Article on 'Fur babies' . Sydney Morning Herald

[persephone]

http://www.smh.com.au/national/the-pampered-dog-world-of-the-fur-baby-20170504-gvyqqd.html

excerpts:

 

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"Dogs don't understand grey areas," Harris says. "They can either always do something, or they can never do something. And once a dog understands that, he feels safe and happy."

 

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One  feature dogs unfortunately do share with people is "sweet" receptors on their tongues. Dogs get as addicted to sugary treats as we do. We also get just as sucked in by pet food marketing as we do with our own treats and snacks. "People see the cute ads, and think I'll get that for my dog. But a lot of these treats have a lot of sugar in them. Of course the dog loves them, but that kind of food isn't doing your dog any favours," Bradley says.

But not giving you fur baby something it thinks is yummy? It's a tough ask. "Even my mum does it, I'm ashamed to say," says Bradley. 

 

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cognitive scientist Alexandra Horowitz talks about umwelt, the world as it's perceived by a particular organism. McGreevy talks about a dog's telos: its purpose, its reason for being. What McGreevy and Horowitz  are both saying, in essence, is instead of imagining that your dog is human, imagine what it might be like if you were the dog.

"We assume that their needs are the same as our needs, but that's not the case," McGreevy says. "Dogs have evolved to be dogs. So canine company, rules and routines that facilitate their ability to spend time out of the house, to access other social groups including other dogs – that's what they need."

 

 

[Bushriver]

Couldn't agree more. I love my dogs, but they are animals not humans and are treated as such, and I believe are much happier for it. Also can't stand the term fur baby!!

Edited May 8, 2017 by Bushriver