I for one do, and I believe there are many many parallels between raising kids and looking after a dog.
For instance, teaching a dog obidience isn't so much about forcing it to do something or getting it to understand your commands, it's all about asserting your authority and managing the relationship between you and the dog.
Dogs respond to commands from the alpha male, if someone "earns" dominance, then they will obey loyally. Yes, they will be territorial, especially so if they are insecure or have developed bad habits - but even more reason to establish who's boss and "manage" the relationship the dog and yourself (or any other inhabitants of the house).
This is much like you need to teach children that what their parents say goes. They make not always like, and there will be tears and tantrums, but it is the role of a good parent to stand firm and provide unwavering guidance.
Kids don't have the information or the capability to decipher it, so we must provide them with a positive example, and then enforce it.
The same with dogs, except dogs never grow out of it. They don't become more enlightened so as to become independent, they need our guidance and support. We must make decisions on their behalf, and guide them along the correct way.
There are people out there that argue that dogs should do "what's in their nature" to do.
It's a dog's nature to mark its scent all around my house, should I allow that?
It's a dog's nature to use aggression and intimidation to compete with other dogs for dominance. Should I encourage that?
No.
Dogs can't rely on their instinct in this human-built world. They're not in their natural habitats , they need to be domesticated through training.
In the wild, a dog will eat what it can, relying on instinct to determine what is safe or healthy. In a domestic setting, this ability has been stripped. How can a dog determine whether there is actually liver in a can of gooey gelatinous dog "food".
It can't.
Nothing in nature looks, smells or tastes like that. They can't tell, so they eat it nonetheless.
That's why it's up to a responsible owner to manage his or her dog's diet, among all the other aspects of that dog's life.
