Yes! I'm so sorry you feel this way but I know how you feel. I have had my mom tell me that she is depressed cause I don't do anything cause of the dogs, like go out or work cause i don't want to leave them alone. This was during the summer, well now i am back at school and she ALWAYS likes me doing something! I'm srry but i was like Oh well they are my babies, and although i do leave them alone sometimes im not always going to just abandon them! That's insane, they're my responsibility and i do go out, when i want to, i just did not feel like working at that time. :rolleyes: Anyway she loves my dogs and doesn't say anything like that anymore. On the other hand my older brother he thinks im crazy for dressing up my dogs, going to yorkie meetups, etc. but he just kinda ignores it. But when he says little comments it makes me mad and believe me i let him know! lol I also have some friends that think it's stupid for me to have more than 1 dog, i have 3 and they think it's dumb that i dress them up, etc. They say they are not human. These ppl were raised differently or are just not dog people so i don't care what the hell they say. They are my dogs and i take care of them how i want to. :D

I don't think you should sweat it! Everyone has their own pergogative and you have yours! and yours is to be a great mommy a good dog owner. It is abuse, and not only that but extremely selfish to leave your dogs home along. they are like children, and need attention. Whether or not you are obsessed with them, you took them in a made a commitment and she needs to understand that.

Not a problem
 

I take my yorkie everywhere I go and she has never been in a crate. Your neice needs to get a grip.

Chester is like my child and some of my friends think Im crazy, but they are out babies, people are just jealous that no one loves them that much sometimes.

I agree. And/or they are also jealous that they don't have something to love so much themselves, they don't know what they are missing out on. :(

I totally understand what you mean, I won't leave my babies alone for more than an hour, and even that I hate. My family do not understand this and they are always going on about how I run my life around my dogs. My mum and my older sister are especially bad. I daren't tell them that I love the dogs more than them.

no Yorkie deserves to go nekkid....

My kids think I'm nuts for dressing them up, and taking them all over the place, but I don't really care. All my kids are grown up, and now my furbabies need me. They'll get over it as she will too.

loving our dogs
 

Ditto here! I don't care what anyone thinks about how I live or how I treat my dogs. I don't leave them alone for very long, but that's what I prefer and it's my business. I worked up until a year and a half ago and they had to stay alone all day, so I don't leave them alone for more than an hour or two now. My family knows how I feel and they are all OK with it. That's a good thing, because I wouldn't do any different even if they weren't OK with it. Hey, I pay the bills and I'll live my own life. I get a lot more from my dogs than I could ever give to them. My sister says in her next life she wants to be one of my dogs.

The great thing is there are so many people on this site that can relate to how we feel about our babies. I think that is so cool! :) I know lots of people think I am strange for taking Bella places and dressing her up (I had a lady tell me that just the other day in the carpool line at my daughters' school). I figure that if it works for me--nobody else should be bothered by it! Too bad they can't keep their hurtful words to themselves! :aimeeyork

I don't leave my dog alone home for a long ESPECIALLY in crate....:eek: I even have just bought a stroller :D for a very long day trip when she can get tired.

My parents think that I raise a child, not a dog:) , but.... they never told me that I don't have a life because of her...Plus, I wouldn't let to anybody tell something like that to me...So they can tell something like that about others :D

However, from my experience, MOST of the people think same way as your niece.

If any person with dog all the time, including travel, or - no vacation because she cannot find a responsible sitter or just afraid to leave dog (that's me :D ) she is called bad words like crazy lady, stupid, she doesn't have a life, she probably doens't have anything to do, doesn't have children/husband. WHATEVER. It IS stupid to think that way. IMXO.

Some of my Fam. members think i am crazy too, i just dont pay any attention to them. I never leave mine alone either !

What an awesome statement!! I couldn't agree more.! :thumbup: :D

Some people just DO NOT understand that. And that is ok. I actually feel sorry for THEM because they will not ever know how WONDERFUL it is to truly love an animal SO MUCH

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Yes, but it goes in one ear and right out the other!! Really though, I don't know why it even MATTERS to anyone. I bought my dog, I take great care of my dog and I enjoy doing things with and for my dog. It's no ones business. Don't be hurt by those kind of comments - enjoy your life and your pup. :)