Do you seriously spoil your dog?

Hi everyone,

I hope nobody minds me posting here! My name is Lara and I'm a studying journalist at Southampton Solent University. At the moment, I'm writing a feature to put in my assessment portfolio on owners who spoil their dogs/treat them like children.

I was just wondering if there were any owners on here who spend a lot of money on clothes, pamper days, parties etc for their dogs. If so, would you be willing to talk to me?

Thank you!
Lara

 

Depends what you view as "spoiling" my dogs would argue that being dressed up & pamper days would be hell, now a huge field to run around with each other & nice food, lots of fuss is more their idea of being spoilt

 

Well, we spend lots on coats and jumpers but that's because we have the wimpiest whippet known to man who needs enough garments to layer up suitably in winter. We'd never get him out of the house as soon as it starts dropping cold otherwise

 

If I tried to inflict ''pamper days'', dressing up, make up, parties etc on my dogs they'd wonder what on earth they'd done to deserve such things, they'd hate every second of it My dogs are spoilt in a more species appropriate way - they get good food, decent walks, are allowed to romp around in the mud, and get plenty of love and fuss.

My dogs aren't treated like kids. I love my dogs, but no where near as much as I love my children... although that said, my kids were never treated to very expensive clothes or ''pamper days'' either!!!

 

But if you want people who do do this sort of thing try the chihuahua/toy breed forums or facebook pages as although the majority of them are good you do find the occasional one who goes OTT

 

Not sure I would class that as spoiling either as Nataliee has said. I would think 'spoiling' your dog would be being able to afford the best kind of beds, harnesses, rain coats, high brand food etc. that sadly a majority of owners do not fork out for.

 

Hi Lara,

My daughter is also at Southampton Solent studying advertising so I know how important it is to gain information for your studies

I have to confess, my husband and I do treat our dog a bit like a child, we know he is a dog but he is a little spoilt:blush2:

I call myself mum lol and he sleeps in our room on his own duvet on the floor.

We proberbly dont go ott like some owners though, Dexter is too big to dress up for a start lol and we certainly wouldnt spend money on a party for him:smile5:

 

It sounds like you`re making a Channel 4 programme tbh. Finding sad people who dress their ickle doggies up for others to laugh at?
I trust you`re not - so what is the aim of this study?

 

Whilst both of my dogs are treated as dogs when I buy raincoats/jumpers for my yorkie I do buy 'boutique' ones and she has a selection. I don't have pamper days, but they both have a personalised cake and presents on their birthday and presents in a stocking for christmas. They don't have special beds as they sleep on mine.

 

My dog is spoilt rotten; he gets the best diet, healthcare, general lifestyle and exercise that I can give him.

Pamper days and dressing up would be his idea of hell.

 

My little yorkie wears a coat/jumper as she shivers in the cold or if she is wet!

 

Bess wears a second hand collar at the moment as she's still growing and she has hand me down leads.

But I spend an awful lot of money on trying to get the best quality food for her, and invest a lot of time taking her for walks.

 

I don't class that as seriously spoiling a dog

If that's what most see as spoiling I feel sorry for their poor dogs

 

define spoiling...

I give my dogs the best food I can including fresh meat veg and fruit. They have day beds and night beds I carry Oscar (BC) upstairs every night because he cannot manage the stairs and I wont leave him alone..They have summer and winter blankets. Their own towels for in the car and bathtime and coats for the cold wet weather.

My dogs get good regular vet care and checkups , they are off lead daily and enjoy good doggy walks..ie off lead in mud , field , forest ,lake where they can sniff , track dig and snuffle around to their hearts content.

Many people have said when they die they would like to come back as one of my dogs because its the best life possible..

I'll take that as a compliment

 

Hi,

Reading back I know I didn't word my post in the best way. My real aim is to focus more on the psychology behind people who honestly treat their animals as children for whatever reason. So those who anthropomorphize- ascribe human characteristics to their dogs, usually because they don't already have children of their own, or it helps them make sense of the world around them.

I need to get case studies to support this though, which is why I asked for people who do the things I listed. Hope that clears things up for you

For everyone else who has posted so far, thank you for being very helpful and friendly! I'll definitely go over to the chihuahua/toy breed forums.

Lara

 

Hi op
I don't think you will find many on here who dress thier dogs up and have a full wardrobe for them with shoes and an outfit for every occassion.

what you will find is people who have a collar addiction, feed their dogs the best they can afford, walk thier dogs daily according to thier excersize requirements, who make sure thier dogs are healthy and well and recieve any vet treaments needed, who try thier best to have well trained friendly dogs. that is probably more the idea of "spoiling" people have here.

I do occasionally pop an old pj top on sophie honestly because she loves it, she's weird like that but many dogs don't, she sleeps on my bed, she's fed well, every time I go out I always bring her something back wether it's a treat a toy or both. she gets lots of cuddles and play time. She will also be getting a large stocking full of prezzies this christmas. so yes she is spoiled in a way but she doesn't have any outfits or anything she can't eat/play with/ enjoy herself. she isn't ever going to have a birthday party or be an accessory though. she's my little baby and I adore her but she is also a dog and is allowed to have a good roll in something minging if she realises it means a bath.

 

I'm not sure how much dressing a dog up or having parties for it means that your see your dog as a surrogate child, although I'm no psych major though. I personally am child free and have no wish for human children, but I'll always have a little 'furbaby' around the house so in a way my dog is probably my substitute. But then even if I did have a human child I wouldn't spoil it...

 

So after reading all of your posts & taking a different stance on this. Do you think what I defined as spoiled to begin with has become a misrepresentation to many of what the word really means to dog owners because of TV programs & articles?

I'll be honest and say I have grown up with a lovely Jack Russell in my family for the past 14 years & we do many of the same things for him that a lot of you do for your own dogs. But I've never thought of that as spoiling him. After seeing ITV2 shows on toy dog owners for example, spoilt to me has become things like the pamper days & doggy outfits.

 

A dog needs a good diet, shelter, medical care, training, love, exercise etc. I do not like people who treats dogs like children, IMO that is when you start to get alot of behavioural issues in dogs, because they are not being able to act like dogs.

Dogs are dogs, and will never be children, they should be treated like dogs end of.

 

To me, seeing lots of dogs where I live who never leave their gardens on a walk, have the same plod every day or are given awful food and are overweight etc etc I do think that going out of my way to provide the best that I can is spoiling - in a good way. It is according to lots of people who laugh and tell me how spoilt he is - it is in a way because does he need a beach or mountain walk? No; but I still take him.

I don't have children but really hate it when people assume the dog is a child substitute - it can be hurtful sometimes and is simply not true. He is a dog - a dog who I love so much I can't explain; but a dog nonetheless. The term 'furbaby' turns my stomach.