Doggy Walkers & Daycare Workers

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I was driving home from work (I quit today - but that's another story!) and I noticed a doggy-walker with a huge gaggle of ~ what else~ dogs.

At first I thought, hmm.....it makes a fun-enough image; where's my camera when you need it?

But then I thought uhh.....what's the point of owning a dog if you do not have the pleasure / responsibly of walking it?

Then I expanded my modest query to ask umm.....what's the point in having a child if you do not have the pleasure / responsibly in raising him / her?

As to our modern western lifestyles, has this type of thing gotten to the point of absurdity?

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yes..individual responsibility has gone by the wayside along with the dial phones. For example, go into any inner city and observe the lack of a minimal level of civility or manners displayed by pre-teen and teenagers at supermakerts or movie theaters. This lack of manners was brought about parents who didn't care to be responsible enough to teach them how to act in public or be responsible at their job or school- e.g. basic public courtesy...or not stabbing or knifing their way out of a conflict.

Some children, for whatever reasons, have raised themselves.

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I would agree, and it seems the general response is an outcry for the government to "do something". It also leaves open the question of why have kids / dogs / etc in the first place, if not for the pleasure / responsibly.

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Mr. B and I laugh at our neighbors who hire people to work in their yards, clean their homes, walk their dogs and watch their kids so that they have time to go to the gym to exercise.

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Now that's funny!

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I suspect some people have kids and dogs for the same bad reason. They desire selfless love from another being as some sort of self affirmation.

Personally I've always theought the responsibility outweighs the pleasures so I've studiously avoided both for most of my life. But now I do have dogs.

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I tend to agree BUT...

Not every family can afford to have at least one stay-at-home parent.

I don't think those people should be sentenced to a childless existence.

(I do think it should be made more affordable/possible to stay home if so desired.)

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Isn't it!? It's crazy.

I'm thinking of turning my house into a spa and charging them to come over and work.

But more on point - I agree about dogs but with kids it is a lot more complicated. Most people do have to work and one income can't sustain most families. There are a lot of sacrifices parents make in spending time with their kids just to make sure that their bellys are full.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, they should have thought about that first but they didn't, or circumstances changed and now the kid is here and they have to find a way to keep a roof over that kids head.

I try not to be too critical because there but for the grace of God go I.

Sorry. Don't mean to be a downer. I just finished a book that dealt a lot with runaways and street kids and I'm still feeling a little heart-broken.

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sozobe wrote:

I tend to agree BUT...

Not every family can afford to have at least one stay-at-home parent.

I don't think those people should be sentenced to a childless existence.

(I do think it should be made more affordable/possible to stay home if so desired.)

Without opening too big a can of worms.......would you agree that the "purpose" (if there can be said to be one, let alone one with such simplistic terms) of having kids is to impress certain values going forward beyond one's mortality?

If so, how would you rate and/or trust the individuals / organizations / intuitions that would support your belief system?

Me, I tend to have the most faith as a DIY'er.

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Hey boomerang,

sure the kids thing is a much bigger can-o-worms!

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This topic hits really close to home. I made the decision to stay at home with my kids. My husband is in a skilled trade and makes a comfortable living. There were many "things" enjoyed by my children's peers who had two-income families that mine did without but I don't feel they suffered. My husband's schedule is really wacky and had I worked I doubt any of us would have had much of a life.

But (and there's always a "but") I would caution any young woman today who would consider giving up an income of her own to re-think that decision. I recently looked into what I might expect as pension income from the Canada Pension Plan when I am 65 and it's not pretty ($140/month to be exact).

Chumly, I'm a DIY-er too, and if I had it to do over again, I would. There is however a price to pay.

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But then I thought uhh.....what's the point of owning a dog if you do not have the pleasure / responsibly of walking it?

