How Spoilt Are Your Dogs?

[OSoSwift]

My childhood dog ate what we did, slept on my bed or the mattress with the sheepskin right next to the tile fire, came on holidays etcetc, so my dogs probably live similar lives - except I don't feed them our food.

I don't think them spoilt just kept in the manner to which they are accustomed :)

Edited October 14, 2014 by OSoSwift

[Trisven13]

Not spoilt, they sleep inside (in crates), they get decent food, clean water, vet care when needed etc.

I'm not one to baby them, and talk like an idiot to them.

Yep mine too..... and when I had a recent discussion with my 9 year old daughter about what happens when you die she was convinced that reincarnation was the answer. When I asked her what she would come back as she said "a show dog, like ours"...... she obviously thinks they have it better than her :laugh:

[Salukifan]

To me "spoilt" isn't about dogs leading a good life but leading one with no boundaries.

My dogs have the run of the house, sleep on the bed (if they choose to) get monthly chiropractic and bowen therapy, go to the vets when they need to and a eat good quality diet. They have a lot of toys, get regular treats, go on holidays with me and have numerous coats and collars. To me that's just good husbandry.

Do I expect and insist on certain standards of behaviour from them? Absolutely.

So no I don't think they are "spoilt".

[huski]

To me "spoilt" isn't about dogs leading a good life but leading one with no boundaries.

My dogs have the run of the house, sleep on the bed (if they choose to) get monthly chiropractic and bowen therapy, go to the vets when they need to and a eat good quality diet. They have a lot of toys, get regular treats, go on holidays with me and have numerous coats and collars. To me that's just good husbandry.

Do I expect and insist on certain standards of behaviour from them? Absolutely.

So no I don't think they are "spoilt".

I agree HW, spoilt to me isn't a good thing at all.

[dotdashdot]

I guess, for me, I would rather see a spoilt dog (not left to run rampant, just given the best possible life) as I am sick of customers/people who refuse to spend money on their animals. We are the poor mans vet, so many customers walk out of our doors disappointed (and sometimes angry at us) that we don't have a magic pill and we recommend the vets.

I was often referred to as a spoilt child, being 8 years behind my siblings and pretty much an only child once they left home. Did I grow up without boundaries? No, quite the opposite. I was just given the best my parents could afford, which was a lot more once the number of children went from 5 to 1 (I was also the only child to not try drugs, or get drunk. I was the boring child)

[huski]

I think the way many people have used the word spoilt in this thread is just different to what it means to me. To me a spoilt dog is a dog that is over indulged and gets what it wants all the time without rules or boundaries.

My life revolves around my dogs, I spend almost every spare cent I have on them. Majority of my time is spent caring for them, training them, taking them out etc. But they aren't spoilt - they don't get much if anything for free and work hard to earn what they want.

[Dory the Doted One]

Jeez, I just took it to be a fun thread.

But I do talk to them like an idiot (and somtimes I even sing). And I don't care what anyone else thinks.

[VizslaMomma]

But I do talk to them like an idiot (and somtimes I even sing). And I don't care what anyone else thinks.

I did a great imitation of that last night.

Horrible Herbert was brave/bold/needy enough to be out in the thunder & rain that hit The Hawkesbury.

He decided to do zoomies rather late (Which he really enjoyed too). I was out there with him playing too.

:D

[Jemmy]

A lot of people I know would define my dog as spoilt. She doesn't get away with anything and has her boundaries, so not in that definition. But I do spend more time making her breakfast than I do my own, assembling various bits of her food in different treat devices for when I go to work. I made her beds myself, and probably buy her far too many toys. But I love her, and she loves me, and she deserves to be well cared for. She would be perfectly happy with less, but I can give her more, so I do.

[Rosetta]

Its subjective isn't it? To a lot of people giving a dog a bed to sleep on and taking it for a walk is "spoiling". These are the people in the "its only a dog" category. I remember reading a column by a female journalist - Kate something... - a few weeks ago where she scoffed at a friend's suggestion that she get a ramp to assist her old arthritic dog to get into the back of her station wagon. She is one of the "its only a dog" people. I think it tells you a lot about people when they have such little compassion for an animal that they think doing something simple like that is an indulgence

[leec]

My dogs have boundaries, and rarely challenge them, so in that respect not spoilt.

BUT, I have just spent thousands of dollars on a new 'enrichment garden' (otherwise known as a yard) for the rescue boy who can climb our gates !! I don't mind though, I know he is safe. They also get whatever they need food wise or medically, again the rescue boy has skin allergies! They sleep where they like - their beds, our beds, the couch. They come with us in the car for drives and we spend as much time with them as possible. Oh yeah, they also have their own hydrotherapy pool - that's the dam :laugh:

[Yonjuro]

I think that there are many people (obviously not on this forum) that consider anything above feeding the cheapest food and sleeping outside is spoiling your dog. By these standards my dog is spoilt as he gets the best food and healthcare, walks every day, heaps of toys, nice bedding, sleeps inside, personal training and health insurance. Most of us here would consider this to be pretty normal animal husbandry. Outsiders will think he is "spoilt". :D

Our breeders says Ronin is very spoilt but it is meant in a positive way and refers to the care and enrichment we provide. She is thrilled at how we look after one of her babies, so I suppose it all boils down to how you interpret the word and its context.

I consider over feeding to the point of any obesity to be literally "spoiling your dog" to me in this context it means "ruining your dog" by giving into excessive treat giving, table scraps and larger than needed meals. I was talking to a lady today with such an obese lab it was frightening and it is only 12 months old. She seemed embarrassed and asked how I keep my dog so fit. I asked he what she feeds and she says "oh we just cook sup an extra meal of what we are eating, last night it was steak and chips" then she says "oh I know he is spoilt" Hmmm, damn right he is "spoilt' he can't even run. I told her what I feed as she asked, I didn't want to lecture her so just gave her a few small tips and mentioned that she will save a hell of a lot of money with vet bills if she can turn it around.

So again, I suppose it is all in the context - spoiling means different things to different people. When I saw this topic I took the word "spoilt" to be more of a light hearted word to talk about some of the unique things we do to make our dogs lives happier and fun :)

[brightstar123]

Agree with previous comments and I love to do the best for my dogs just as much as everyone else does.

However, sometimes when I'm travelling in the Middle East or Asia and I see sick, starving dogs and cats on the street, my slightly excessive tendencies (in terms of my own pets' care) don't sit as comfortably with me. Indeed, there are many starving children that would like to eat what my dogs have for dinner. Do my dogs really need a range of different collar and lead sets lol? Do they need to eat fresh salmon heads instead of tinned sardines? Or have a zillion different toys?! Sometimes I contemplate spending a bit less on my own pets and donating some of the saved money to reputable charities that care for these poor animals. I also often wonder what my dogs would say if I could ask them?! It's a tricky one as I believe all our pets deserve the best care we can provide ... and many people derive pleasure from providing top-notch care for their animals ...

PS. I know this is a light-hearted thread :) but it's also food for thought!