Whether you’re a pet parent or a pet sitter, it’s not a very good idea to treat your dog like a baby. But it is a good idea to treat our furry friends like you would a 5-year-old child. That means teaching them boundaries, manners, and discipline.
If you think, “my GSP is my child,” you’re not alone. The dog’s role in the home has evolved greatly in the past 100 years. A majority of dog owners now consider themselves ‘pet parents’ rather than ‘pet owners.’ Nearly three-quarters of them talk to their dogs and many buy their dogs birthday treats or even gifts for Valentine’s Day.
4 Benefits to Treating Your GSP Like a Child
For Their Own Safety
Our number-one priority as pet parents is to keep our canine kids safe. But if your dog won’t listen to you inside the home, you can bet he won’t listen to you on the street where there are serious risks like passing cars.
If you can’t control your dog in the house under calm circumstances, you aren’t going to be able to control him when he’s excited or distracted.
Knowing commands like “stay” and “come” can save your dog’s life, and obeying them is not an option.
For Good Manners and Obedience
Do you find yourself asking your dog to go to bed multiple times and then finally bribing him with a cookie to comply? You wouldn’t give your 5-year-old $5 to just go to bed, so why do the same for your fur baby?
If you have to coax your dog to do what you ask, you are not establishing a respectful relationship. You also won’t ever have full control of your dog.
For Proper Socialization and Skills
It would be weird if you kept your child locked in the house all day and never introduced him to another kid to play with, or only let him play in the yard. But some people actually do this with their dogs out of fear their dog may get into a fight at the park.
Dogs, just like children, need to learn social skills and cues to know when they’re being invited to play and when they’re being told to leave someone else alone.
For Learning New Tricks
Imagine your kid wants to try playing baseball, so you take him down to the park and throw him a couple pitches. He swings and misses so you throw your arms up and walk away because obviously he’s no good at baseball.
This is exactly how we treat our dogs when we get frustrated if they don’t immediately learn a new trick. Some people assume their dog isn’t smart enough when he doesn’t pick up the trick instantly.
Treating your dog the same as your 5-year-old has some advantages. Ask yourself, “Is this behavior rude or unacceptable for my child?” If the answer is yes, it’s probably also rude and unacceptable for your dog child.
