Confessions of a dog Indulger

[rayinpenn]

Im sitting in my favorite chair having my morning coffee, Dusty is a few feet away lying at the foot of the stairs. I can hear her stomach growling and although theres a bowl full of food there shes not interested. 13 years of kibble I wouldn’t be interested either. She’s actually biding her time because she knows I am an admitted dog indulger. When i core (a.k.a. Canoe) out my bagel shes bound to get the stuffing. I also buy liverwurst just for her and if we have run out liverwurst there will be a slice of cheese. She will also get a begging strip after our first walk.

Before you start with “thats not good...blah blah blah”. The old gal is doing just fine all things considered. Yeah shes got a condition with her larynx that causes her to wheeze - worse when its warm so we keep her in the a/c. She’s thin as she has always been. Yeah she is a bit banged up but of course so am I.

The Mrs and debate who has spoiled her worse. Ill secretly admit It is I.

Edit: This morning as we return from our morning walk we discover someone has messed with the front door lock setting and we are locked out. I bang on the door for 20 minutes finally I yell at the second floor window and I hear “what?” She comes down opens the door and says “that was you?’ Now I ask you if someone is banging on your front door, ringing the doorbell incessantly wouldn’t you investigate?

Good ole Dusty remained patient - she knew we would get in eventually and the bagel guts and a piece of cheese await.

 

[Red Badger]

Our fur kid waits patiently and silently for two things. The egg yolk that remains on our plates (we're fairly generous with our "gleanings"), and his morning walk. If the walk is behind schedule, the waiting silent thing becomes gradual whining that may become constant.

But this early, just him and I on the deck while I enjoy a tankard or four of black coffee.

 

[GravitySucks]

My boy enjoys eggs. Since retiring I've gone from eggs once a week to three or four times a week. His favorite is a fried egg over his salmon & potato dry food, but he never refuses a cheese and meat omelet.
When we travel He knows if He doesn't eat his dog food I will get him a McDouble when I get a drive through coffee.
He has me trained well.

 

[joeea]

I can hear her stomach growling and although theres a bowl full of food there shes not interested. 13 years of kibble I wouldn’t be interested either.

Dogs aren't people. They don't need or crave variety.

She’s actually biding her time because she knows I am an admitted dog indulger. When i core (a.k.a. Canoe) out my bagel shes bound to get the stuffing. I also buy liverwurst just for her and if we have run out liverwurst there will be a slice of cheese. She will also get a begging strip after our first walk.

The Mrs and debate who has spoiled her worse. Ill secretly admit It is I.

Good ole Dusty remained patient - she knew we would get in eventually and the bagel guts and a piece of cheese await.

You have trained her (or she has trained you) to expect food beyond her kibble.

Many of us do that.

When our pets do something, good or bad, it's virtually always due to our actions.

 

[donheff]

Seven Golden Retrievers in I endorse your attitude. We are three months dog-less for the first time in decades. After getting some uncomplicated travels out of the way we will start looking for another. She (or they) will be invited to share the sofa and bed and will get selected food indulgences. Goldens are different. Even with some owner food indulgences, they inhale their kibble.

 

[Midpack]

We’re between dogs, but we cherish the 30+ years we had Shelties as our children. They made us smile and laugh every single day, and we’d have done anything to keep them healthy and happy - with no shame or reservations.

Dogs rule.

People are under the illusion training dogs is a one way street. Though humans can and should train dogs to be safe and social, dogs are way more effective training their people...

 

[EarlyBirdly]

" Dogs aren't people. They don't need or crave variety. "

Yes. Yes they are. Dogs are people too...!!

https://youtu.be/37SrQdIqKiU

 

[MarieIG]

I miss my fur babies very much.

My Twinkie (a kittie) would wake me up with gentle taps on my cheek. (Never claws) She wanted her pets, and breakfast. We agreed that I would be allowed to sleep to at least 6:00 a.m. She ruled the roost, and while she was alive, although she was by far the smallest, the formally feral (who was about 3x as big) was not allowed in my lap - or she would be kitty-slapped right off.

She did investigate what I ate, and enjoyed small pieces of turkey and cheese.

