all creatures Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 (edited) There is a fancy name for it...anthro-something-or-rather... Anyway - has this topic been done b4 and if not - why not and would be intersting to discuss perhaps? Edited January 29, 2011 by all creatures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Because we're human and it's the only way we know how to relate to the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swizzlestick Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 There is a fancy name for it...anthro-something-or-rather... Anthropomorphise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Because we are human! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Sheer blind ignorance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainy Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Sheer blind ignorance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsella Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I think this is the cause of some dog problems. By treating them as human we are not showing the respect the canine species deserves. Also, dog behaviour can then viewed as wrong instead of natural. JMHO> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bedazzledx2 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Perfect example is that silly woman encouraged by that silly Bondi Vet dressing her puppy in dog clothes purchased from a shop that make squillions out of it!!! Stupidity!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra777 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Who's "we" I don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsella Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 (edited) Who's "we" I don't. Twas the generic "we", cheeky. And I don't either, mine are dogs, strange but dogs. Edited January 29, 2011 by kinsella Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I think personally that it is incredibly dangerous and the effects of humanising dogs is already seen. Let dogs be dogs. My dogs are not bought birthday or chritsmas gifts, I don't refer to them as my 'furkids' nor am I their mummy and my husband is not their daddy. They don't sleep me with, nor do I expect that I will take them everywhere with me so they don't get 'upset or offended' at being left out. They are dogs. Animals. I love them, I care for them, and they are my companions but that is as far as it goes. I understand 100% that they are a dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I don't think my dogs are human; my dogs think I'm a dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozzie Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 My dogs are dogs. Nothing more, nothing less. My lamb and goat think they are dogs, but that's a whole new scenario. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 I don't think it's sheer ignorance. I agree that we are humans and that's the only way we know how to relate to the world. I would bet that 99% of people on this forum humanise their dogs to an extent, and a lot of us sure aren't ignorant about dog behaviour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 (edited) I agree with the 'it's because we are human' It's US, how we relate.. It's been going on for many thousands of years.. dogs ate at the fire, slept with humans (warmth, protection), hunted, guarded, protected, herded and a hundred other 'jobs' alongside humans. No wonder we think of them this way. There is a lot of proof that owing to such a close relationship with humans, doggs have developed different behaviours that wild animals and other domestic animals have not. ie, many dogs will follow a pointed finger, look to a humans eyes for information and humans expressions, have an understanding of our forms of communication/body language. As long as commmon sense prevails I dont see anything wrong with it. Some take things to extremes which is not a good thing, dogs are not humans, obviously. that's a good thing!!! I may not like them much if they were!! Edited January 30, 2011 by Monah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~*Shell*~ Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Lol - i think it's the worst thing we can do to anthropomorphise dogs. I mean, Zero wouldn't be able to lift his leg on a tree, poop in the great outdoors, be as messy as he likes when he eats, get away with murder, air hump Ahsoka when she's in season, sniff other dogs' butts or run around like he's crazy if he was human. He likes being a dog, so I treat him like a dog. Don't get me wrong, he has awesome health care, lots of toys and a lot of my life revolves around him and activities we do together but he is a dog, not my fluffy child. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Q Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 My favourite thing about my dogs is that they ARN'T human, its a great disservice to them to treat them otherwise. Sure we use phrases like "go find your mum" but I don't think we overly humanise them, sure I buy them nice coats they don't need for winter, they get christmas presents, I like taking them out with me if I'm going somewhere, they sleep in my bed and their dinner is prioritised over my own but I don't think any of this negatively effects them, you should see their faces when they get a present at christmas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileys mum Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 (edited) My favourite thing about my dogs is that they ARN'T human, its a great disservice to them to treat them otherwise. Sure we use phrases like "go find your mum" but I don't think we overly humanise them, sure I buy them nice coats they don't need for winter, they get christmas presents, I like taking them out with me if I'm going somewhere, they sleep in my bed and their dinner is prioritised over my own but I don't think any of this negatively effects them, you should see their faces when they get a present at christmas! I'm pretty much the same busterlove, yeah I know dogs don't know its christmas or when its their birthday, but its wonderful to see the delight on their faces when they get a new