Dogs aren’t babies

I used to watch a lot of The Dog Whisperer. Recently, I’ve been watching It’s Me or the Dog, which I like better. Cesar Millan and Victoria Stilwell have very similar approaches to fixing bad dog owners, but I think Stilwell is better at explaining steps. Millan can model things, but he can’t teach the owners exactly what to do. He relies too much on abstract phrases like “pack leader” and “calm, assertive energy.”

In either case, though, it’s quite obvious many dog owners who think they have problem dogs are really just problem owners, usually because they spoil their dogs and treat their dogs like babies instead of like dogs. Dogs don’t handle baby treatment well, so they act out or become neurotic. And many breeds of dogs require a lot of exercise and don’t like being cooped up in a house for ten or twelve hours at a time.

Get it through your thick heads, people! Dogs aren’t babies. They’re dogs. And you can still love your dog without spoiling it. In fact, if you really did love your dog, you wouldn’t baby it. And both you and the dog would be much happier.

You need a license to drive. Why don’t you need a license to adopt a dog? I think all potential dog owners should be forced to watch (A Clockwatch Orange style) 16 hours of It’s Me or the Dog before being able to adopt a dog. Or many of these supposed dog lovers would really be better off with a cat. Seriously. Cats don’t mind being spoiled. Cats don’t mind being stuck in a house all day (as long as you play with them a little bit when you get home). Cats are already toilet trained. Cats groom themselves.

If you want a baby, have a baby… or adopt one. If you want a dog, treat it like a dog and love it like a dog. If you think you want a dog but don’t want to put the energy into training it properly and exercising it well, get a cat.

6 comments

  1. Too right and while we’re at it, do these people realize that dogs use their tongues to clean themselves? Apparently not because I’m sure they wouldn’t kiss them, seriously its gross.

  2. I used to raise German Shepherds, had THE BEST dog later that was Lab/Chow mix (she never did anything wrong EVER, was great with the grandkids, hung on my every word, loving to all.. Now I have 3 cats. Did someone say they take care of themselves?? This isn’t the first set of cats I’ve had, and ALL these different cats over the years have had problems with their litterboxes. They pee over the edge, get litter everywhere, poop/pee on the floor around the box, and are all over my dressers and tables knocking things off. WHERE in the manual does it say Cats take care of THEMSELVES?? Never had one that did that EVER!

    I wouldn’t trade these last 3 for anything (ok, maybe a million bucks), they are so fun and funny. But I sure do think about cashing in their chips often, whenever I have to clean up all the messes they’ve made!! Don’t be fooled – cats are as much a pain as dogs most of the time. I miss my Lab/Chow mix doggie (Hannah)… she was the light of my life, seriously. There will never be another one like her, I know, and NO I didn’t treat her like a baby. She was my best friend, who gave me the same respect as I did her.

    BUT I WAS THE PACK LEADER, and she knew that always.. she wanted me to be that for her. It’s a matter of RESPECT – goes in both directions! No baby stuff!

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