When my youngest was in kindergarten, he had the flu and was out of school for the week. She stayed by his side until he was better. When son #4 went into the army; she sat by the door for weeks crying and moping. When he came home on leave she gave him the cold shoulder. (No, she was not shy, she would inspect anyone who came it the house, it was really the cold shoulder.) But, he woke up the next morning with her wrapped around his head, lol.

 

[joeea]

" Dogs aren't people. They don't need or crave variety. "

Yes. Yes they are. Dogs are people too...!!

No. No they aren't.

I love dogs. Dogs are great companions. Dogs can be great fun. Dogs can give you a reason to get out of bed each morning.

But dogs aren't people. They aren't children. They aren't fur babies.

Dogs are pets.

 

[target2019]

Before you start with “thats not good...blah blah blah”. The old gal is doing just fine all things considered. Yeah shes got a condition with her larynx that causes her to wheeze - worse when its warm so we keep her in the a/c. She’s thin as she has always been. Yeah she is a bit banged up but of course so am I.

Dogs of different breeds have adapted over the years to whatever new comes along. Just had this discussion yesterday, after our experiences with 3 dogs in a single day. None are ours.
1) Cavapoo Luna #1 is worthy of a King's lap. They are so people-oriented, to a fault. I had her for a year or two, and maybe see her once a month. This was 2nd consecutive weekend I/we watched her. Took her to Wendy's and dog store last weekend. Left her home alone yesterday due to dog #2. At home she is just on kibble, but I mix in small amounts of egg or chicken in a water broth so that she gets more water.
2) Nico is a 100-pound male German Shepherd. Performs his job very well. We encounter him once a year, and decided not to bring Luna #1 to the party this year. Too much angst thinking about what Nico would love to have for dinner--25 pounds of Luna #1. I noticed that Nico had slimmed down, due to a kibble only diet. That must be torture for a dog that is a meat-eater.
3) Luna #2 was a mix of some kind, about 12-15 pounds, and not friendly at all. She got the run of the party, but stayed isolated and did not seem interested in most people. Definitely over-weight and should be on a strict diet, but of course received many scraps from clueless people throughout the day.

Enjoy your dog(s) while they are around.

 

[Midpack]

No. No they aren't.

I love dogs. Dogs are great companions. Dogs can be great fun. Dogs can give you a reason to get out of bed each morning.

But dogs aren't people. They aren't children. They aren't fur babies.

Dogs are pets.

To each his/her own.

 

[joeea]

To each his/her own.

Or it's own, I guess.

 

[MRG]

We have two, yes they're spoiled. DW has a routine with one, she shares rediwhip on her coffee with one dog. There's a method to how she give the dog three licks. The other one has no interest in their routine. He eagerly awaits his gabapentin! This dog hates pills but gabapentin is his treat. It's made his arthritis a little better. Poor dog was obese for many years, till the vet gave him a different prescription food. Now he's 13 pounds and 13 years old, I know he doesn't have much time left. He used to not like riding in the vehicle, now I take him out several times a week and he loves it. Someday it's going to be a one way trip.

 

[4legsgood]

dogs are the best

The unconditional love, loyalty, unswerving effort of a dog trying to please, and the joy they take in the simplest things inspire me every day to do better.

 

[joeea]

We have two, yes they're spoiled. DW has a routine with one, she shares rediwhip on her coffee with one dog. There's a method to how she give the dog three licks. The other one has no interest in their routine. He eagerly awaits his gabapentin! This dog hates pills but gabapentin is his treat. It's made his arthritis a little better. Poor dog was obese for many years, till the vet gave him a different prescription food. Now he's 13 pounds and 13 years old, I know he doesn't have much time left. He used to not like riding in the vehicle, now I take him out several times a week and he loves it. Someday it's going to be a one way trip.

I feel for you.

The day I had to take my 8 year old dog on her final ride was one of the saddest in my life. I wish she had 13 years, but Molly was a Basenji with Fanconi Syndrome.

I wish you and your dogs well.

 

[Silver]

We are besotted with our papillon. If he had his way he would be petted and snuggled with 24/7....so sweet. And always very quiet...rarely barks. The perfect member of our family. We feel like he spoils us.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

I feel for you.

The day I had to take my 8 year old dog on her final ride was one of the saddest in my life. I wish she had 13 years, but Molly was a Basenji with Fanconi Syndrome.

