Spoil Your Dog Without Really Trying

Covered in bed Make your dog a comfy bed on the floor of the room that the family spends most of their time. The bed should be nicely padded. Oh, and the bed has to have a pillow and if it’s chilly, don’t forget the towel as a blanket.

Lazy on the sofa So your dog doesn’t feel left out, also make space for her on the couch. She should have at least 2/3’s of the couch to qualify for spoiled status. A queen size fitted sheet makes for sufficient protection.

Lap dog No matter how large your dog is, she’s a lap dog. Welcome her!

Outdoors bed In addition to the family room bed (and couch area) your dog will need a bed in the living room, your bedroom, and outside. Pillows are necessary for inside, but optional for outside.

I'm a people Even though she has her own bed on the floor in your bedroom, that doesn’t mean she can’t also use YOUR bed.

Wade or drink? You will, of course, have her water bowl next to her food bowl. To retain her spoiled dog status, you must place a water bowl for her in the bathroom closest to your bedroom. Other bowls can be placed in other parts of the house. A proper dog-size bowl should be used outside too.

Window with a view Being able to look out a window on each side of the house is critical. Having a foot rest earns you points as a spoiler since you are contributing to your dog’s success at spying at squirrels.

Chew toy? Don’t forget to add a fence to border the area of the yard allocated to your dog. We all know why it’s the dog’s area, and it’s not just because of the fun holes she digs making lawn mowing a literal “trip.” If you decide on a picket fence, expect teeth marks until your puppy realizes that the fence is not a chew toy when she stands on her rear paws to get a better view.

Tiny toys Toys, you need lots of toys. Toys need to roll, bounce, squeak, jingle, fly, or be capable of pulling a Mac truck for a game of tug-a-war. A Kong can keep the dog busy for up to three minutes as she figures out how to dump the goodies out. Even an old sock with a knot in it is a toy. ‘Course that means ANY sock is now eligible for play time. (Include a pair of large squeaky toy lips displaying grinning teeth and you may have a touch of redneck in you; and that’s a good thing.)

Help with chores Treats (called “yummies” around our house) are to be used as rewards. “Good girl for not bringing that dead bird into the house. Here’s a yummy.” Or, “thanks for helping to build the fire.”

Time for a bigger bed You need two leashes, each of which the dog will know has a specific purpose. The retractable leash means a walk while the six foot heavy duty nylon leash means a ride in the car. “Oh boy, we are gonna go see somebody. Oh boy, oh boy!” Just picking up one the leashes will evoke tremendous enthusiasm of similar, yet discernable different nature from the second leash as your dog uses “dog sign language” to display her joy and knowledge of the pending walk or ride.

Graduate! You will vaguely remember when it was “your car and my car.” Now it’s “your car and the dog’s car” because you’ll never get all the dog hair off the carpet or from the rear window shelf. The good news is, she’s a graduate of puppy school, number 2 in her class (of two dogs).

Santa!! At Christmas, she has her own stocking; Easter time, yummies are hidden (in plain sight) along the outside walkway for her to find and consume; birthday means steak for the little darling; Thanksgiving … well, you get the idea.

If you nodded in agreement to even half of the above items, you have spoiled your dog without really trying. Be proud!!