Wait, a dog trainer writing a narrative on how to spoil your dog, what is wrong with this picture?! I assure you I have not gone crazy, I just want owners to know I spoil my dogs as much as the next person. I just make sure I spoil them in the ways I want them spoiled, not in the ways THEY want to be spoiled. So I decided to write this week about how to successfully spoil your furry friend!
Over and over again I sit down with dog owners and talk to them about how they have changed their lives to suit their dogs when it should be the other way around. I even once heard a story about a married couple who slept on separate levels of their home because their dogs couldn't get along and HAD to sleep in bed with one of them! This, my friends, is an example of how NOT to spoil your dog. Many times when I get a call about a dog with behavioral issues my first step is to schedule an assessment where I ask a few questions about the dog's daily routine. Many owners sheepishly admit that their dog sleeps with them, convinced I am going to roll up a newspaper and swat them with it (the owner not the dog!) for allowing that type of behavior. They seem surprised when I tell them that my dogs sleep with me also, each taking a turn on the bed. The difference between my version of spoiling and the above mentioned version is that my dogs have earned the privilege of sleeping in bed with me by proving that they can sleep in a crate if need be. In short, my dogs sleep with me because they CAN spend the night in the crate, not because they WON'T sleep in a crate. There is nothing wrong with expecting them to earn that perk, instead of demanding it.
I also heard many times while working at a local pet supply store of people cooking hamburger and rice because their dog refused to eat dog food. While this is acceptable as a temporary solution to a dog that is ailing or recovering from serious surgery, you should not HAVE to cook for your dog! Let me be perfectly clear here, if your belief is that processed, commercial dog food is not healthy for your dog and you WANT to be your dog's chef, more power to you. However, most of the owners I spoke to about cooking for their dogs did it unwillingly and even begrudgingly convinced it was the only way their dog would eat and if they didn't their dog would starve to death! It always begins when the dog isn't hungry for a few days so you start to worry and give them something special to get them to eat. It could be something as little as milk on their dog food or canned food that you got free when you purchased the dry food (you know why they make those coupons, right? To get your dog addicted to the gravy and hook your wallet for the life span of your pet!). Your dog thoroughly enjoys his treat and you believe all is well. Unfortunately you find that he is no longer eating his food unless you "give it the special treatment" and much to your dismay, he eventually refuses to eat the canned food either! So you go out and find him even better, more expensive dog food. He eats it for a few days then turns up his nose yet again. Pretty soon, you realize that you are standing in YOUR kitchen using YOUR pots and pans to cook for YOUR dog. It's really not surprising they develop such rich taste. Imagine you sat down at my table and I put a bologna sandwich in front of you, bologna isn't your favorite food so you decide to wait til dinner. When you don't eat the bologna sandwich, I put in front of you, a fancy sub sandwich with roast beef, pepper jack cheese, and your favorite fixin's on it. You may eat it for a few days then decide to hold out for what could be better than that sandwich. So I cook up some steak for you, once you are tired of that, I decide to splurge on Filet Mignon. By this time, you are turning down perfectly good food just to see what I will offer you next! The difficulty with this is, what do I do when there is no better food to offer you? Depending on who you are, Filet Mignon is supposed to be one of the best foods in the world so where do I go from there? Back to the bologna sandwich. Now I am in no way saying that my dogs do not get treats and special meals here and there. As a matter of fact I am here to admit that. I feed my dogs human food sometimes (although I keep it to a minimum for their health and make sure it is good nutritious food for them, not junk. Think pieces of steak, not pop tarts!). But I feed my dog special treats because I want to, not because they refuse to eat their own food. This is another example of how to spoil your dog the right way.
Another area that owners assume I frown upon is whether you allow your dog up on your furniture or not. I guess people imagine my dogs to be perfect robots that only speak when spoken to and lay aside unless asked to join the party. That couldn't be farther from the truth, if that is what you want, you need a cat not a dog! I allow my dogs up on the furniture but there are some rules that apply.