toy, (I don't think it affects them negatively at all ) I will put my hand up & say that I'm one of those owners that calls my dogs my kids,the dogs know my OH as dad & they know me as mummy (yep flame away if you want) my dogs are my life, I love them with all my heart, but I do realise they are dogs & not human & can respect that. I always make sure My dogs basic needs are still met, they are all well trained, get lots of excercise & stimulation, they sleep in their own beds in our bed room are fed nutritious food, & get the right veterinary treatment when needed. I won't go as far as dressing them up in clothes though, I love the look of their natural coat too much... I'm not ashamed of loving my dogs & seeing them as more than "Just a Dog" (a term I personally hate as there is so much more to them than that).... my dogs all seem well balanced & very happy, & at the end of the day thats all that's important to me. ETA: I just thought I would add that I'm beginning to put together a birthday parcel for each puppy from my first litter (their bithday is coming up in April ) Of course I realise my babies don't know its their birthday, but I love each & every one of them...& it makes me happy that they are going to get something new aswell as putting a smile to my puppy owners face. Edited January 30, 2011 by Baileys mum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koalathebear Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 (edited) At the end of the day, my view is that we should just live and let live unless someone's mistreating their dog ... We call our two dogs monsters, little bastards, puppies, doggies whatever. Sometimes for a joke, I call them our babies. They're not our fur kids or our children and we aren't thrilled when obedience class calls us "Elbie's Mum" or "Elbie's dad" but we're not overly fussed (especially since it's just because at dog school it's easier to remember dog names than human names ). If people want to call their dogs their children or their fur kids, I think that that's totally fine so long as they're not feeding them a human diet and letting them play with their 'skin kids' unsupervised. Nomenclature is just that and calling something something doesn't make it so and it's certainly not inherently dangerous or ignorant in itself. If an owner is poorly educated or lacks appropriate judgement, I think that dangerous behaviour will manifest itself regardless of whether he/she calls his/her dog a dog, a fur kid or an artichoke. For some people their dogs are their children (or at least a substitute) and that's fine so long as they're forgetting to attend to the needs of the dog as a dog. We don't dress up our dogs except as a joke at Christmas but don't have a problem with other people dressing up their dogs if that's what they enjoy and it doesn't impair the dog's health. We choose not to let our dogs in our bed but have no problem with other people doing that. Similarly, unlike a lot of people, I think it's totally fine for people to have outside dogs so long as the breed in question can live outdoors safely and is provided with sufficient enrichment and entertainment. Some doggies are more aloof, some like being cuddled more. For presents, we give our dogs 'presents' but we regularly buy them 'stuff' just because it's as much fun for us as it is for them. They may not understand the significance of Christmas or birthdays but they certainly understand when things are for them to play with or eat. Elbie has a bad habit of assuming that ALL deliveries from the delivery man are for him. Sadly enough, many of our delivered items are dog-related (toys, furminator, medicine etc) By many non-DOL people's standards, everyone who frequents this forum probably babies our dogs far too much and don't treat them as dogs enough. So many people I know don't take their dogs to obedience, think we're bonkers for worrying about dog diet when dogs should just eat table scraps etc. Then you come to DOL where there's an amorphous, non-objective hierarchy of 'I treat my dog like This so I am more cerebral/enlightened/Right/responsible/intellectual and appropriate than x who does not'. Some people like lickers, others do not. Someone I know who is very dog savvy is find if their dog is paws up and jumps up on tables - we are not. I think it's totally fine to discuss our differences, I just feel uncomfortable when people feel like they're in a position to be judging other people just because other people don't behave in exactly the same way they do. We all have different viewpoints, perspectives, moral compasses and ways of doing things. We wouldn't do those things if we didn't truly believe that we were 'right', but at the end of the day - who is to know? At the end of the day does it really matter so long as everyone's happy and no one's being harmed ... ETA: Pet ownership is such a personal thing and how we choose to interact with our dogs is very personal. Then there's the whole "pet" vs "companion dog" argument. Some people get so angry if you refer to your dog as your pet... Edited January 30, 2011 by koalathebear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 If you're talking about the extreme cases where people are clearly living in a fantasy land as regarding the motives and intellectual capabilities of their dogs, then I agree that's a bit silly, and often deleterious to the dog. But otherwise, this question is a bit pointless, since everyone here is human - we all interpret what our dogs do from our own (human) frame of reference, even if we try our best to be objective. Just like our dogs can only interpret what we do from their own canine frame of reference. Plus, dogs do have many similar qualities to humans, and since none of us can directly ask a dog what they think, different people will believe different things about dog emotional & intellectual lives. Some people will say it's anthropomorphic to believe that dogs can feel love or anger or jealousy, for example, other people think it is blindingly obvious that their dogs can feel these emotions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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