Maybe they only use dog walkers in the middle of the day. I know plenty of people who do this. They get up early and walk their dogs in the morning, go to work and instead of leaving their dogs in all day, they hire a dog walker to come in during the day so the dog gets out instead of being in all day. Then they come home and walk their dog again.

This seems to me to be a responsible dog owner. Most people need to work to pay the bills. Just because they have some one to walk their dog once a day does not mean they do not take pleasure or responsibility in walking it - just they cannot be around in the middle of the day.

There are situations that I have seen where people want the pleasure of a child or pet, but not the responsibility, but simply having a dog walker or babysitter does not mean one is being irresponsible or not raising or caring of either.

You can be some one who is home all the time with a pet/child and still be more or as irresponsible as one that is working.

My husband and I both work and have two children. My parents cared for them when they were younger and now both are in school. We choose the school specifically because it shared our values. However, I do not feel a school is responsible for "raising" or giving your child their values. I have read some people's statements about children being rude, and having little or no manners. One thing I am proud to say even with both of us working our children now how to behave and we have instilled values and respect to others in them. It certainly isn't easy, but having one parent at home does not guarantee this. I have seen some children as a result of a parent staying at home and I have seen that just as many children with one parent not working have rude disrespectful children as those that do not. It is simply much harder with both working to balance things.

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I believe in full time parenting, but during those years when I was Home Alone (two toddler's don't really count) I used to fantasize about being able to turn my sons over to a competent Nanny for two or three hours every so often.

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Noddy24 wrote:

I believe in full time parenting, but during those years when I was Home Alone (two toddler's don't really count) I used to fantasize about being able to turn my sons over to a competent Nanny for two or three hours every so often.

Then your children didn't go to school? Laughing

What is ideal and what is reality do not always happen. What would happen if a spouse died? Stay at home and go on welfare? What about an abusive spouse? Stay with them so a parent can stay at home? Yes it is ideal to have a parent home, but it doesn't only work that way. It doesn't mean the children cannot get could parenting and good skills and so forth.

There are pros and cons to each situation - and every family situation is different. I wouldn't force my values on another as long as it works for that particular family, the children are happy, the parents are happy and the children are being cared for and being raised to be respectful and caring.

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Linkat wrote:

Maybe they only use dog walkers in the middle of the day.

Maybe, but then again I suggest that if you are looking for a quick and nasty barometer as to how involved the owners are in terms of pleasure / responsibility, it's not an unrealistic indicator.

In other words, if there are many busy Doggy Walkers & Daycare Workers for a given area (both true here) it's not unreasonable to assume less direct involvement from the owners / parents.

Linkat wrote:

......and the children are being cared for and being raised to be respectful and caring.

And by whose standards of morality do you make this judgment, if not your own?

And how do you ensure these standards of morality, if you would agree that the "purpose" (if there can be said to be one, let alone one with such simplistic terms) of having kids is to impress certain values going forward beyond one's mortality?

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Chumly wrote:

Linkat wrote:
Maybe they only use dog walkers in the middle of the day.
Maybe, but then again I suggest that if you are looking for a quick and nasty barometer as to how involved the owners are in terms of pleasure / responsibility, it's not an unrealistic indicator.

In other words, if there are many busy Doggy Walkers & Daycare Workers for a given area (both true here) it's not unreasonable to assume less direct involvement from the owners / parents.

Linkat wrote:
......and the children are being cared for and being raised to be respectful and caring.
And by whose standards of moralty do you make this judgment, if not your own?

Example - we went to an expensive restaurant - we were staying at a hotel and didn't feel like going out (of the hotel that is) for dinner. We spoke to our girls ahead of time and explained that this was a nice restaurant and they had to act appropriately. If they misbehaved we would take them out. Now my girls (5 and 9) love going out and eating and stuff like that.

We walk in and get all these eye rollings. We sit down (we brought some paper and pen for them to use). We had them order and say please and thank you to the waiter. No kids meals here, but they had lobster bisque and ceasar salad - that they both love.

