Spoiled -- How Can Vets Tell?

[Beryl]

I took Latte to the vet for another post-luxating patella surgery check and vaccs. After a few minutes of checking him out, the vet commented:

Latte is a spoiled one.

She did the vacs and offered him a cookie. He refused it (of course) and then she made the comment again.

How can she tell? What about his behaviors indicate that he is spoiled?

I could understand it if he was overweight and all dressed up but he isn't and wasn't. He didn't do much of anything but lick her -- a lot. She did say that Latte gave her "more tongue than [her] husband".

If I was fondling all over him, I could understand but all I did is sit on the bench (distancing myself from the vaccination pain).

I'm not a behavior expert so I can't tell by just looking at a dog if he is spoiled.

[Cassiepeia]

She was probably just being nice. Saying he's well looked after, well groomed, well behaved. Therefore his 'mum' obviously takes great care of him and spends a lot of time on him....making him "spoiled" (in a good way).

Cass.

[Sophie45]

did she really say that your dog gave her more tongue than her husband?! quite a racy vet you have!
yeah, I bet she meant that in a nice way. After all, I'm sure many of her other patients are quite spoiled as well.

[Rivsky]

People have said the same thing to me and I've asked why - and been told it's because he's coat is in such good condition and he is so happy and friendly - I think many people use it as a term meaning "well looked after" - that's just going by my own personal experience though.

[TinyAlbinoDancer]

Was he acting stand-offish towards her like he just wanted his mum? I'd bet Rivsky is right--it's a misleading term people use to mean you take good care of your dog. People always tell me that about my two, and it's usually because I do things for my dogs that come from just caring for them. Like having them wear sweaters or holding/carrying them when they want to be held/carried.

People still see dogs as backyard animals you own, so a concept like allowing the dog to sleep with you makes the dog "spoiled." That or people compare them to children, so if my dog wants to be played with and I immediately begin to play with her, that makes her a brat [if you compare her to a child] because it's giving her what she wants when she wants it, immediately. People don't understand the difference between canine and human psychology.

My step-grandma (we don't call her grandma, but that's her relation) tends to call my dogs spoiled when I'm interacting with them in a way that she wishes she could interact with her dog, so it stems from jealousy. That could be some people's motivation for saying it, as well.

In any case, I'd take it as a compliment because you know they aren't saying it because Latte is overweight or something! You do things right and you know it, so enjoy having a "spoiled" dog.

[Beryl]

Thanks all. I guess she wasn't telling me to change things and meant it as a compliment.

Originally Posted by Sophie45

did she really say that your dog gave her more tongue than her husband?! quite a racy vet you have!

Yes, she is funny. She and her husband are both vets and run a Flyball Training program. She is the vet that is at our Banfield when the primary vet is on vacation. All of the dogs love her -- unlike the primary vet who is good but very officious. She knows dog psychology better than any vet I've met so that is why I listen to her every word.