1. If you want to sit with me, you must ask before jumping into my lap (they ask by sitting
politely in front of me).
2.If you want to sit in a chair and there is something in it (laundry for example), you must ask
me to move it (once again, by sitting politely in front of the chair). If I don't move it, you
cannot sit there right now.
3. If you are in a chair and I want to sit in it you will get up and allow me to have the chair
without protest.
4.You may not "claim" a chair. Since I have more than one dog, it is important that they do not
claim a chair as theirs and refuse to let any of the other dogs sit in it. It is equal opportunity
seating at my house.
Many trainers discourage playing Tug of War with your dog, however it can be another area that you can treat your dog to something they enjoy doing, as long as it is on your terms. The key to Tug of War being on your terms is to have a reliable "Drop it" command. My corgi's favorite game is Tug of War, I prefer to throw the ball and let her fetch it. I could just force her to play the game I like best, but I choose to spoil her in a way by allowing her to play the game she wants to play. I throw the toy, she retrieves it, we play tug for a minute, I ask her to drop it, she does, I throw it again and the game starts all over. While this may not seem like major spoiling behavior. It is an area that I see a lot of owners allowing the dog to dictate how they get to be spoiled. For instance, if I did not have a reliable drop it, I would be forced to play tug until she got tired of it or by some miracle I could get it stolen away from her long enough to throw it again. Continuing on with the idea of stealing the toy, let's say I got pretty good at stealing it from her, the only thing that would accomplish is she wouldn't want to bring it back to me. Ending our play time all together. I talk to many dog owners who say "They don't really play with me they just want the toy all to themselves which is usually an evolution of the scenario I just explained. The other possibility is that they decide to start picking up random items (like your socks!) and refuse to give them up, creating their own version of tug. These are both examples of spoiling your dog in a way THEY demand, not in the ways you enjoy spoiling them.
Another gray area in the topic of dog spoiling is teaching them behaviors that are not universally acceptable. For instance, shake, beg, speak, and jumping up on you are all four behaviors that you may not want them to do whenever they feel like it. However, if you teach them to do these behaviors on command, it allows them to "get away" with these impulses when you want them to. However, I will warn that this can turn into shaky ground if not handled the right way. I have had more than one client who taught their dog to bark on command and then decided that might not have been the best idea when their dog began offering it without being asked. Shake is another example of a behavior that can be unwanted if not requested. Some clients have expressed a concern after teaching their dog shake that the dog paws at everyone who greets him. Teaching them these behaviors also includes teaching them WHEN to exhibit these behaviors. My Brother in law has a dog who he has taught to dig on command. When they take "Todd" down to the river it is so cute to see him dig in the water when he is told to do so but obviously this is not a behavior they want Todd to exhibit in their backyard! My dogs are allowed to put their front feet up on me, but ONLY when I ask them to. Sometimes I prefer this method of greeting for my corgi because she is so short. The key is that she is only allowed to do it if I have asked her to. If they have a behavior that you find charming, yet not universally acceptable, spoil them by putting a command to the word. This allows you to tell them when their cute quirks are appropriate and appreciated.
The final area that I think is possibly the BEST way to spoil your dog is to take them with you wherever you go, whenever possible. Just like the examples above, there is a good way to do this and a bad way to do it. You want to make sure you are taking your dog because it is enjoyable for you to have them along and not because they demand to go with, destroying everything in sight if left at home. This is where training is key. You see, when it all boils down, training is simply learning how to communicate to your dog: what is expected of him, what is NOT appreciated of him, what consequences (good or bad) come with the choices he makes. Time spent with your dog should be a combined measurement of quality and quantity. It doesn't matter if you spend 24 hours a day with your dog if they are allowed to walk all over you the entire time. As a matter of fact, that can be worse than spending less time with them because you are spending that time teaching them how to disrespect you. On the other hand, it doesn't matter if you are the most talented trainer in the world, spending 10 minutes a day of quality time with your dog simply isn't enough. So the more Quantity of Quality time spent, the better for you and your dog. In short, don't just take them everywhere, teach them how to behave appropriately everywhere you go. That is the correct way to spoil your dog.
