 | Marley & You? |
The kids saw the movie. They want the dog. Reality bites.
Do you deprive your kids the pure joy of growing up with a furry best friend to forgo the path of destruction of puppyhood ... to keep the leather couch in tact, to save your Berber carpet, to prevent your faux-finish walls from being chewed through to the 2x4s? Could you possibly be such a heartless, materialistic Mama? Nah, the reality is, those little lovable labs are utterly, insanely naughty by nature and will seriously eat you out of house and home if you let them.
But maybe the kids can have their Marley, and you can keep your house. The fix: let your lab chomp till its heart’s content … on somebody else’s turf. Consider Doggie Daycare. No, it’s not the “so OC,” over-the-top scene you may be thinking. It’s really just you vs. beast, and you keeping your home in one piece.
You drop off your wide-eyed pup in the am at your local daycare and let them chew, romp, run, nest, dig and bury till they can’t destroy anymore. Then you pick them up at night so tired that they can’t even lift up their furry little head to greet you. They’re spent. You’re sane. There’s balance. And everyone’s happy.
Just google the daycare in your city, or check out some local dog hot spots: The Dog Ranch in Laguna (that even sports a salt pool for the water dogs, pictured here), Wags and Wiggles in Rancho Santa Margarita and Tustin, Pet Suites in Aliso and more.
Daycare visits can add up, averaging $30+/day, which is steep particularly in today’s economy, but it’s daycare or your hardwoods, your cabinets, your wardrobe, your mental well-being. Luckily, they don’t have to go daily, as the post-pickup exhaustion lasts for a dreamy 2-3 days.
(Oh, and psst: after a year, your Tornado Marley will turn into a Gentle Giant, who will probably teach your kids a lifetime of compassion, friendship, kindness, respect and responsibility.)
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