Does your dog live a cushy life?

[][] DH accuse me of that all the time.  Max sleeps on our bed (loves that electric blanket) and has his own little electric  blankie on a small sofa, which he also loves. He sprawls out there in the winter and in front of a fan in the summer - as opposed to dogs that are  just left outside all the time. I frequently bring him new squeaky toys or bully sticks.  I think that just refers to people who take care of their dogs pretty much the same as most of us on the forum do - they're family members who live inside, and choose when they want to go out. When you stop to think of how some dogs are forced to live, I supposed our dogs would be living cushy lives.
 
Joyce

If you have a breed bred to work, hunt, live outdoors primarily, earn their keep via vermin patrol or farm work, etc then I'd imagine "cushy" means not having to do so?
 
By that definition, as my Beagles do not hunt then they have a cushy life. Tho they still do not have free reign of my home, and are expected to have manners, and know their place.

cush·y adjective cush·i·er, cush·i·est. Informal.



1.
involving little effort for ample rewards; easy and profitable: a cushy job.



2.
soft and comfortable; cushiony: a cushy chair.

If providing a comfortable, indoor existence with attention and fun is cushy, then I guess so! Some people have that old way of thinking that a dog belongs in a kennel outside and should be trained with a stick and not treats. Maybe they think your dogs have a 'cushy' life.

My dad says this all the time.  My dogs have tons of toys, stuff to chew on, their own small chairs, and have one of those water fountains.  The last two, my dad got for them, so he definitely supports my habit!  Although, I don't think that is the only definition of cushy.  I think as long as the dog is happy, thats all that matters.  We have one dog at my mentors who gets to spend all of her time hunting small animals, playing in the pond, and running around.  She loves it.  She is the happiest dog I have ever met...especially when she comes back from the green pond looking like an alien!  Although, she can only do that for a couple of weeks in the summer.  She doesn't like to be inside at all and always tries to get back out if we bring her in.  The only inside place she likes is her crate in the garage at night and during thunderstorms.  She must think she has the best life ever, getting to do what her instincts tell her.  I think she has a pretty cushy life too!  So, it all depends on the dog I think.

I have heard, cushy, spoiled, pampered.............I guess,some people think a dog is a dog, and dogs don't need to have a lifestyle like people............
 
 

My dogs are spoiled ROTTEN, and I know it. Any dog that needs a section of the closet for her wardrobe qualifies. They sleep on the furniture, they have dozens of collars and leads, they go everywhere with me, and they eat better than I do (I make all of their food). Yeah, no doubt about it.

I don't really care, though. Most people my age want to put their money into partying or whatever else they do. I figure, the dogs are just the place that I waste my money[] Of course, I don't consider their actual needs a waste, but I have a strong tendency to impulse buys..... [][]

Most people I know tell me my dogs are spoiled because I feed them "fancy and overpriced" (their words) food.[8|]
 
Axl and Ogre both have free reign of the house, Sgt. Butter will too once he's house trained and has some manners. Pepito will NOT be house trained so he's limited to a few rooms.
 
I have some kind of beds in every room for my dogs. Some are actual dog beds, some are pillows, some are old blankets. Either way theres something soft for them in almost every room. Axl and Ogre are allowed on our bed too, with permission. The only piece of furniture that no dogs are allowed on is the couch...but only because it's white and easily stained.
 
They go outside whenever they want, have a huge yard with a creek to play in, a toybox full of interesting toys, I spend a ton of time grooming them, they get nice sweaters and coats to wear...and  I make sure they all get at least some amount of off leash time somewhere, every day, to romp around and just be dogs. I'm home all day, so all of my time is basically spent catering to them.
 
So yes, I'd say my dogs do have a pretty cushy life. []

Well I guess Kobi has a pretty cushy life. He's warm, healthy, fed and loved. He certainly does not have the run of the house and has 'dog rules' he has to abide by. He is low man on the totem pole in our famliy, but quite far up the pole in dog terms. If I were a dog, I certainly would like to be him.

Do Aspen & Grady have a cushy life?  You betcha.  Would I do anything different for them?  Nope!  Well maybe.  If I weren't so lazy, I'm probably home cook for them.  Since I HATE cooking, the liklihood of that happening anytime soon is very slim.  [sm=biggrin.gif]

Ratsicles...
 
Just out of curiosity why will Pepito not be housetrained?  

Ratsicles...

Just out of curiosity why will Pepito not be housetrained?  

Here's a thread on him: [linkhttp://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=199139]http://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=199139[/link]

He'll learn to go outside, be totally house trained, and then suddenly forget it all after a while. That thread explains everything fully. We think he may be having seizures.

(And yes, I know it's not just a matter of my not training him properly...I've had dogs my whole life and have definitely potty trained my share of them. It has to be some kind of physical or mental problem with him, especially since this is not his ONLY issue. [])

YEHA! My new Border Collie...I don't think I've ever spoiled a dog more! She sleeps on my bed, romps around in a marsh everyday, eats homemade food, raw meats, fresh dog biscuits (pinwheels and liver brownies), has a wide array of toys...the works.

Ummm, YEAH.  Gypsy has more toys than DSs do (not really, but at least THEY put them away). She has not one, not two, but THREE crates, two leashes, three collars, piles of treats, a spot near the fire, great food, loving discipline and an owner who will keep her until she leaves this earth.  What more could a dog want?