Now get out there and spoil your dogs the right way!
Over and over again I sit down with dog owners and talk to them about how they have changed their lives to suit their dogs when it should be the other way around. I even once heard a story about a married couple who slept on separate levels of their home because their dogs couldn't get along and HAD to sleep in bed with one of them! This, my friends, is an example of how NOT to spoil your dog. Many times when I get a call about a dog with behavioral issues my first step is to schedule an assessment where I ask a few questions about the dog's daily routine. Many owners sheepishly admit that their dog sleeps with them, convinced I am going to roll up a newspaper and swat them with it (the owner not the dog!) for allowing that type of behavior. They seem surprised when I tell them that my dogs sleep with me also, each taking a turn on the bed. The difference between my version of spoiling and the above mentioned version is that my dogs have earned the privilege of sleeping in bed with me by proving that they can sleep in a crate if need be. In short, my dogs sleep with me because they CAN spend the night in the crate, not because they WON'T sleep in a crate. There is nothing wrong with expecting them to earn that perk, instead of demanding it.
I also heard many times while working at a local pet supply store of people cooking hamburger and rice because their dog refused to eat dog food. While this is acceptable as a temporary solution to a dog that is ailing or recovering from serious surgery, you should not HAVE to cook for your dog! Let me be perfectly clear here, if your belief is that processed, commercial dog food is not healthy for your dog and you WANT to be your dog's chef, more power to you. However, most of the owners I spoke to about cooking for their dogs did it unwillingly and even begrudgingly convinced it was the only way their dog would eat and if they didn't their dog would starve to death! It always begins when the dog isn't hungry for a few days so you start to worry and give them something special to get them to eat. It could be something as little as milk on their dog food or canned food that you got free when you purchased the dry food (you know why they make those coupons, right? To get your dog addicted to the gravy and hook your wallet for the life span of your pet!). Your dog thoroughly enjoys his treat and you believe all is well. Unfortunately you find that he is no longer eating his food unless you "give it the special treatment" and much to your dismay, he eventually refuses to eat the canned food either! So you go out and find him even better, more expensive dog food. He eats it for a few days then turns up his nose yet again. Pretty soon, you realize that you are standing in YOUR kitchen using YOUR pots and pans to cook for YOUR dog. It's really not surprising they develop such rich taste. Imagine you sat down at my table and I put a bologna sandwich in front of you, bologna isn't your favorite food so you decide to wait til dinner. When you don't eat the bologna sandwich, I put in front of you, a fancy sub sandwich with roast beef, pepper jack cheese, and your favorite fixin's on it. You may eat it for a few days then decide to hold out for what could be better than that sandwich. So I cook up some steak for you, once you are tired of that, I decide to splurge on Filet Mignon. By this time, you are turning down perfectly good food just to see what I will offer you next! The difficulty with this is, what do I do when there is no better food to offer you? Depending on who you are, Filet Mignon is supposed to be one of the best foods in the world so where do I go from there? Back to the bologna sandwich. Now I am in no way saying that my dogs do not get treats and special meals here and there. As a matter of fact I am here to admit that. I feed my dogs human food sometimes (although I keep it to a minimum for their health and make sure it is good nutritious food for them, not junk. Think pieces of steak, not pop tarts!). But I feed my dog special treats because I want to, not because they refuse to eat their own food. This is another example of how to spoil your dog the right way.
Another area that owners assume I frown upon is whether you allow your dog up on your furniture or not. I guess people imagine my dogs to be perfect robots that only speak when spoken to and lay aside unless asked to join the party. That couldn't be farther from the truth, if that is what you want, you need a cat not a dog! I allow my dogs up on the furniture but there are some rules that apply.
1. If you want to sit with me, you must ask before jumping into my lap (they ask by sitting
politely in front of me).
