Lewis is only six months old, but already he has his adoring family turning themselves inside out to meet his every need.

He has a special diet; he refuses to sleep in his cot, but rotates between beds; he's constantly picked up and dandled on laps; his every action and reaction is a cause for delight and exclamation.

But Lewis is not a baby, he's an Australian terrier - a dog.

And he's one of thousands of dogs that are treated more like a child than a domesticated animal.

I once saw a small fluffy number on the beach in Cannes, France, that could hardly hold her head up because of the gold chain around her neck.

The owners of such animals dote on their pets and expect everyone to be equally besotted.

Just last week, I joined a group of women for coffee, one of whom brought her poodle along. Molly (the pooch) sat on her lap and was the centre of attention the entire time.

"Mummy's here, darling," cooed the smitten owner. "Look how pretty she is. Isn't she a doll?

"Oh, don't growl. She's very protective if she doesn't know you," she purred when one of our party tried to pat Molly.

I love dogs. Our family has always had dogs. But they have always known their place - outside in the backyard.

We care for them and love them, but always on our terms. Those terms are: you are not our equal, you do not sleep on our bed, you do not eat our food, we do not jump to attention every time you bark or whine and we are definitely not your mummy or daddy.

I've always had bitsers and mostly they have accepted the status quo.

But a decade ago, I met Flounder the foxie - my husband Garry's dog - and I came to realise just how manipulative and demanding a dog can be.

"He's a pedigree," Garry says despairingly. "Give him an inch, he takes miles."

Flounder is allowed inside for a few hours after dark, but if we capitulate and give him access during a cold day, we hear about it for days: "I was allowed in yesterday, why not today? Give me a break," he whines.

The minute we stir in the morning, he's on the prowl, hassling for his walk.

As a young dog, he was finicky about his food, but Garry took a hard line - no fresh food until the old was gone - and today he eats without question.

He's a much-loved little dog, but he knows his place - well, most of the time. It is a constant battle as he challenges the rules. It takes a lot of discipline to keep him in line and I can see why people give in. Sometimes it's easier to take the path of least resistance.

We could draw parallels with how we are raising our children, but we won't go there today. And anyway, unlike kids, dogs give you undivided loyalty, love you unconditionally and never answer back.

All of which makes it very tempting to spoil them. But do them a favour: treat them like dogs. Love them, don't pamper them; give them lots of exercise, don't keep them housebound; feed them their food, not our food; and make them sleep in their own beds.

Let them be dogs.