When TikTok user CJ opened the care instructions left by their mother-in-law while dog-sitting her Labrador, Thor, they were both overwhelmed and amused by the level of detail.
CJ (@whatscjwearing) shared the instructions on TikTok, reading a piece of paper that begins, “He’s really spoiled. Writing this reminds me of how spoiled he is.”
Thor’s routine is documented in hilarious detail. He wakes at 6:30 a.m. before heading outside to relieve himself and occasionally charge at a blue heron, who apparently “sounds like a pterodactyl.”
After his morning outing, his food must be “fluffed with a fork,” and once he finishes, he’s hand-fed green beans, “one at a time.”
After he has the rest of his dinner at around 4 p.m—along with an ice cream— Thor brings his bowl to the sink and, as noted, “gets a great big reward for returning his dirty dishes.”
At 8:30 p.m., he receives a Zyrtec in a Pill Pocket to help with allergies, and when he’s tired, Thor will simply “put himself to bed in our bedroom.”
Users React
The now-viral TikTok video has now been viewed more than 715,000 times—and users embraced Thor’s detailed regimen with delight.
One pointed out, “Not spoiled. Super well-loved,” while another chimed in, “That’s not your mother-in-law’s dog, that’s your brother-in-law.”
“A good boy who eats his veggies and helps with the dishes,” one commenter noted. “An angel on earth.”
“As a pet sitter, I really appreciate these extra parents,” another posted. “Yes, please give me all the instructions. I want to spoil your pet just right.”
Pampered Pets
But the thread also raised questions not just about how to care for pets but whether pampering crosses the line into spoiling.
Bark Busters, a global dog training company, distinguishes the two: “Love is a powerful reward,” the company notes.
“To truly understand this, you have to look at the correlation between love and behavior. A basic tenet of behavior is that animals…will repeat behavior that rewards them.”
However, the line can blur. Spoiled pets might wake their owners unnecessarily, demand attention at inconvenient times or become territorial.
‘Time for a wake-up call’
According to Bark Busters, “Spoiled dogs are those that drag their owners around the block…the dog with no manners is the one that is spoiled.”
In this case, however, Thor’s manners seem to be very good, considering he helps out with his dirty dishes.
But Fruitables, a pet wellness brand, lists “begging for table scraps” and “demanding a higher thread count” on shared beds as red flags.
“If you find that you’re sacrificing your own comfort just so you don’t wake them, it might be time for a wake-up call,” the company writes.
Newsweek has reached out to @whatscjwearing for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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