The baby-fying of pets in America has been a hot topic amongst dog trainers and those in the animal world in recent years. There are many advocates for not putting your family pet in the role of four legged child.
I went to my experts to ask what they felt about this; my dog Cheyenne and my cats, along with the countless animals whom I have spoken with over the years. I have evolved with Cheyenne to be less babying than I was sometimes with my dog, Meesha, although Cheyenne's personality lends itself more to this than did Meesha's. Let's just say Meesha was more Welcome To The Jungle and Cheyenne is more Use Your Illusion. This week's blog may require some googling for the younger (or older) generation.
All animal's are different in their opinions about this matter. However, the problem with this is that when we view them as children it is quite easy to blind ourselves to our animal's highest potential. Missing their ability to have thoughts and feelings about anything and everything. However, animals will sometimes soak up the more coddling attention. Cheyenne, on some level, will take in that kind of energy. But if it's the primary way that we interact with them, then it may interfere in sharing a relationship whereby we fully understand them. Cheyenne gets annoyed after too much and will soon make me aware that I need to back off the baby talk or other patronizing behavior.
A repeated message that I get from even the tiniest of the dogs is a sense of confusion. They are even mortified and angered at times when treated as babies. There are, however, some large dogs who accept it better. I have felt that, to some degree, the larger dog is less likely to be physically treated like a baby so it is not as bothersome. Ie: the talk is not as annoying as is the holding like a child.
Cats and dogs provide a similar response. I used to have a habit of telling my cat, Gracie, that she was "just a baby," in the most affectionate way. One day she was up on a counter and looked me straight in the eyes and screamed/meowed at me, "I'm not a baby!" The general message from the animals is that they would rather we listen to what they have to say. To be present to them. That behavior involves energy that flows back and forth as opposed to the other where there is a great deal of energy coming towards them that is suffocating. The animals ask to be respected for who they are. "We have so much to say and to contribute to your lives."
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