The dogs dont quite get the same treatment as the kids, but we do sometimes confuse those who don't know us well when we refer to the girls (daughters) and the boys (dogs)!
Lynn

I sometimes find myself patting children on the tops of their heads LOL.

I find myself telling the kids come here boy, come here girl LOL

LMAO..... :smt040

No, my dogs are just that... dogs.

Yep, they get cuddles, kisses, face licks ... get to chill with us, our one house dogs gets the sofa/bed if she wants, but at the end of the day, they are my dogs.. not my kids!

When my Kali was younger, he was kept off ALL furniture and knew he wasn't allowed up on the sofa or the bed. Four years later, along came Snorri., and Mrs S decided that the rules didn't apply to him (still haven't fathomed that out!) and let him go anywhere he pleased

After that, Kali was allowed up on the sofa, too :smt084 Not on the bed, though!

We talk to them like kids, and they are somewhat pampered, but we don't lose sight of their being dogs, and not four-legged humans!

Snorri

I have to confess. When I first got my Beagle I treated her like I would my own child, but it did cause problems. She became very spoilt, with no fault of my own. But I feel dogs are dogs, they don't think like humans. So it can cause problems in my experiance.
I've not made that mistake with my GS, and he's coming along lovely

I've spoiled mine, but still kept the upper hand and it's caused no problems here They still know who's boss.

It really didn't help that she's a beagle. She was pretty hard to train anyway. Very stubborn, and strong willed. I also think she got fed up with me smothering her - lol