Are we spoiling our pets?
Are we spoiling our pets? Before you answer, you should know that I’m actually asking two different questions here.
Firstly, do we expect too much from our dogs and cats? In our quest to make them happier and more comfortable, are we stripping away their ‘animalness’ and trying to make them more human?
And secondly, are we pampering and coddling our cats and dogs to the point that they will come to expect the red-carpet treatment 24 hours a day? How much is too much?
I’d say in most cases a pet’s happiness is determined by the amount of attention it receives. Yet when I write about doggy facials, pet stress treatments, high-class pet hotels, pet fast food, doggy beer,and even testicular implants for dogs which have undergone ‘the snip’, I can’t help but think it may have all gone a bit too far. How do we know our canines and felines wouldn’t be just as happy chasing a ball, grubbing around in the dirt or stalking birds in the garden?
I’d like to stand on my high horse, but hey, I’m as guilty as the next person. It’s becoming a running joke among my friends how much my wife Lu and I spoil Keira, our German Shepherd puppy.
Two weeks ago Keira turned one, so we threw her a birthday party. That’s natural, right? Well, our intentions were good.
We packed a picnic lunch, collected a bunch of her favorite foods and treats in a bowl for her ‘birthday cake’ and were all set to spend the afternoon giving her new toys and singing happy birthday (geez that sounds lame in hindsight).
Of course, as soon as we got to the dog park, the last thing Keira wanted to do was sit around under a tree all afternoon when there were so many other dogs to sniff, balls to chase and adventures to be had on the other side of the next hill.
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“Today’s model of ideal pet ownership seems to be to give them as many mod-cons as we have - fast food, luxury accommodation, beer…. and it does them probably as much (or as little) good as it does us.”
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It was at that moment I realized that in our efforts to give Keira a great birthday party we had forgotten one thing - what would she want? Everything we had planned was basically for us, not for her. And heck, it’s not like she knew it was her birthday, anyway. Far better to let her do her doggy thing - she had much more fun, and we sat back happy that she was happy.
So are we spoiling our pets? I’d hate to think we were trying to ‘humanize’ our dog - it’s her funny canine attributes and instincts which we love so much - but yes, we were guilty.
This leads me to my second question - are we spoiling our pets? Like I said, today’s model of ideal pet ownership seems to be to give them as many mod-cons as we have - fast food, luxury accommodation, beer…. and it does them probably as much (or as little) good as it does us.
We’ve all seen people treat their pets like they would their children - and hey, there’s nothing wrong with that. But where should we draw the line? The bottom line is that these animals are our pets, and like children, they need to be taught some gentle lessons on discipline and respect. They rely on us to tell them the rules for the society they live in - they aren’t going to work it all out for themselves.
The results of neglecting to do this, of giving kids everything and anything they want can be seen on any city street - those annoyingly whiny brats with anger management issues who have no respect for their parents or anyone else, and who think they know best. Imagine those kids were stronger than you, could run faster than you, and had claws and jaws that would make a grizzly bear stop and reconsider.
Now that’s food for thought.
here’s what i think. humans -us- have been “humanizing” animals since the dawn of time, making them more suited to co-existing with us. i think you can call it “domesticating”, because that’s really what it is, isn’t it? nothing terribly wrong about that i suppose. i understand there are a LOT of pet-lovers out there who would only like to shower their pets with the kind of unconditional love their pets give them in the first place.
as a pet lover, yes, i suppose i may have been over-indulgent with my own dogs and cats- but if you really think about it, other than the brisk wagging of tails, or a soft purr- how do you really know what they want? and happiness for our pets boil down to just that- what makes them happy.
p.s. i think its sweet you and your wife threw a party for your dog. but it’s not as if you can invite other dogs over for a nice little romp and some cake, right? ‘A’ for effort!
Comment by Myri Adneair — June 6, 2007 @ 9:20 pm
Haha yes, I can say I’m guilty of spoiling my pets too. But remember we live in a country of choices. I like it that I can choose to check my doggie into a hotel if I want to, or choose to reward him with a nice pack of doggie treats to chew on.
I really think that when people shower their pets with so much love, it’s not just about giving the little buggers all the love they can give- more importantly, I think it’s for the owner’s own satisfaction just as much- they give them hotels, doggie beer, doggie ice cream, etc- because they CAN.
