was a first for me. No doubt not a last. It'll catch on. It's trendy.

And dogs in parks on the children's playground equipment? Don't get me started on that. Ann may have to write about that one.