Let’s face it, for some of us, our pets are our children. And pampering them seems to be the obvious thing to do. But is it actually bad for our dogs? Who can resist those puppy dog eyes? 

As Pawrents (yes, the term for us, pet parents), we love to take care of them, provide for them and spoil them maybe just a little. But actually overparenting a pet like a child can become a little bit of a problem too. 

For example, when we shower our pets with many toys, more than a box full, will they see value in the toys we get them? Some of us are guilty of this, in fact, we most certainly are. We go to the extent of hiding toys to give to them in future. But that box of toys are certainly piling up. Getting them more toys than they can get their paws on will de-value them and they will get used to the dopamine rush and it becomes a drug. Soon they will always want new toys and have little place in their hearts for the older ones, because, they simply keep getting more.

When we spoil our dogs, we can lead to behavioural issues in them, be it seeing value in the toys as an example or even disrespecting us! Training them or teaching them new things become difficult because we have conditioned them to getting exactly what they want all the time. 

Another example is clothes and accessories, they don’t need them, sure it’s fun but is that for us or for them? With their bodies structured very differently, dressing them up for long hours can actually be bad for their fur and their skin. Just like washing their paws every time they come back from a walk can make their paws more fragile and sensitive. 

Over-pampered dogs can grow up to be aggressive as they expect to be treated in the same way by everyone. Making difficult for anyone else to care for them, as no one would give them as much attention or shower them with pampering like we do. We will be setting them up for failure at a boarding house or doggy daycare.

Dogs are creatures of habit (in a way we humans are too), so. Too much of our affection and love can lead to behavioural issues. They love consistency and do respect rules, when we break them ourselves, they can be very much affected. We want our pets to be disciplined, self sustainable, confident and healthy, and that doesn’t mean loving them less. Some things are okay in excess but most things are not.

We just have to remember that all things are good in moderation. A healthy balance is always the way to go.

That said, take our quiz! You get one point for each statement that is true. The higher the points, the more pampered your pet. Share with us your results in the comments below!

How pampered is your pet, exactly?

1. Your pet is allowed on the couch

2. You don’t have as much snacks as your pet does

3. Your pet has a box dedicated to their toys

4. Your pet sleeps with you on the same bed

5. You had professional photos taken of your pet

6. You give your pet birthday presents

7. You greet your pet before anyone else

8. You go on vacation with your humans

9. Your pet has its own social media account

10. Your pet has its own clothes/accessories 

That said, nothing beats pampering your pet like Kuro Snacks, healthy and delicious, that’s all-natural with no artificial additives, coloring, flavoring or preservatives, now that’s something your pet can be pampered with, guilt-free!