It's a dog, not a small furry infant
Fussing over your dog is doing more harm than good
By Trent Edwards, Canwest News Service, March 30th 2009
A dog receives a massage at the Chateau Poochie, the luxury hotel for dogs and cats in Pompano Beach, Fla.
Photograph by: Herald Archive, AFP-Getty Images, Calgary Herald
Man's best friend is getting treated more like a pampered person than a dog these days.
Sweaters and bows for every occasion, diamond-studded collars and designer leashes. A visit to the doggie spa for a pedicure, then off to the doggie hair salon for the latest coiffure.
Most major cities have a place where your dog can get a massage after a stressful day of marking backyard territory and brown-nosing. (OK, they actually like that last part.) There are even luxury hotels for dogs, such as the Chateau Poochie in Florida, where Fido can try some yoga or holistic therapy healing, and get their haunches realigned by a chiropractor before hitting the social lounge.
Sounds great, right? Only thing is, this kind of posh treatment can spoil and confuse your dog.
Many dogs actually hate being treated like a person. And even if your dog soaks up being babied like Angelina Jolie soaks up lipstick, as a responsible owner you need to focus on providing your pawed pal with consistent guidance and no-frills care that keeps your dog well-behaved and healthy. It's time for guys to step up for our ever-loyal friends and put a stop to all this pooch pampering.
To give you an idea where Calgary dog-owners are headed, I found out during a recent trip to Tokyo that Japan is the global capital for treating dogs like people.
My hosts explained that many childless Japanese couples fill the family void by raising a dog as they would a baby. Not only do dog owners dress up their furry friends, some even put their pup in diapers.
In downtown Tokyo, I saw a couple walking their dog. Except the cute little thing with show-dog hair and a pink bow wasn't walking-- it was in a stroller. When I ran over to take their picture, the wife posed beside her pet. Behind me, her husband made big smiley faces and cooed at his dog so she would look up for the family portrait.
In Japan, formal wedding ceremonies for dogs --where the "bride"wears a gown, the "groom"wears a tux and doggie friends and their human families gather solemnly in front of a minister--have become popular.
Sure, Japan is on the extreme end of pooch pampering. But the rest of the world isn't far behind. Calgary already has a handful of doggie spas where you can take Fido for a massage, bath and hair-fluff, or "pawdicure."
It's a wonder dogs can afford all this largesse in tough economic times. Oh, that's right, dogs aren't buying these luxuries.
And even if they could, they wouldn't, says dog behaviourist Tracie Nielson, who owns Calgary's Clever Canines dog-training service.
Nielson has helped many pet owners whose dogs develop behaviour problems because their owners treat them like humans. One couple who asked for her help would put their dog in a high chair to eat, cutting his food for him. But the dog would get aggressive once he was put in the high chair.
"A lot of times people will get a dog to replace a baby," Nielson says. "I see a lot of spoiling."
Before you send the hate-mail, let me just say that I'm a dog-lover myself. So I can see how owners who love their dog like family (maybe more than some family) might want to give their favourite pet the very best.
But here's the thing: dogs don't think like people. All that fussing and pampering means nothing to them.
"You're going too far when you expect human qualities from a dog," Nielson says.
Actually, your dog doesn't like being treated like a child. Fido might even put his tail between his legs and run, if only he could get out of that doggie-purse you carry him around in. And no, it doesn't matter if your dog is female: she still doesn't want her nails painted to match your wife's.
"Most dogs don't like getting dressed up," Nielson warns.
The very best thing you can do for any dog, it turns out, is to treat them like a dog.
This means no baby talk, no dressing them up, no buying them the latest toy.
I know this is tough to hear for people who want to dress up those adorable pups, but most dogs don't need a sweater.
Evolution has given most breeds a thick and natural winter coat of their own. Your dog might need one if they have a thin coat of short hair, or hairless areas, Nielson says. But one or two oughta do.
It's tough to know whether your dog might need booties. If a dog's hair is properly cut around the toes, it usually won't need them, according to Nielson. But if your dog starts raising its legs high on a walk, that might mean their paws are getting cold or sore from sharp ice and/ or gravel.
Really though, clothes are way down the list of what your dog needs and wants. So put away the fancy-dog outfits, and focus on bonding with your pooch through daily walks, grooming, training and play.
Man's best friend will return the favour with steady companionship and dogged affection.
tedwards@theherald.canwest.com
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