Spoiled, or Well-Taken Care Of?
Is a dog with lots of toys spoiled?
Is a dog that sleeps in your bed spoiled?
Is a dog fed “people food” spoiled?
Like most answers, it depends. Because there is a big difference between a dog that is well taken care of, and a dog that is spoiled, so we need to look at an individual dog’s behavior.
Generally speaking, dogs can be well-taken care of, or they may be Out-of-control, Spoiled, or Entitled.
Out-of-control is as it sounds. A dog that generally lacks cooperation and regular management is required to maintain control. Most often they are out of control simply because they were never taught otherwise.
Spoiled is a dog with no sense of obligation to comply or comport to polite norms, nor behaves in an appropriate manner. Trainer and Author Suzanne Clothier uses the term “Trust Fund Puppy” for those dogs who have “no real obligations to behave in particular ways” [1] These dogs get the things they desire without obligations or being well-mannered.
Entitled
I watched as a dog gave a warning growl and snapped at his owner as he attempted to remove something from his dog who was laying on the ground. The owner stopped and moved away as he realized he was about to cross a line which could very well lead to a bite. His dog felt entitled to the possession and it was clear in his actions. This surprised me since I was familiar with the dog and knew this dog loved his owners and he was “happy go lucky” all the time. When I see this type of behavior it’s clear there’s a “hole” in the relationship. When a relationship is not “whole” a confident dog that sets rules for you may very well enforce those rules in a very canine manner.
Not every dog that displays this behavior necessarily feels entitled. Insecure dogs will react this way because they are scared and this is a defensive reaction. These dogs may react this way due to previous harsh (inappropriate) “training”, or frightening interactions with people in the past. These dogs aren’t enforcing rules, their behavior shows a lack of trust with the person attempting to approach and remove something.
A common thread with all these dogs is the training was inconsistent, or inappropriate, or there was no realistic expectation or impactful consequences for their behavior.
I think we all would prefer people believe our dog was “well-taken care of”, rather than spoiled.
Well-taken care of dogs can have everything the spoiled dogs have, but they cooperate and offer polite behavior. They lack the pushiness and sense of entitlement that many spoiled dogs have. It does not mean that they are perfect. What it does mean is that inappropriate behaviors are an event, not a pattern or way of life!
Having your needs and desires meet is not the same as being spoiled. My dog has “lots of toys” and gets “people food” but most people would consider him well-taken care of and not spoiled.
Remember, there are no “prefect” dogs! The only perfect dogs’ or people for that matter, are those that I don’t know well.
“Basically, if you look at any culture in the world, the behavior of pet dogs is mirrored in the behavior of its children. Why? Because they have the same role models for the way they behave.”
John Rogerson, The Dog Vinci Code
RESOURCES
https://www.homeskooling4dogs.com/guarding-possessions
https://www.homeskooling4dogs.com/dominance
If you want to achieve control & cooperation, not submission from your dog, get started today with our online course “On The Right Track” so you and your dog can have a more abundant life!
You’re already training; the question is, are you going to get better at it?
https://homeskooling-4-dogs.thinkific.com/courses/on-the-right-track