How to Raise a Jewish Dog by Rabbis of Boca Raton Theological Seminary, Barbara Davilman

rewards, a-little-somethings,
     and everything else above and beyond the necessities. But when you’re raising a Jewish dog, pampering is not something you
     do on a whim or because you’re in a good mood or because the dog has done something special.
    When raising a Jewish dog, pampering
is
a necessity.
    And there are many different ways to do it. That’s why we have devised what we call “The Six-Pointed Mogen David Star of Pampering.”
     It illustrates the six basic (and different) ways to pamper your dog. All of them, of course, display your Unconditional Love
     for the dog. But they also serve a number of other, equally important functions:

    HOW TO RAISE A JEWISH DOG
Form of Pampering
Purpose Other Than Showing Unconditional Love
What You Buy for Your Dog
Provisional
To lay groundwork for future guilting
Anything she likes
Preemptive
To make sure dog feels secure about the future
Anything she may like next week.
Past-Perfect
To make sure dog feels free to change her mind
Anything she used to like in the past but doesn’t anymore but may start to like again
Peer-Oriented
To make sure dog is secure among her peers
Anything her friends like
Peremptory
To make sure you feel secure about dog
Anything you like
Perfunctory
To take advantage of miscellaneous opportunities to pamper dog and yourself
Anything on sale
The Six-Pointed Mogen David Star of Pampering
    As you can see, with these six different forms of pampering the range of items you can buy for the dog is infinite. If the
     dog likes it, or used to like it, or her friends like it, or if you like it, it’s appropriate. Thus, anything from a squeaky
     plastic bone to a two-bedroom apartment in Rio de Janeiro can be bought “for the dog.”
    Still, some products are more important than others. Let’s review them now.
Sweaters
    Most dogs have coats, and so don’t particularly “need” sweaters. Still, when the weather turns cold in autumn and winter,
     a person or a dog could catch pneumonia and drop dead at any minute, because you never know. So a sweater is always a good
     idea. Besides, there is no better way to show the world your capacity for love and concern—not to mention style and sophistication—than
     by strolling around the neighborhood with a dog wearing a sweater.
    People have asked us why, since we live in warm, subtropical Florida, we even consider dressing our dogs in sweaters. But,
     as anyone who lives in or has visited these areas can tell you, whether you’re in the humid Deep South or the dry desert Southwest,
     you spend most of your time in freezing air-conditioning. We ourselves wear sweaters indoors the year-round, and so do our
     dogs.
Booties
    Booties, or small boots, are not particularly appropriate for larger dogs, who will often display their resistance to wearing
     them by tearing them off with their mouths and eating them. For smaller dogs, however, booties offer protection from snow,
     ice, slush, and even just cold sidewalks. Booties are also very cute and can form a nice ensemble with sweaters.

    Dog in goggles: absolutely necessary when allowing dog to ride in car with head out the window or when shopping at upscale
     retailers
Scarves
    Unlike sweaters and booties, scarves probably don’t keep the dog that much warmer. But they can be very stylish and dashing,
     so much so that when you see your dog in a scarf you feel good. And if you feel good, then by definition the dog feels good.
     That’s why we recommend that your dog wear scarves—because it makes him happy.
Hats
    There is probably no health benefit to be gained by having the dog wear a hat. Still, as long as your dog is going out in
     a sweater, booties, and scarf, what’s the harm?
Toys
    One of the best ways to pamper the dog is by giving him toys, and the range of toys available at pet stores or online is immense.
     Just bear in mind that it is impossible to predict which squeaky bone or nub-covered ball your dog will like (if any), or
     how long he’ll