2.If you want to sit in a chair and there is something in it (laundry for example), you must ask
me to move it (once again, by sitting politely in front of the chair). If I don't move it, you
cannot sit there right now.
3. If you are in a chair and I want to sit in it you will get up and allow me to have the chair
without protest.
4.You may not "claim" a chair. Since I have more than one dog, it is important that they do not
claim a chair as theirs and refuse to let any of the other dogs sit in it. It is equal opportunity
seating at my house.
Many trainers discourage playing Tug of War with your dog, however it can be another area that you can treat your dog to something they enjoy doing, as long as it is on your terms. The key to Tug of War being on your terms is to have a reliable "Drop it" command. My corgi's favorite game is Tug of War, I prefer to throw the ball and let her fetch it. I could just force her to play the game I like best, but I choose to spoil her in a way by allowing her to play the game she wants to play. I throw the toy, she retrieves it, we play tug for a minute, I ask her to drop it, she does, I throw it again and the game starts all over. While this may not seem like major spoiling behavior. It is an area that I see a lot of owners allowing the dog to dictate how they get to be spoiled. For instance, if I did not have a reliable drop it, I would be forced to play tug until she got tired of it or by some miracle I could get it stolen away from her long enough to throw it again. Continuing on with the idea of stealing the toy, let's say I got pretty good at stealing it from her, the only thing that would accomplish is she wouldn't want to bring it back to me. Ending our play time all together. I talk to many dog owners who say "They don't really play with me they just want the toy all to themselves which is usually an evolution of the scenario I just explained. The other possibility is that they decide to start picking up random items (like your socks!) and refuse to give them up, creating their own version of tug. These are both examples of spoiling your dog in a way THEY demand, not in the ways you enjoy spoiling them.
Another gray area in the topic of dog spoiling is teaching them behaviors that are not universally acceptable. For instance, shake, beg, speak, and jumping up on you are all four behaviors that you may not want them to do whenever they feel like it. However, if you teach them to do these behaviors on command, it allows them to "get away" with these impulses when you want them to. However, I will warn that this can turn into shaky ground if not handled the right way. I have had more than one client who taught their dog to bark on command and then decided that might not have been the best idea when their dog began offering it without being asked. Shake is another example of a behavior that can be unwanted if not requested. Some clients have expressed a concern after teaching their dog shake that the dog paws at everyone who greets him. Teaching them these behaviors also includes teaching them WHEN to exhibit these behaviors. My Brother in law has a dog who he has taught to dig on command. When they take "Todd" down to the river it is so cute to see him dig in the water when he is told to do so but obviously this is not a behavior they want Todd to exhibit in their backyard! My dogs are allowed to put their front feet up on me, but ONLY when I ask them to. Sometimes I prefer this method of greeting for my corgi because she is so short. The key is that she is only allowed to do it if I have asked her to. If they have a behavior that you find charming, yet not universally acceptable, spoil them by putting a command to the word. This allows you to tell them when their cute quirks are appropriate and appreciated.
The final area that I think is possibly the BEST way to spoil your dog is to take them with you wherever you go, whenever possible. Just like the examples above, there is a good way to do this and a bad way to do it. You want to make sure you are taking your dog because it is enjoyable for you to have them along and not because they demand to go with, destroying everything in sight if left at home. This is where training is key. You see, when it all boils down, training is simply learning how to communicate to your dog: what is expected of him, what is NOT appreciated of him, what consequences (good or bad) come with the choices he makes. Time spent with your dog should be a combined measurement of quality and quantity. It doesn't matter if you spend 24 hours a day with your dog if they are allowed to walk all over you the entire time. As a matter of fact, that can be worse than spending less time with them because you are spending that time teaching them how to disrespect you. On the other hand, it doesn't matter if you are the most talented trainer in the world, spending 10 minutes a day of quality time with your dog simply isn't enough. So the more Quantity of Quality time spent, the better for you and your dog. In short, don't just take them everywhere, teach them how to behave appropriately everywhere you go. That is the correct way to spoil your dog.
Now get out there and spoil your dogs the right way!
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