Are Owners Too Precious

[taniac]

Maybe the problem is that cocker's aren't that easy to make too precious... Their love for rolling in all sorts of revolting things, eating cow poo, getting revolting wet and muddy mean that they are generally owned by people who appreciate a 'real dog'!

Now I don't want to offend anyone, so please excuse me in advance... but I see being too precious as people who have little fluffy dogs, with diamante colours, hair buffoned to the 9s, carried everywhere in case it wears its little legs out, and hand fed smoked salmon etc etc etc...

Now I love my two, and they get spoilt, even though they're not allowed on the bed, and only allowed up for lap cuddles not on the sofa by themselves and get treated like dogs.  

Sorry to anyone who has a diamante collar.. but I'm guessing with a cocker they only wear it for best!  

[scoobie]

Clare to answer your question: are owners too precious with there dogs? (without going in to deep) Yes ..because their worth it but my interpretation of precious isn't pandering to there every wish  if you ask me if Im overprotective Id say no but I do care enough to instinctively know when something isn't right e.g healthwise for medical intervention which doesn't mean I rush to the vets at the slightest whim
Our animals are only on this earth for a short time  

[Silver Surfer (indiesnan)]

Ive never used coats on any of mine apart from when woowoo was old ( some breeds do need coats, in the cold weather greyhounds and Whippets are two that come to mind )  and  we did give her a cup of tea every day.    I'm sorry if  some peeps call that mollycoddling  but there you go, i'm guilty and to be honest i don't care
All my dogs have always been part of my family, and if i suspect something is wrong i don't hesitate to ring my vet
 anything i can do to keep them happy and healthy i will.  
I'm also guilty of putting a diamanti collar on my little poodle    but i certainly didn't carry her everywere, she had legs and i made her use them.  

edited to add... i'm off to petsmart this afternoon, to get Nell an advent calender.      

[Loraine]

I admit that am VERY precious about my dog:  She has a glitter flower collar and matching lead.  She gets fancy hypo allergenic food from a stainless steel bowl, which gets sterilised once a week.  Her treats are freeze dried pieces of lamb.  She's not allowed anything with artificial colours or additives.  She gets hand stripped once a month and bathed weekly using baby powder scented shampoo and conditioner.  If she's acting strange,  I immediately take her to the vet.  I do not like her getting wet and muddy so I have bought her an Obtrack dog coat.  I carry her from the house to the car and back if it's raining so that she doesn't get her paws wet and make a mess in the house/car.

I absolutely ADORE my dog - can't do enough for her.  She is spoilt rotten.

Think what you like but I'm precious and proud of it.    

Loraine

PS Claire, interesting topic/poll but just out of curiosity why did you want to know?

 

[Silver Surfer (indiesnan)]

I absolutely ADORE my dog - can't do enough for her.  She is spoilt rotten.

Think what you like but I'm precious and proud of it.   

Loraine

 

[Pipers Mummy]

Piper does wear a fur lined coat when it is really cold and wet - in an effort to save her hips from getting excessively wet/cold (due HD).

On Saturday I also splashed out on the most gorgeous diamante and red leather collar - which she will wear on special occasions  

Piper is worth spoiling and I love spoiling her    

[Magic Star]

  Oiy Indie has a diamante collar   But she gets as muddy as the next dog, she doesn't get carried everywhere, but I do carry her sometimes at home, when she wants a cuddle   She is allowed on the sofas, but she no longer sleeps on the bed, she does get a cup of tea and sometimes goatsmilk with honey   If its really cold she gets some warm porridge   Yeah ok I admit I mollycoddle her and you know what, I don't care, she is happy, loved and cherished and she knows it!  She has brought a lot of happiness to our family, shes always making us laugh with the silly things she does, she deserves to be "spoilt" its sad so many dogs don't even get to see the inside of a house, I see no problem with treating a dog like one of the family

I would just point out though, I don't buy her clothes, she doesn't wear nail varnish nor does she get carried around in a handbag  

So Claire, am I too precious, from what you have read from my posts?    

[Laura]

I could try and molly coddle my boys but they wouldn't thank me for it!!!   They are both chalk and cheese in personalities but both do agree on being proper dogs.  They love romping with dogs of all age/shape/size, fox poo, wet and muddy weather and all other things completely doggy - so help me if I ever try to pamper them too much!!  Although there is nothing better than snuggling on the couch in between all that dogginess!!  Oh and go on I will force myself to have that special treat - as long as you don't mind me digging up a bit of the garden to hide it in

Brogan is very well socialised and is amazing to watch when meeting new dogs - I leave the doggy stuff to him - I would be a non starter in comparison  

I do interfere with Baileys doggy interactions at the moment but only because he is too overwhelming for some dogs/puppies - would hate him to knock aother dogs confidence.  If however I know the other dog isn't bothered by an over confident clown then off he goes to learn his doggy skills - he needs the practise  
 

[taniac]

I can't keep my two clean, dry and looking fab for more then 2 minutes.  We took them to a photo session and I washed and groomed them to the nines, so they looked their best.

