Pet care today is expensive compared to pet care when I grew up.

People get a pet for many reasons. Some people want a pet for companionship. Others choose a certain dog as a puppy just because it was cute. Others get another dog to fill the empty space in their heart after a beloved pet passes on. Some people get another dog to be company for the one they got that seemed lonely.

At Christmas, there will be many little children made happy by receiving a sweet little puppy from Santa.

Some may change their mind after reading my article about my grandpuppy, Dudley.

I could not help but think of our pet dog Tramp. He was picked from a litter of pups by my brother, Raymond. Oh, what a wonderful job he did choosing Tramp.

We all came to love our precious protector. If there is a doggie heaven, Tramp is there.

Tramp cost us nothing other than love.

This column is not about Tramp. It is about Dudley, my granddaughter Stephenie’s dog.

I am not sure what made Stephenie realize she wanted a dog while she was a senior at the University of Kentucky.

Whatever the reason, it must have been love at first sight. I have never seen someone go so crazy over their pet from day one.

A close second to her is my grandson Hayden over his dog Weezo, but I think Stephenie takes the cake on puppy love.

Stephenie’s dog is big and black. He was large as a pup. She carried him around like a baby from the beginning. In other words, this dog was spoiled rotten from day one.

He is definitely her baby. He moved with her to Louisville once she graduated from college.

Dudley is a good hiking companion. A day at the Red River Gorge makes her feel better with Dudley by her side.

He is great to come home to after a day of teaching students and a good walking partner.

He is always happy to see Stephenie, and he is so loving.

However, Dudley has cost a small fortune in his early life. Stephenie’s mom wished she had never heard the name Dudley after she came in one day to find her den furniture torn up. He had ripped the stuffing from the couch and chewed on the wood.

Dudley was put in his cage for punishment. New furniture had to be purchased and somehow Stephenie did not have to help pay the bill.

Needless to say, Stephenie heard about it and finally got the message she needed to get her own place.

Her mom was more lenient with her than I would have been. Dudley stays with her when Stephenie goes on vacation.

Dudley has been acting up again. Stephenie noticed he had not been eating properly and then began throwing up. So a trip to the vet was scheduled. The news was surgery for Dudley.

Dudley just had his second surgery at the vets only to be opened up to find Stephenie’s undies in his stomach. The last ordeal cost $1,200. This hurt her bank account since she is on her own and also working on her master’s degree and making a car payment.

Your pets can get expensive, especially those who misbehave.

I read in the 2019 Farmer’s Almanac the cost of raising a medium-sized dog to the age of 11 will cost around $6,400. Whew, it would make me think twice before I got a dog. They are too expensive for me.

I would say Stephenie is at least a third way there and her dog is definitely not mid-size.

Dudley is going to cost Stephenie more than that. When another teacher heard of Dudley’s last escapade and asked Stephenie if she was going to have him put down. Stephenie retorted, “Of course not!”

I wondered what I would do in her case. I think I would tearfully be having to find Dudley a new home.

I also thought about the difference in pet dogs today than when we had Ole Tramp. He only ate the scraps from our table food. He never had any bought dog food. If we were on vacation, Tramp knew he had to go kill a squirrel, rabbit or some wildlife to get his meal.

If he needed a bath we took him swimming with us in the creek. Tramp knew he was loved by all of us but he never got to come inside even on the coldest winter nights. He never had a dog house but was only able to take refuge in the barn not far from our house.

The closest thing to comfort he was ever given was an old cloth rug that was put on the hay one extremely cold winter for him to lay on.

The dogs I knew were not allowed inside when I grew up. Our neighbors’ dogs were treated pretty much the same as ours. Cats were fed milk before it was brought into the house to be strained. They too ate scraps outside. That is just how life was for an animal at that time.

Dudley has been able to do what he pleases, and I think he needs more discipline. To me, animals are like young children — their manners need taught at an early age.

You teach them there are certain things you do not touch. Bad children could cost a parent money and evidently pets do too.

I think Steph needs to purchase a new hamper with a lock on it to keep her dog away from her clothes.

I am not sure what Dudley has in store but I hope his manners improve before he comes to visit my house at Christmas. I feel certain he will be coming along with Stephenie.

To love Stephenie you better love her dog.

I have to admit, though, I bought Dudley something to chew on for Christmas.

Sue Staton is a Clark County native who grew up in the Kiddville area. She is a wife, mother and grandmother who is active in her church, First United Methodist Church, and her homemakers group, Towne and Country Homemakers.