I may or may not be guilty of pestering my baby, I mean dog, when he is sleeping. I know he needs to rest. I know he needs to be able to self manage and have downtime. I also know that by pestering him I am making him feel like he must always be "on" and ready to go anytime I am around. BUT, I don't intend to do these things; yet I don't actively stop my own bad behaviors.... because I love him soooo much.
Yes, that is a horribly lame excuse. I am putting my own, and dare I say immediate, needs above those of the longer term good for my dog. Are you ever guilty of this same behavior?
By not allowing my dog to relax, I am encouraging him to continually play, jump, run, and bring his ball to me. I am not teaching him that it is perfectly acceptable to simply lay down and rest; to sit by me with no expectation of pets or a ball throw. To make matters worse, my "baby" is a pitbull. I should be encouraging calm and low key because that makes others more comfortable around him. It also advances my desire for him to be a great breed ambassador.
Once again, I may have to hold a mirror up and ask if maybe I shouldn't just let that sleeping dog lie.
