A fellow dog lover asked "how spoiled is your dog?" I inturned informed the person that spoiling your dog is selfish and is doing your dog more harm then good. After posting my comment i thought i would have some people agree w/ my statement but apparently the "real" dog lovers overlooked this question so i decided to post my own question on this subject. Which is now open for debate.
P.S. I'm not trying to make anyone look bad, I just want to understand why you would be so mentally cruel to your dog?
2007-02-03 04:30:42 · 19 answers · asked by Beano 4 in Pets ➔ Dogs
What I mean by spoiling is when a person comes to visit and the dog jumps up on the person the owner says something like "Ahh isn't that cute, he wants to say hi." I love dogs but the last thing I want is a dog jumping on me. Or if I hug a friend and the dog starts growling because the friend has become the dogs property, read the other person's question and see for yourself how some people take the "animal" out of their pet and treat the dog like a child.
2007-02-03 04:43:00 · update #1
By spoiling your dog "giving in to everything the dog wants." you are not setting boundries, rules and limitations. Therefore when something happens when your dog needs to behave and he/she ignores your command then goes off on a "tantrum" how healthy is that? I think a dog that has guidence is ten times happier then a dog that runs the (household) Don't get me wrong my dogs get treats and toys. But I don't give them the toys/treats to make them happy, I give these things because of how respectful they are.
2007-02-03 05:08:19 · update #2
I agree that it is wrong to spoil my dogs. Dogs need to understand their position within the family. Some people think spoiling their dog is okay, but the dog considers the spoiling they do as weakness, which is the reason so many pet animals have behavioral issues. The worst part is that if you try to tell these people what they are doing wrong you become the jerk that doesn't care about your dogs.
So I am a dog lover but I do not spoil my dogs, so by some people's standards I am a jerk.
2007-02-03 04:49:16 · answer #1 · answered by Shepherdgirl § 7 · 3⤊ 3⤋
It really depends how your spoiling. If you spoil by giving into what ever your dog wants when s/he wants it then you now created a leader of a pack and it's not you. If you mean when you go out you bring home toys and spend lots of time on walks then that's great. To many treats is no good for your dogs health either is people food, this makes your dog happy sure but you are making an unhealthy dog. Loving your dog and spoiling are 2 different things.
2007-02-03 04:39:44 · answer #2 · answered by dpinscsher 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I understand and agree with what you are saying. I admit I at times spoil my dogs but they must ALWAYS be obedient and behave, if they are not then it changes. Both dogs know and follow the rules and are very obedient. I do treat both dogs differently only because the one can be dominant if he gets too much headway. But they do not get anything for doing nothing. Every treat they get has to be for some act or following a command. But I love my dogs and will do anything for them.
2007-02-03 08:08:01 · answer #3 · answered by TritanBear 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is not a good subject to ge into on this web site. Most people here consider their dogs are the be all and end all on this universe. After having dogs for the better part of the last 27 years, I can tell you that I respect my dogs, all of them for their abilities and their talents and yes, I do love them, but, I NEVER forget the fact that they are dogs, not humans, and need and deserve to be treated as dogs. They are taught their place in the pack and they know exactly where they belong. That means they are not allowed on furniture or beds and they are never allowed any human privaleges. They do not get treats and they do not run the house. They do get the best dog food and they go to the vet when required to. They get to go to work every day and they get to train every day. They are not sitting around the house destroying things because they all have a crate that they regularly use. They respect me and love me as a fair leader who will not correct for something that they do not know how to do, but, will give a physical correction for any disobedience. They are happy because they know when the hammer will fall and for what reason. Their happiness shows by their attitude when we work or just hang out. They are not confused by my actions changing or not fitting in with their pack mentality. Now watch how many thumbs down I get for my answer.
PS by the way, shepherd girl nailed it right on the head and look at the thumbs down she is working on.
2007-02-03 06:10:04 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
I love my dog very much and I do try to buy her new toys every so often and I take her in the car with me when I run to the post office but I wouldn't think that is 'spoiling' her. I don't think I could afford to spoil her and if I could...I wouldn't!
2007-02-03 04:43:35 · answer #5 · answered by hunnybunny0324 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think spoiling dogs to the point is ok as long as your dog knows that you are the pack leader.
My puppy sleeps with me in my bed every night and I plan to continue to let him sleep in my bed. it's good thing that he won't get bigger than 10 lbs. I give him treats through out the day if he listens to me and does "sit" and "down" correctly. But I make sure I give him only one piece of treat at a time.
Well I've been to petsmart twice since last weekend and I spent total of about $160. I think that pretty much says that I am spoiling him. I spent more money on him than I spent on myself for 2 weeks.
Me and my bf loves to go out and visit different places. Our favorite spots are San Diego, Las vegas, LA, Long Beach...etc. I already went online and wrote down lists of dog parks, dog beaches and dog friednly restaurants and hotels near by those areas so that we can bring him along.
But I also set some ground rules. I always walk ahead of him, I displine him if he barks, cries, or nips. I basically ignore him for awhile. I want my puppy to feel that he can trust me and love me but that he still has to respect me and consider me as a pack leader
2007-02-03 04:41:54 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
You really should define what it means to spoil a dog. Is allowing him to sit on the couch spoiling him? If so then I dont really see why youre making such a big deal about it. If youre talking about pushing the dog around in a baby carriage, well then I agree that youre spoiling it, but I still cant see how its "mentally cruel".
2007-02-03 04:35:04 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
My sister and I spoil our dogs in different ways. She treats her dogs like babies. i treat mine like best friends who look to me for direction/care. I think the spoiling she does is selfish and for her own gratification. She doesnt do the work that comes w/a dog (regular exercise, mental stimulation, training) Consequently one ran out and got hit by a car (hes ok) the 7y old Besenji is really slowing down, overweight, anxious and antisocial. She never takes them anywhere, plays any challenging games or trains. They are a headache to dog sit bec they bark at EVERYTHING, pull on leash and have bad habits. My GSD was is so well behaved i can leave the gate open, my 3yr old neice can walk him. I walk him daily, run with him, ride my bike with him running along side, we go hiking, to the dog park. He plays challenging games and learns new tricks. I tried to get her to ride with them (i taught them) but she decided it was too hard. in my opinion this was really selfish as her dogs LOVE it.
2016-02-25 05:53:34 · answer #8 · answered by isabel 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is definitely wrong to spoil your dog. By all means love your dog and play with your dog. But there is a big difference between spoiling and loving. If you love your dog it will be happy. But if you spoil your dog, he will think that you are like his servant. He will always be expecting you to give him what he wants when he wants it. Which is not good. Spoiling your dog can give him a sense of power. With that sense of power, he then thinks dominant over you. That is very bad. Because the owner is always dominant over the dog. Anyway, hope this anwser helps!
2007-02-03 04:48:30 · answer #9 · answered by rabbitroy45 1 · 1⤊ 3⤋
why is spoiling your dog mentally cruel ? you need to explain what you feel spoiling is for me to answer the question. do you mean things like overfeeding on treats and left overs etc
2007-02-03 04:40:24 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