Your Dog is Not Your Child and It Has No Soul

Christians and Pet Ownership

Do our dogs have anything to do with our Christian lives? Should we question pet ownership when it comes to our relationship with God and His Church?

As someone who grew up with various pets, I am very fond of animals, all kinds of animals, even bugs! But recent trends in our society have me concerned about pet ownership and how it relates to our walk with the Lord.

Far too many people rush into pet ownership without considering the spiritual side effects, and far too many Christians have taken pet ownership to an unhealthy extreme.

In this article, I want to propose a few questions for people to consider before they run off to the pet store or humane society.

I’m going to give special attention to dog owners (nothing against dogs), because dogs are by far the most popular pet in US households.

Why Do You Want a Pet? Are you Filling a Void?

Almost all humans are wired to want to nurture, especially women. But in recent years, there has been a growing trend for young couples to reject having children. They don’t want children because they want time freedom and more disposable income.

It’s very common for these childless couples or single women to adopt a dog instead. They proceed to refer to this dog as their “child,” nurture it like a child, take in on vacation with them like a child, and humanize it more than is natural.

If you’re on Instagram or Tiktok, you’ll see this trend everywhere. Why is it so popular? Because it’s written into our DNA. We are made with a desire to nurture, but not to nurture a dog.

Instead of having children, many have adopted a dog to fill a gap God designed to be filled with a child. Many have not made this connection, which is why even Christian couples and Christian singles make this mistake.

Ask yourself before buying a dog, “Am I trying to fill a void but refusing to do it God’s way? Is this dog a stopgap measure, a cheap substitute, because I long to nurture something but refuse to have children?

The Time Commitment of Dog Ownership

A few years ago, I dogsat (dogsitted? dogwatched?) a dog for about 6 months, and it was a significant time investment. The dog had to be taken outside multiple times per day and fed multiple times per day. I was surprised at just how often my life was interrupted by dog related things.

As Christians, we have a mission. Jesus has given us work to do, and we should constantly be evaluating the way we use our time to make sure we aren’t wasting it.

Dog ownership certainly isn’t a sin, it’s a neutral matter, but is it a good use of time?

Depending on the dog you own, it may require hundreds if not thousands of hours of care over its lifetime.

This is a fact to consider when choosing a breed of dog. A farm dog will require a lot less of your time than a poodle that needs constant attention and grooming.

It’s worth asking, “Are there better ways for me to spend hundreds of hours of my life? What if I invested that time into people with eternal souls rather than animals without them?

Will You Neglect the Church for Your Pet?

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard someone turn down an invitation to spend time with their Church family because they needed to return home to care for their pet.  

“I can’t leave my dog for more than 2 hours, I’ll have to catch you next time.”

“My dog gets lonely if I don’t come home on time.”

“I promised my dog I’d take him to the park.”

“I can’t go to that place with you because it isn’t dog friendly, and my dog has to come with me.”

Let me be as clear as possible, a dog should never get in the way of you strengthening your relationship with fellow Christians. Its shameful to prioritize time with a dog over time in Christian community.

Loving an animal more than fellow disciples is an unnatural and ungodly affection. If you suspect getting a dog will limit your ability to build relationships with other believers, don’t buy a dog!

Are You Looking for a Friend?

Many people look to dogs because they are simple creatures that offer simple friendship. Humans are complicated and messy, so many opt to spend time with their dog(s) instead, but this is a mistake.

God created us to have human friendships. To invest in one another and for others to invest in us.

Yes, they are complicated. Yes, they can get messy. But just as Jesus was a friend to us in our mess, we are called to be friends to others. We are to bear other people’s burdens, encourage them, admonish them, and help them to heaven.

Investing in human friends is a beautiful blessing and sometimes a difficult challenge, but it is irreplaceable. Don’t dehumanize yourself by limiting your capacity for friendship to a soulless animal.

If you need a friend, rather than adopting a dog, get engaged in your local Church and share in a beautiful human experience with others who are made in the image of God.

Wrapping it Up… To Dog or Not to Dog?

I’m not suggesting those who own dogs are in sin, not by a long shot, but I do believe it is important to ask critical questions about our motives for owning one and the time we spend caring for one.

I’ve never heard these questions addressed in a public church setting, EVER!

But with the rise of “dog parenting” and people carrying their dogs around in strollers (I saw one the other day), these are relevant questions that relate to how we walk with God.