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Thoughts For Thursday: I Have Seen It All Now!

August 26, 2010 · 20 comments

in Thoughts For Thursday

Earlier in the week, I wrote a post about owning a private island, along with the reasons why I would never want to own one.

Well yesterday, I saw something that makes even less sense than owning a private island.

I was driving home from my son’s soccer game and a woman crossed the street in front of my car, pushing a stroller.  I peered out the car window to glimpse at what I thought was going to be a cute baby.  Instead, it was a dog!  A dog!

I was shaking my head and laughing at the same time.  Why in the world does a pet need a stroller?  I thought that one way to lose weight was to get a dog because you need to walk them everyday.  Now, I assumed that weight loss tip was because the dog itself needed exercise, but I guess I was wrong.  (Although I know the dogs we owned growing up all loved to go on walks, and I had a hard time keeping up with them.)   I just cannot get over the thought of putting your dog (not a puppy, but a dog) in a little stroller and then going for a walk.

No wonder people are drowning in credit card debt.  If our society is going to spend money on dog strollers (and designer diapers), then people will spend money on anything.   They aren’t cheap either.  One pet stroller I saw on the internet was called an ‘SUV Pet Stroller’ that you could buy for $299.95.   The cheapest pet stroller on the website I looked at was a ‘lite’ stroller that was only $59.95.  Maybe I will invent a plant stroller.  I am sure the Venus Flytrap I have on my kitchen windowsill would love to get out and go for a walk with me.

All you pet owners out there – am I being overly judgmental?  Is there a real purpose for a dog stroller?  Doesn’t a leash make a lot more sense?

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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }

Nicole August 26, 2010 at 7:33 am

I’m going to tell myself the dog was disabled. That will make me feel better.

Around here you sometimes see 5 year olds in strollers. For some reason they’re always really fat. I judge, I judge.

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Kris August 26, 2010 at 10:23 am

Nicole, I too hate seeing older kids in strollers. Especially at the zoo when I see the younger sibling walking!

OK, I will change my mindset and assume all the dogs are disabled. I will try….

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Nicole August 26, 2010 at 11:55 am

There must be a very active doggie rehabilitation center around. What a nice thing.

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skywind August 26, 2010 at 8:04 am

I’m with you. If you’re gonna walk the dog, the dog should WALK!

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Vicky August 26, 2010 at 10:02 am

I have 2 dogs, one with moderate arthritis. My vet actually told me to bring a stroller on walks because when my dog has enough, he won’t go any further. One time I carried him 1/2 way home then had to call my son to carry him the rest of the way because I was exhausted. We bring a stroller or he doesn’t go on walks!

If someone does it just to pamper the pet, that’s ridiculous. The pet should be walking. If the pet is disabled, it’s nice that they still see the neighborhood like the dogs that are able to walk.

Believe me, we get some looks and giggles if the dog is in the stroller. Because you don’t know why the dog is in the stroller, I would agree with the person above… just assume it’s disabled.

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Kris August 26, 2010 at 10:22 am

Vicky, I agree, if the dog is disabled, I am sure it is nice to have a stroller for it to go walk in. I think what got me going is I went on line and looked at pet stroller websites and they seemed like designer vehicles for pets. Some were quite extravagant!

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Teresa Fiore August 26, 2010 at 10:22 am

That’s better than the site I saw yesterday. A little poodle had 4 legs but was only walking on 3. Hopping along so fast trying to keep up. I asked the owner what was wrong with it’s leg and she said the dog hurt it. Then why in the heck was she walking it and at that walking it fast. Now that little doggie totally needed a stroller if that lady was going to walk it. Some people don’t have their smarts!

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Budgeting in the Fun Stuff August 26, 2010 at 12:12 pm

I’ve had to pick up an exhausted standard poodle before, but I hadn’t thought of taking a stroller…hahaha…70 pound dog in a baby stroller would be hilarious! I figure that I adopt older dogs and if they ever can’t make the full block, I’d probably stop walking them altogether…we’d just play fetch inside until they were tired.