During that one evening we had two separate tables of individuals come over and say what well behaved children we had. And how refreshing it is to see children know how to behave appropriately. These being some of the same individuals who were rolling their eyes when we first came in.

They also get outstanding on their behavior in school and we have always been told by their teachers how well behaved they are and how helpful they are to the teachers and other students. This similar type of feedback we have received from other programs my children attended. Including awards for good sportmanship in basketball and soccer.

So it isn't just my personal opinion - to date - I have not received one negative report on my children's behavior. Except once one my daughter was a toddler and screamed in the grocery store - some grumpy old lady made a comment. I immediately spoke to her about it and let her now if the behavior continues we would immediately leave.

O

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I'm truly glad things are working for you & yours and that whomever else you rely on to coach your kids have met your standards of decorum.

The other patrons of your restaurant of choice had trepidations with good reason however; you might want to respond to the questions I've posed as they apply in the more general.

I'm getting lunch, your post made me hungry.

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I can't answer why some people have children or pets and then do not want to take care of them appropriately. Perhaps they do not realize the amount of responsibility involved with raising either.

I live near an area where people tend to go for lots of walks including walking their dogs. I've noticed that many people do not bother to clean up after their pets. I frequently wonder why the heck you would have a pet and not take on the full responsibility of caring for them.

In one instance I witnessed what I consider the height of laziness. A dog was wondering around by itself along this area. Then I saw a truck slowly following the dog. The guy was so damn lazy he was following the dog rather than walking with it and cleaning up after it!

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My thoughts were not in disagreement with you in the sense that some people are irresponsible with children and pets. My disagreement is that just because some one has a dog walker or a day care provider does not mean that they are irresponsible or want to miss out on the pleasure of having a kid or pet. Some times situation warrant where one or the other is necessary.

They can still take pleasure in a pet/child - playing with them, feeding, cleaning, walking, whatever. But out of necessity need one or the other to help out.

To be honest - being away from my children for part of the day helps me be a better parent in some ways. I appreciate the time I have with them (not that a stay at home parent may not appreciate it) - I realize my time is more limited with them so that time is so much more precious.

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Quote:

Dogs in Buenos Aires - Pets in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, Argentina is, like many other cities in a world, a city that is full of dogs always eager to take a stroll and to play. This is why five days a week, while their owners are at work the "Pasea Perros" (Dog Walker) goes to work, something very characteristic of this dog-crazy city.

The Dog Walker has, as its name implies, the job of walking the "man's best friend." It is a job with a large responsibility; pets in Buenos Aires are considered an important part of the family.

On the streets of Buenos Aires you will see the average Dog Walker taking care of around 10 dogs at a time, that's 40 paws that they have to keep track of at all times. Usually they walk calmly with their herd, a common site for the inhabitants of Buenos Aires, but something that never ceases to amaze North American and European tourists visiting the city, who photograph them repeatedly.

The leader of the picturesque herd maintains the dogs calm, constantly rearranging the leaches to avoid tangling, and, most importantly, the fights. Fights are, of course, punished by the Walker, separating the rowdy dogs from the rest and leaving them to cool down in what the dog walkers refer to as the "The Safe Zone," an area reserved exclusively for the canines that pick fights. The dogs causing problems are kept separated from the rest until the cool down, usually tied to a tree away from the rest of the group. None the less, their main concern is to keep the doggies happy and giving them the chance to interact with others of their own, also giving the dog walkers to get together and talk, sharing their knowledge on dogs psychology.

Buenos Aires locals are very concerned with the care of their pet, remarkably more so than in any other Latin country. There are many stores, and local radio and TV also has some specialized programs for the pet lovers in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

You might think this sounds like an easy job, but you have to take into account that the Walker has to be very careful, know the names of each dog, avoid fights, make the dogs follow his orders and keep them all in sight at all times, something that can be very frustration and time consuming. Also, there is no excuse for not going out in any weather, rain or shine.

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