It took Neo less the 60 seconds before he draped his ear into the water bowl!!   We dried their ears before we took them, and yet he did exactly the same thing when we arrived.. so all the pictures he has wet ears!!!!

The once I bought a coat for Neo, like a jumpsuit, it was to save me time drying him... Instead he managed to pee into it so instead of staying dry, he was covered in dog pee, and I had to bath him...  I couldn't be precious cos Neo wouldn't let me!  

 

[bluesmum]

Another precious one here too  

Both my dogs are pampered everyday, my husband has very often come home and been disappointed that the dogs tea isn't for him cos theres smells better than his they cuddle me on the sofa, come EVERYWHERE with me, only have all the best products for grooming/bathing etc, both get muddy running across open feilds everyday but freezing cold wet mummy always has a nice warm towel waiting to dry them off after a rinse when they get home

 

[speedyjaney]

I dont think Im too precious but I do think many dog owners are!!  

Our dogs are not allowed on the 'good' furniture but are allowed up on the sofa bed in the dining room (it is covered with fleeces etc).  
They are not allowed upstairs AT ALL - thats the cats domain and his safe haven.

We never carry them they have 2 more legs than us so they can carry me before I carry them lol  

We dont have coats/clothes for them, they come inclusive with a nice fur coat!

They only have dog food, no human food at all....well except for cheese and sausage for training purposes

However, they get 2 lovely walks a day and if they get wet they get a dry towel down when they come in. They have a vetbed lined crate to sleep in and 2 cosy beds to lie in when we are in the living room with them (as they are not allowed on the sofa's!)

They are very much loved and definately part of the family, we contact the vets if we feel they need expert treatment but not if they sneeze or limp a couple of times!

Compared to some dogs ours are positively spoilt, but when compared to the other extreme they are VERY Hard done by....

I like to think we have got the balance right....they are both happy well adjusted, pretty well behaved pooches who know their place in the pack....they do try it on sometimes..but whose dog doesn't!!

Molly coddled at times I would agree but treated too preciously NEVER!

Cheers

Jane

[Magic Star]

I know people who give their dogs a cup of tea every morning or feed them warm drinks .it doesn't really offend me what other people choose to do with their dogs..but it's not the way I would choose to treat my own dogs.

Whats so bad about giving a dog a cup of tea?  My vet reccomends this for a healthy coat, also tea is very high in anti-oxidents (cancer fighting) so surely, providing your not putting milk and two sugars in it, this can be of benefit to the dog?  I believe tea is used in the showing world too  

Just want to pick up on something here too, if you are saying Clair and please correct me if I am wrong, as I may have misunderstood your points, that dogs shouldn't be treated like this and should be left au natrel, then surely by showing your new dog Gypsi you are falling into the "prescious" category, as dogs were certainly not evolved to trot around a show ring either?   Not that I have anything against that, but surely in cannot be one rule for one kind of owner and one  for another??  

Edited to add, my post looks a bit "shoutey" due to lack of smilies, just wanted to say I am not being horrible in any way, i'm just interested  

[lizzy]

My two don't have diamante collar but they do have the Lupine girly collar in bright pink!

My OH would say I mollycoddle them, he thinks that everything revolves around my animals, eg. where we go on a day trip ( whether the dog's can come ) never being able to leave them all day on their own, the fact that they have clean bedding everyday and that I tumble dry it so it's nice and warm before they go to sleep!

I don't think it's mollycoddling at all, I just want them to be happy and comfortable and I think they appreciate what I do for them, they don't really give 2 hoots about anyone else, only me!

Keeping them healthy, well groomed, on a balanced diet is what all dog owners should be doing IMO!

[suzysu]

My two girls are very very precious to me and deserve every bit of love and attention I can give them.

[Cob-Web]

Having read posts on here for over 6 months I have never seen any posts along the lines of  

''oh my little doggy woggy can't eat the horrid doggie din dins he likes mommys yummy steak don't you doggy woggy

I have seen lots of  posts from concerned and loving owners who want to do the best for the dogs which they have chosen to be  totally responsible for.

Hence my misunderstanding of your origional question, sorry