Honestly, we don’t walk our dogs very often as it is (like maybe once every month or two). They play fetch inside, run up and down the stairs with us, play in the back yard, and take weekend rides to my in-laws bigger back yard every month or so. They’re 12 and 7 and have hit their target weights, so we don’t usually walk them like normal. The Pug can’t make two blocks because of breathing issues and the Dachshund is racist (was that way when we got her at age 7). Walking just has too many hassles…

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Kris August 26, 2010 at 8:22 pm

BFS – I guess that was kind of my thinking. If my dog was too old, I probably would not think to put it in a stroller to go for a walk. But I am sure a dog would find it pleasant I suppose.

Your comment about the Dachshund reminds me of an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Did you ever watch it?

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Budgeting in the Fun Stuff August 27, 2010 at 2:34 pm

Nope…racist dog?

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Lola August 26, 2010 at 1:34 pm

I have yet to see a dog in a stroller (being pushed by an adult, ha ha!), but I read an article not too long ago about a vet here in my city who now offers a wider range of services for physical therapy for dogs with arthritis and other ailments. The article included a cute photo of a bassett hound working on his PT in a very elaborate water tank – evidently they have all sorts of equipment designed for dogs.

I guess as dogs (and cats? pot bellied pigs?) live longer, vets and pet supply outfits will come up with more services and products to keep pets comfortable.

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Kris August 26, 2010 at 8:26 pm

Lola – wow, I have never thought of pet-rehab, but it does make sense. They have their surgeries and such and probably need their jobs and ligaments to heal just like we do. I would love to be a pet PT, as long as the dogs liked their exercises!

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Kevin@InvestItWisely August 26, 2010 at 3:45 pm

I’ll go with the above and give them the benefit of the doubt… but I have seen some pretty ridiculous things…

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Kris August 26, 2010 at 8:27 pm

Kevin – I have seen some ridiculous things too, which is why I just chalked this up to ‘ridiculous’ instead of thinking about a dog having an ailment.

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Money Reasons August 26, 2010 at 4:14 pm

Your post has offended my dog! She will now never NEVER talk to you!!! (lol)

I would be curious to see what this person looked like? Was she a preppy well-dressed person, or someone how looks like they might have a few issues?

Based on your post, and that you are a great judge of character, I’m sure she was the well dressed type. I like dogs, but people who take their dog out in a stroller is a bit over the top in my opinion. But to each their own.

I would be lmao if I was someone in my neighborhood doing the same… funny thought, thx 🙂

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Kris August 26, 2010 at 8:28 pm

Money Reasons – Oh this person looked very well off. One of those women that look made-up for their exercise, and her exercise clothes looked nicer than what I was wearing!

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Sandy L August 27, 2010 at 12:28 am

Okay, most people are okay with seeing dog strollers as frivolous luxury, but isn’t having a pet period also considered a luxury?

For the record, I don’t have pets, but it seems that since they are sentient beings, rescuing/owning a pet gets an exemption from being called a luxury by most pet owners. I just wonder if there would be as many shelters and animals needing homes if the pet industry wasn’t making gajillions of dollars servicing them. If the pet population continues to grow, then the pet industry will grow with it. From 2000 to 2007 the pet industry’s revenues grew 36%

The whole concept of owning companion animals started out as a status symbol for the very rich way back when. It may be a controversial thing to say but pets themselves and the $45 billion dollars a year we spend on them are luxuries..cute furry, loveable luxuries.

I personally always wanted chickens but my husband thinks they’re dirty birds. No way, am I buying a chicken stroller.

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WaterBishop August 27, 2010 at 12:04 pm

There is a pet-stroller store at a mall near me. The amount of people pushing dogs in strollers in my neighborhood is just funny.
Only a few times do I think the dog was actually disabled.

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Len Penzo August 28, 2010 at 2:45 am

“Doesn’t a leash make a lot more sense?”

Not from the pup’s perspective. 😉

All the best,

Len
Len Penzo dot Com

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Kay Lynn @ Bucksome Boomer August 28, 2010 at 8:25 pm

I know we’re different here in California, but I’ve seen dogs in strollers often. I have scoffed at it not thinking about the dog being disabled. We live in a condo so walk our dog twice a day. It’s good for him and us!

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