I often hear of parents doting on their small children. One could say I dote on my dog. He’s cute and cuddly and slobbers more than infants, I’m sure. He’s wholeheartedly devoted to me. And he’s just himself. He can’t do anything to remove my love – poop on the hardwood all he wants, tear up the new $50 sheets in the bed, dig holes in the backyard, vomit in my truck. I still love him to death. His picture sits in the window of my office at work, so others can see his precious smile, those five little lower puppy teeth jutting out from his innocent face and those brown eyes, full of sweetness, like two little Dove chocolates imploring me to embrace them.

I’m sure Billy Gabriel Parker would be great in a commercial. First he’d have to get over the thrill of meeting all the new people on the set. Because he would be very excited. We could shoot an ad for dog food. Imagine: He stands patiently by as I squat down and open a new yellow, 8 pound bag of Nature’s Recipe Salmon, Pumpkin, and Sweet Potato kibble. The tip of his nose wiggles as he gets a whiff of the potent ingredients. His lustrous golden coat shimmers in the sunlight that filters in through the small kitchen window. I pour some kibble into his metallic bowl that sits on the kitchen floor. Billy inches closer and starts to eat from the bowl. I rub my fingers through his shiny coat and he kisses me.

The commercial then shoots to a scene of me and Billy running through the green field in the front of our neighborhood. He’s off leash (which, in reality, he’s not supposed to be). But, we’re running freely. My hair is long and blond, flowing in the wind perfectly (which is never the case in reality – it’s more like tied back and staticky). Oh, and I’d be really fit. Billy would be smiling widely, his 101-pound self romping gleefully through the outdoors, like he was made to do. “Nature’s Recipe – to strengthen your dog and your relationship with your dog” would be the final caption.

We’d make money off our commercial, which would mean I could spend less hours at my day job. Billy and I would spend more time jogging the boardwalk of Virginia Beach and running free at the North End on the beach. We’d hike First Landing and Mount Trashmore. He’d have plenty of new toys from Care-A-Lot, including frisbees, rawhides, stuffed animals, and tennis balls (even though he already has more toys than most 3-year-olds).

The sad thing about being a doggie mama is that I will most likely outlive my baby. The day will come, I’m aware of. And it will be one of the worst days of my life. But until then, I’ll embrace today with my pup. Even without a big-time commercial, I’ll give him a life like we’re in one – salmon-pumpkin potato meals, kisses, embraces, running through fields, and playing on the beach. And of course, lots of toys. Because he’s my pup and I love him. Unconditionally. ~