Name Some Dog Myths

[lovemesideways]

all dogs at the rescue / shelter / pound have something wrong with them or bad temperment. (it was never something wrong with their owner).

you can't get puppies at a shelter (you get them from a pet shop)

designer breeds have all the best qualities of their parents.

blue heelers are more aggressive than red heelers

Any dog with a "split" or groove on its head is part (or all) staffy

Any dog that can do frog legs must be part or all staffy

If you let your dog take a tug toy from you - you will lose alpha / leader status in that dog's eyes. (even if the dog brings it straight back?)

If you play tug with a dog - you encourage aggression and dominance behaviour in the dog.

check chain collars are good and training (front attach) harnesses are bad, a crutch for the handler - sadly the instructors in charge of my dog club believe this, I think it has something to do with competition obedience rules.

An older taller dog will not roll over for a shorter younger puppy.

Oh! Big big myths!!!!!!!

I Hadn't even thought of them.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

lovemesideways

re the tug games

I've just watched a tonne of Sue Garrett DVDs. She trains all her agility dogs with tug toys. And food. And they love doing what they're told.

I just refer the alpha roll people to this

http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/alpha-fallacy

and the american vet association has put out something similar with some scientific study stuff in it.

[love-my-dog]

feeding a dog raw meat will give it the taste of blood and make it want to hunt & kill

This is true...

I once fed my dog raw meat and now she goes hunting in the shopping bags and fridge.

And she can really murder a steak.

[love-my-dog]

That dogs are omnivores...

Could you elaborate?

Well it's a scientific fact that dog's are carnivores!

Dogs have teeth and digestive systems almost incapable of digesting or absorbing nutrients from vegetation or grain. (omnivores?)

And their DNA is 99.8% identical to wolves, which are carnivores.

And contrary to popular belief, internationally recognised wolf expert, David Mech, has proven that wolves don't eat the stomach contents of their prey - they shake it out and eat the lining.

Dogs can and do eat vegetable matter.

just look at the main ingredients listed on dry food packets.

In most cases the first and main ingrediant is cereal or grain.

I have always fed my dogs vegetables as part of their diet and they have all lived to ripe old ages.

[love-my-dog]

What about "If you don't desex a male dog they will get cancer and DIE.."

This is partially true.

Desexing a dog or bitch will remove the chance of them getting some types of cancers and diminish the chance of getting some other types of cancer.

i.e a desexed dog WILL NOT get cancer of the testicles.

[ncarter]

"If a dog wags his tail, hes happy"

This is generally true is it not?

[Parkeyre]

"If a dog wags his tail, hes happy"

This is generally true is it not?

Dog's also wag their tails when they are mad, scared etc..

[lovemesideways]

"If a dog wags his tail, hes happy"

This is generally true is it not?

Dog's also wag their tails when they are mad, scared etc..

Exactly. A dog could be wagging it's tail in relation to a -I'm frightened please go away- action, this coupled with a child trying to pat the "happy" dog, is where these myths can lead to dangerous outcomes.

[lovemesideways]

What about "If you don't desex a male dog they will get cancer and DIE.."

This is partially true.

Desexing a dog or bitch will remove the chance of them getting some types of cancers and diminish the chance of getting some other types of cancer.

i.e a desexed dog WILL NOT get cancer of the testicles.

I would be very interested where you came up with these definite facts. As I have heard "facts" of the same nature saying something completely contrary. I think this subject is one where every one has a opinion and is sure their opinion is fact.

Same as you shouldn't desex before they're over 12 months otherwise they won't grow and mature properly.

Or

if you don't desex a dog at 6 months they will become crazy, agressive, mark everything and hump everyone.

Both are "fact" depending on who you ask.

[ncarter]

Dog's also wag their tails when they are mad, scared etc..

yes but it is a totally different type of 'wag', a mad dog will have a higher and more tense wag, whereas a scared dog will often hold its tail loose and wag it slowly or have its tail between its legs.

Edited June 8, 2010 by ncarter

[ncarter]

I would be very interested where you came up with these definite facts. As I have heard "facts" of the same nature saying something completely contrary. I think this subject is one where every one has a opinion and is sure their opinion is fact.

Same as you shouldn't desex before they're over 12 months otherwise they won't grow and mature properly.

Or

if you don't desex a dog at 6 months they will become crazy, agressive, mark everything and hump everyone.

Both are "fact" depending on who you ask.

Well how is a male dog meant to get testicular cancer if he doesnt have any testicles. Same goes for a bitch with ovarian or uterine cancer.

Edited June 8, 2010 by ncarter

[love-my-dog]

I would be very interested where you came up with these definite facts. As I have heard "facts" of the same nature saying something completely contrary. I think this subject is one where every one has a opinion and is sure their opinion is fact.

Same as you shouldn't desex before they're over 12 months otherwise they won't grow and mature properly.

Or

if you don't desex a dog at 6 months they will become crazy, agressive, mark everything and hump everyone.

Both are "fact" depending on who you ask.

