Moral Support Needed For Owner of Spoiled Dog!

Help please! I know how stupid this sounds, and I know it's all MY fault. I have 3 dogs...a Doberman, a lab/chow mix and a Sheltie. The Sheltie, Baxter, is my baby and he's soooo very spoiled. He sleeps on my pillow at night. During the warm months he is constantly in the garden with me, I barely get a cup of coffee poured in the morning and he's poking my leg with his nose saying, "Let's go play in the garden!" In the winter (now) he loves to go play in the snow and plow it around with his little nose....to chase the birds out of the Holly and Rhododendron. He has such a good time, he's so fun to watch.

There has been a new problem arise recently though. I'm a pushover when it comes to Bax. When our dogs come in from going potty or playing they get a treat, they always have since they were pups. Lately Bax has started wanting only ME to take him out to play/potty. Sometimes he won't go out the door for my DH....if he does go out the door he won't leave the porch. There have been many times I've walked out onto the porch just to get him to run into the grass to go potty.

DH doesn't always give treats when the doggies come in....I ALWAYS do. Bax has learned this. He's also learned that poking my leg, or pawing my leg is his way of saying he has to go potty. Only sometimes he's only wanting to go out to get a treat....so I get up to take him potty and instead of running to the door he runs to the treat jar.

It's so hard to look into his little face and tell him no. Especially when he's wagging that fluffy tail and is all excited. The little booger. The problem is that he'll poke, poke, poke, paw, paw, paw, poke, poke, poke me constantly in the evening. Non-stop. Sometimes I can divert his attention by holding a rawhide for him to chew on....but that only lasts about 5-10 minutes. He wants his kong hydrant filled with treats...and now he's learned how to get them all out in about 3 minutes flat. It used to take an 1/2 hour.

So, help, please. I know that "all" I have to do is tell him no, but that's MUCH easier said than done. This would also be easier for me if I hadn't of had another Sheltie that I loved just as much who passed away when she was just 2 yrs old of tumors. I waited 2 yrs to find the perfect little Sheltie after we lost her....and Bax is my dream dog. Everyone who meets him and knows anything about Shelties just can't believe what a lap dog he is. He loves to just sit beside me and be loved on....and he'd rather give you kisses than do nearly anything else, well, except eat milk bones!

Any tips from anyone how to get through this without breaking my heart or his? I know how stupid that sounds....I really do. I also know it's MY fault...like I said earlier.

Is anyone else guilty of loving their dog too much with treats or people food, etc.?

Thanks for reading my ramblings. I have to go get a treat for the pokey puppy now. I'm soooo wrapped around his paw.

Heather & Baxter (aka "Pumpkin Butt")