carrie underwoodCarrie Underwood and her husband, Mike Fisher, are a really cute couple. They recently appeared on Oprah's new show, and Oprah asked Carrie who she was really. Carrie said she was a happy person, a daughter, a wife, and a "mom to my dogs." Awwww. Carrie has two dogs, Ace and Penny. When the conversation turned, as you knew it would, to whether they would have a family, Mike indicated that he knew Carrie had great nurturing qualities, and that if she was half the mom to their kids that she was to their dogs, the kids would be in "great shape."

I'm certainly a big believer in the idea that people who are good to animals are good people. And I'm certainly a huge believer in the idea that Carrie Underwood would be a great mother, if she chooses to become a mother. But, call me a party pooper, but just because someone is great with their dogs doesn't necessarily mean they'll be great with kids.

I actually know someone who was abused as a child (and nooooo, I'm not saying Carrie would abuse her kids) and his mother was a great pet owner. The cats and dogs were treated wonderfully. They were well fed. He was starved. It actually took him a long time to like animals because of this childhood treatment.

Hotel entrepreneur and "Queen of Mean" Leona Helmsley loved her dog, Trouble, so much that she left him $12 million. Yet she was famously estranged from her only son, Jay. She also cut two of her grandchildren out of her will. Nooooo, I'm not comparing Carrie Underwood to Leona Helmsley.

No doubt there is a connection between abusing animals and abusing people. That is well established. But does a great dog owner always make a great parent? I think the jury is out on that one.

But Mike did say that if his kids with Carrie were parented half as well as the dogs are, they'll be fine. And I'm sort of assuming they will be parented at least half as well -- no doubt more.

Does a great dog owner always make a great parent?


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