I wish you and your dogs well.

We had a basenji at one time. Moses tested positive for Fanconi but lived 16 years. The breed has been badly inbred in the US because of their rarity -- Fanconi is a genetic disorder as you probably know.

He was an interesting dog that we adopted when he was about 5 years old. He was reasonably well-trained but could quickly turn feral -- I won't go into the details. Fortunately, he was bullied by his longtime housemate, an Australian shepherd that outweighed him by 30 pounds. She saw that he did the right thing.

He was quite a hunter and foraged effectively in our rural setting. He ate a lot of mice, which required that I treat him regularly for tapeworms.

When Moses passed I visited the breeder with the thought that we might get another. The breeder had about 20 dogs, mostly returns from people who had given up on them after they grew out of the cute puppy stage. They can be a challenging breed to live with.

 

[Teacher Terry]

We don’t give our dogs much people food except on trips. We mainly stick to doggie treats. However, once we know that they are probably only a year from the end then it’s steak, etc. With my kids grown they are definitely my fur babies. When I had the flu and spent 2 weeks in bed extremely sick the 4 of them never left my side.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

I work hard at training my dogs, especially the bigger one, which has high drives and needs mental exercise. I give mostly doggie treats during our sessions, but I've noticed that he really responds when the reward is elevated to ham bits or string cheese. I bring out the good stuff when we're preparing for an organized trial.

Otherwise, their privileges are limited -- they aren't allowed on the furniture and certainly aren't allowed on the bed.

 

[MRG]

We don’t give our dogs much people food except on trips. We mainly stick to doggie treats. However, once we know that they are probably only a year from the end then it’s steak, etc. With my kids grown they are definitely my fur babies. When I had the flu and spent 2 weeks in bed extremely sick the 4 of them never left my side.

In 2000 I was injured and spent three months laying on the floor. I was in intense pain for most of that time, stuck with a PCP who was only concerned with cutting back the opioids I needed to help control the pain. There was nothing but black depression and pain around me for that horrible summer. Except our six pound Maltese, Chris. He was a snuggler, slept in the bed and put up with our movements. He laid with me and snuggled into my side all those months. When the pain got worse he got closer and tighter to my body. I'll never forget his unconditional love and help.

 

[travelover]

..........

But dogs aren't people. They aren't children. They aren't fur babies.

Dogs are pets.

No, dogs are not children. Children expect a paid college education, a big wedding and a house down payment. Dogs have the courtesy to just die after a decade or so.

 

[pacergal]

Every dog I have had has been the most wonderful companion and spoiled completely.
Our current boy is a pit bull /shar pei mix and the biggest lounger I have ever known, a real snuggler who thinks he is a lap dog at 90 lbs.

 

[joeea]

We had a basenji at one time. Moses tested positive for Fanconi but lived 16 years. The breed has been badly inbred in the US because of their rarity -- Fanconi is a genetic disorder as you probably know.

He was an interesting dog that we adopted when he was about 5 years old. He was reasonably well-trained but could quickly turn feral -- I won't go into the details. Fortunately, he was bullied by his longtime housemate, an Australian shepherd that outweighed him by 30 pounds. She saw that he did the right thing.

He was quite a hunter and foraged effectively in our rural setting. He ate a lot of mice, which required that I treat him regularly for tapeworms.

When Moses passed I visited the breeder with the thought that we might get another. The breeder had about 20 dogs, mostly returns from people who had given up on them after they grew out of the cute puppy stage. They can be a challenging breed to live with.

Basenjis certainly aren't for everyone. They can indeed be a challenge.

Molly was terrific with the family, but a terror with anyone else who tried to watch her for us.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

No. No they aren't.

I love dogs. Dogs are great companions. Dogs can be great fun. Dogs can give you a reason to get out of bed each morning.

But dogs aren't people. They aren't children. They aren't fur babies.

Dogs are pets.

Really? I think a lot of people would disagree.

Ours are spoiled absolutely rotten and we wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[joeea]

Really? I think a lot of people would disagree.

Ours are spoiled absolutely rotten and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Spoiling your pets rotten doesn't turn them into children. It just turns them into spoiled pets.