Have you ever heard someone see a guy just absolutely obsessed with his dog and go, “man, he’s dog dad af”? And now you’re just there scratching your head wondering what a dog dad even is.
I’ve been there before, making jokes with our friends that we loved our dog as much as a parent loves their child. And we ain’t wrong. But then we went to Urban Dictionary to see what they had to say, and there was nothing to be found! Urban Dictionary, the great modern Oxford’s Webster, had no idea what a Dog Dad was.
So, what IS a Dog Dad?
Well, we took it upon ourselves at Dog Dad Hats to help define the dog dad for the world! No, really, we added the definition for "Dog Dad" in urban dictionary ourselves—you're welcome, internet! And this is what we said:
A dog dad is the proud owner of a dog and loves his dog like he would love his own kids—if he had any. Dog dads will eagerly tell anyone who will listen about the random mundanities of his dog's life, even if no one asked. Dog dads get minted at any age, whether it's adopting a new puppy, or rescuing a senior dog to live a good life in comfort.
So now we have it, a dog dad is a guy that loves his dog—a lot. But the thing worth stressing here is that anyone can be a dog dad or a dog mom. It's really just about how much love you have for your pup.
What's a Dog Daddy?
Another one that comes up all over the instagram hashtags is quite similar—the dog daddy. But what IS a dog daddy? Is it different than a dog dad?
In same-sex couples, both partners may be collectively referred to as dog daddies. If only one person in the couple assumes primary caretaking responsibilities, then he is the sole dog daddy.
So long story short, it's no different when it comes to the love you have for your pup. You can be a dog dad, or a dog daddy, just depends on what you want to be, as long as you're the best thing in your dog's life since dropped bread because dog's don't care how you identify, as long you identify as someone that loves them!
What to Get a Dog Dad
So now that you know what a dog dad is, you've probably even thought of a few people in your life that are quintessential dog dads. Just picture this in your mind:
Dog dads can be easily identified at the dog park because they are standing alone with their leash, bag of dog treats, and dog dad hat pulled low over his face, watching his fur baby frolic with the other pups.
Does anyone come to mind? If you were on the fence about someone, then maybe they're just missing one or two finishing touches to complete their dog dad look.
They've already got the dog, and probably the treats, but do they have their dog dad hat yet?
Gee, if only there was a place to get those…