Do you love your dog?

You better do. All dogs are good boys, and are therefore deserving of all love. However, as it turns out, too much of a good thing (for a good boy) could actually have less-than-ideal consequences for your fury little friend. In that, too much praise and love could actually make them misbehave. Tragic, we know. It does make sense though. Here's how. Despite the fact that humans love dogs because they become part of the family, like to hang around the dinner table, and provide a paw to cry on when things get tough, dogs are not humans and shouldn't entirely be treated that way. According to Petiquette, dogs can start soiling their homes, chewing furniture, food guarding, and displaying attention seeking behaviours like barking if they are loved too much. This is due to the insecurities triggered in the dog because they haven't been provided with enough structure, or been presented with a clear master to obey. This doesn't mean being a total asshole to your dog though. Nor does it mean stopping loving your dog - far from it. Rather, you need to show your dog love in a different way. One that still lets them know they can rely on you, but also that you're in charge. Petiquette recommends taking your dog for walks in different locations to excite them and giving them praise only when they do something to earn it, rather when they ask for it. If a dog thinks they can get a pat on the head whenever they please, they'll stop doing anything asked of them. They are sort of like humans in that way, we guess.