Well how is a male dog meant to get testicular cancer if he doesnt have any testicles. Same goes for a bitch with ovarian or uterine cancer.

Exactly ..... You can't get cancer of something you don't have.

(or does lovemesideways know something we dont?)

[Cody]

if only staffies or their x's sit 'froggy style' I must call the breeder of my oes and get a complete refund!

[Starkehre]

...that big dogs must be canibals, cause "big dogs eat little dogs for breakfast".

[poodlemum]

if only staffies or their x's sit 'froggy style' I must call the breeder of my oes and get a complete refund!

& all my Poodles are obviously not pure-bred

[Teebs]

feeding a dog raw meat will give it the taste of blood and make it want to hunt & kill

This is true...

I once fed my dog raw meat and now she goes hunting in the shopping bags and fridge.

And she can really murder a steak.

My dogs get raw meat - ages ago i cut my leg pretty bad, I was trying to mop myself up and kaos came over, she licked my leg where it was bleeding, she backed away, shuddered and walked off - she hates the taste of blood! I cracked up laughing, big tough man eater she is!!

Dog's also wag their tails when they are mad, scared etc..

yes but it is a totally different type of 'wag', a mad dog will have a higher and more tense wag, whereas a scared dog will often hold its tail loose and wag it slowly or have its tail between its legs.

Not in my experience - Atlas hates the vets, he has to be muzzled and goes crazy when he has to have his nails cut, the whole entire time, his tail wags - exactly as it does when he is happy at home.

When Kaos and At got into a fight years ago, Kaos was wagging her tail the whole time as well

I dont trust tails!!

[love-my-dog]

...that big dogs must be canibals, cause "big dogs eat little dogs for breakfast".

Only if you slap the little dog between 2 slices of bread. Yum hot dogs

[Aidan]

I would be very interested where you came up with these definite facts. As I have heard "facts" of the same nature saying something completely contrary. I think this subject is one where every one has a opinion and is sure their opinion is fact.

Same as you shouldn't desex before they're over 12 months otherwise they won't grow and mature properly.

Or

if you don't desex a dog at 6 months they will become crazy, agressive, mark everything and hump everyone.

Both are "fact" depending on who you ask.

Well how is a male dog meant to get testicular cancer if he doesnt have any testicles. Same goes for a bitch with ovarian or uterine cancer.

Exactly ..... You can't get cancer of something you don't have.

(or does lovemesideways know something we dont?)

No-one is arguing that a dog without testicles can get testicular cancer. The myth as stated was "if you don't desex a dog they will get cancer and die", which is most definitely a myth. Not all dogs with testicles will get cancer of any sort. If the myth was stated as "if you don't desex a dog they have a higher risk of some cancers" then I would disagree with that being a myth because it is has been shown to be true, at least for testicular cancer.

[lovemesideways]

Dog's also wag their tails when they are mad, scared etc..

yes but it is a totally different type of 'wag', a mad dog will have a higher and more tense wag, whereas a scared dog will often hold its tail loose and wag it slowly or have its tail between its legs.

Not in my experience - Atlas hates the vets, he has to be muzzled and goes crazy when he has to have his nails cut, the whole entire time, his tail wags - exactly as it does when he is happy at home.

When Kaos and At got into a fight years ago, Kaos was wagging her tail the whole time as well

I dont trust tails!!

Neither do I. My aunties dog Max bit their daughter years and years ago now. She kept harrassing him and one day he bit her. She kept saying "But he was wagging his tail mum!!!!"

I wouldn't trust a child or the general public to be able to tell the difference between one type of wag and another.

I would be very interested where you came up with these definite facts. As I have heard "facts" of the same nature saying something completely contrary. I think this subject is one where every one has a opinion and is sure their opinion is fact.

Same as you shouldn't desex before they're over 12 months otherwise they won't grow and mature properly.

Or

if you don't desex a dog at 6 months they will become crazy, agressive, mark everything and hump everyone.

Both are "fact" depending on who you ask.

Well how is a male dog meant to get testicular cancer if he doesnt have any testicles. Same goes for a bitch with ovarian or uterine cancer.

Exactly ..... You can't get cancer of something you don't have.

(or does lovemesideways know something we dont?)

No-one is arguing that a dog without testicles can get testicular cancer. The myth as stated was "if you don't desex a dog they will get cancer and die", which is most definitely a myth. Not all dogs with testicles will get cancer of any sort. If the myth was stated as "if you don't desex a dog they have a higher risk of some cancers" then I would disagree with that being a myth because it is has been shown to be true, at least for testicular cancer.

Exactly. Thanks Aidan

Edited June 9, 2010 by lovemesideways

[spoilt lab lives here]

Dog's also wag their tails when they are mad, scared etc..

yes but it is a totally different type of 'wag', a mad dog will have a higher and more tense wag, whereas a scared dog will often hold its tail loose and wag it slowly or have its tail between its legs.

The general non dog savvy people will just see a moving tail and think "oh happy dog".