All Things Dog Blog |
| Dogs and Affection: Appropriate Limits for Our Own Expressions of Affection Posted: 01 Jul 2011 08:55 PM PDT by Carrie Boyko, CEB
But when and how do we take it too far? Let's explore some of the ways that excessive loving over the long-term has effects on our happy family balance. 1. Dogs cue in to our enjoyment of and need for joining them in affectionate exchanges. With this knowledge, they learn to use it to their advantage, getting more frequent and lengthy sessions, unless we firmly, yet respectfully set limits. 2. Free-fed dogs and those that are treated frequently without working for or earning their food, come to feel more of an ownership of that food. This can play out as food aggression with the owner or other animals. When left to their own devices, dogs have to work for their food, generally by scavenging. By honoring and maintaining that natural part of their lives, we benefit by having a dog that respects us more as a part of their group (dare I say Pack?) and less as their personal cafeteria servant. 3. The walk is a time for bonding with our dog in a special way. We must be careful to maintain a balance between the tough 'leader' exterior and the well-meaning owner. You are the leader-by-default in position as well as decision making. Affection is earned at the end of the walk when your dog proves his ability to come along according to your wishes, properly and well-behaved. A few words of praise for the performance you desire on the walk is generally adequate affection during the walk. When you return home and remove the leash--now is the time to give an ample massage, treat or Fido's rub of choice. 4. Proper social behavior, in all environments, is a great time to offer praise or words of encouragement to assure that your dog knows he is acting to your expectations. Reward=Repeat behavior. On another note, my photo above is an apparent farewell to a blogger who has, at least temporarily, left our ranks. I hope I speak for us all when I say we hope he will return. His site is comic relief for the problem of our over-abundance of homeless pets that are not spayed or neutered. If you have a moment to support this cause, visit HelpJoey and leave a comment. Enjoy reading a few of his humorous antics as he uses a completely unique approach to showing us how seriously important this problem is. We need moral support, guys....get to it! Today's post is part of the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop, sponsored by Life with Dogs, Confessions of the Plume, and Two Little Cavaliers. Rules for participation by bloggers follow, as copied from the Life with Dogs site on 6/29/11: 
         
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