Is it possible to show too much love for your dog? Will it affect their behaviour in the long run?

I have a little Chihuahua and being so small, it is easy to carry him around and baby him. I want him to get some independence but he is not even a year old and just so darn cute. People are always petting him and he has constant attention.

I also do not want to turn out like this guy in the video, a little extreme for even me.

Granville Island Brewing : Vancouver Interventions the Chihuahua video

Let me know your thoughts are please.

Thanks, Sean

I do think it's possible to 'baby' your dog too much. My mom has a dog that I spend a lot of time with. There's a real noticible difference in her behaviour with the two of us. My mom treats her like a child and as a result, she really doesn't seem to listen to her very much. Whereas I do a lot of training with her (agility, basic obedience, etc). Mom always comments that she wishes the dog would behave for her the way she does with me. I think it comes down to recognizing that your dog is just that...a dog :P
It's easy to think of them as little people but they aren't. They need a pack leader and some discipline to be happy.

Originally Posted by Sunny_Bee

I do think it's possible to 'baby' your dog too much. My mom has a dog that I spend a lot of time with. There's a real noticible difference in her behaviour with the two of us. My mom treats her like a child and as a result, she really doesn't seem to listen to her very much. Whereas I do a lot of training with her (agility, basic obedience, etc). Mom always comments that she wishes the dog would behave for her the way she does with me. I think it comes down to recognizing that your dog is just that...a dog :P
It's easy to think of them as little people but they aren't. They need a pack leader and some discipline to be happy.

I Have the impression all this is true for Human Children too.
Treat them as kind and as loving as you feel, but keep it balanced!!! Discipline is worth a lot and does indeed lead to happiness, I know this from experience with us mammals, humans.

Originally Posted by Anubis

I Have the impression all this is true for Human Children too.

I would say less of an impression and more pure truth.

Originally Posted by DogLoverCanada

I would say less of an impression and more pure truth.

I agree with u buddy. perfect!

I guess even if we really love our dog too much its not right to spoiled it...Sometimes they will not have a proper behavior by getting spoiled...We need to treat them with care but have a good discipline...