Where do I draw the line? If pampering your pet is more about what you want over what your animal companion wants, then I say it’s too much. So if you’re going to smother your animal with love- please make sure it’s something he wants.
Comment by Susie Lefler — June 6, 2007 @ 9:21 pm
1> Expectations depend on the owner I think. Jorja expects to have the occasional treat and lots of attention, and I expect my darlin’ to love me right back!
2> Well maybe we’re all guilty of coddling our little darlings. But so what, right? We love em so much!
Comment by Simon Dobson — June 12, 2007 @ 9:28 pm
Guilty as charged! i love my dogs so much that I spoil them. I buy them those cute little outfits, bring them to the groomer, etc.I think that spoiling your pet is ok - as long as there is a limit. Everything in excess is bad. The way I see it, if it makes you happy and you know its good for your pooch, then go for it!How do you know that it’s good for your pet? You should be smart enough and be the judge.
Comment by Jeanne Garrett — June 20, 2007 @ 9:29 pm
the truth is, there are a number of pet-owners out there who do take their love for their pets a little too seriously. our pets don’t really need to be spoiled (although, yes, i am guilty of that too)- they are after all, simple animals with rather simple pleasures.
in a way i feel bad because there are owners out there who lavishly shower their pets with so much, when so many other abandoned shelter animals need human love and affection.
Comment by Sheryl Glass — June 24, 2007 @ 9:29 pm
I suppose some people do expect too much from their pets. I love my doggies- but don’t expect me to dress them up in little tutu’s and parade them around with all sorts of faux jewelry. I would like to think that I know what they want- a lot of attention, some play time, a bowl of their favorite food, okay maybe even an occasional bowl of ice cream (guilty as charged!). So yeah maybe I am spoiling my pets a little- but does it really matter?
Comment by Sofia Blackbern — July 10, 2007 @ 9:30 pm
LOL! now i can totally relate to that because i also threw a birthday party for my balinese lucy on her birthday and it was just me and her on the party. it is silly when you think about it but its love.. and you know love, its kinda hard to explain. lol! but really, lucy is all i’ve got sinc e i moved out so i love that cat. and unfortunately for me she knows it. lol!
Comment by Samantha Hubbard — July 11, 2007 @ 9:30 pm
its ok samantha.. as long as we pet lovers dont hurt othr people in the process of loving our pets, then there’s no prblem.
Comment by Edith Pope — July 13, 2007 @ 9:30 pm
Once I was out at a park and saw a black Labrador that was so fat, it waddled and gasped for air as it walked and had to be lifted into the car. I see so many overweight dogs, it makes me very sad. I’m already determined not to allow my eventual dog to become that way.
I am very much in Cesar Millan’s camp on this topic. People need to function as their dog’s alpha wolf before they are the dog’s friend. That means no giving the dog a slice of pizza no matter how much he begs. Walk the dog before feeding them and finally give them affection as a reward for walking quietly at your side and being calm and submissive when given food.
Doing these things will save us all a lot of grief.
Comment by Elatia Grimshaw — September 15, 2007 @ 9:31 pm
A pet may be all a person has. I am a groomer and see this all the time. A little old lady lives alone except for her aging small dog that she calls her companion. She brings her pet to me on the same day she has her hair done. I wash and trim and make the little doggie smell nice. The elderly women returns after have her day out and picks up her pooch, buys a treat, rebooks the next appointment and away they go. Another person comes, this time it’s little Miss Bridgette and she gets the works. The best spa shampoo, the best cologne, a pretty flower bow and a very fancy hair style. She too, returns every 4 weeks for this treatment. Yet another, buys only the best food and treats from me at Pipschoice.com, a name given to my site after my own spoiled standard poodle Pippin. Why do all this for a dog you may ask? And I say, we love them and they make us feel good so why not! For more spoiling go check out www.spottsgrooming.com
Comment by Susan — October 8, 2007 @ 9:32 pm
I think people are going way too far with the whole spoiling their pets thing. For example, the 12 million dollars Leona Helmsley left to her dog. He doesn’t need that to be happy. It would be put to much better use if donated to charity.
Comment by Hannah Dick — October 14, 2007 @ 9:32 pm