As a child growing up with a pet pooch, I recall snuggles with a fluffy German shepherd, poos the size of cow pats that no 21st biodegradable poop bag could hold and enough moulted hair to knit a sweater a week!  Sure, I loved our ‘Baby’ as the 80lb fur ball of our family was affectionately named, but I have to admit, as a teenager fond of sleep, I dreaded the pre-school walking duty.

Now that I am one of the parental units of a family of three kiddos who only stay in bed until 6am (and only on the threat of having every device thrown out the window), walking our 1 year old rescue Baby in the morning before the desert heat sets in, is the least of my worries.

Who knew that poochy pups need more than cuddles, walks, water and food????

There have been numerous trips to the Vet to get the required vaccinations, as well as the meds to clear up a dicky tummy.  There has been the steam cleaning of the car after the trip to the Vet….and after Baby puked up his guts on the 5 minute car ride back home.  There has been the cost of installing a slatted, wooden garden fence to prevent his Houdini escape attempts.  There has been the paving of part of the garden to prevent him digging his way downunder.  There has been the trainer to help him to learn his place and stop him running out the front door in the direct line of passing cars.  There has been the cost of kennels when we go away for any amount of time.  On top of the kennels’ fees, there is the collection and drop off fee…..as poor Baby suffers from motion sickness, we arrange a van to pick him up from home and drop him back after his weekend of fun!  We have even re-installed a baby safety gate at the bottom of the stairs to stop the moulting, smelly wonder setting up camp in the kids’ bedrooms.

Throw in so called indestructible chew toys that my boy can obliterate in minutes, and the cost of owning a fur baby borders on that of having another baby!

My smug world of ‘I have got this sorted – you Poochie Poo’ was recently splintered  when a friend mentioned she had booked her pooch in for his regular grooming session.  Clueless, I raced home to Google what grooming of 4 legged babies entailed.  Seriously???  Shampoo, condition, ears cleaning, nails clipped and filed, some nether region action……all in the space of 30 minutes…….all for the bargain basement cost of AED300?????

Jeesh!  My own personal grooming doesn’t cost that much!! Where’s the cuticle clipping, waxing, threading, head, neck and shoulder massage???  I know I come back from the salon with a sense of ‘floatiness’.  I know fur Baby comes back from his uber pricey makeover looking for the next ‘treat’….Go figure.