Dogs are not fur babies.

[Odin-Genie]

Quote

People are now giving their dogs actual pet funerals, through funeral homes! Service and all.  I bury my pets at home, I keep my old pure cotton sheets for the very purpose of wrapping them up, but I won’t be having a funeral for them.

What is wrong with that? Some people have very strong bonds with their animals and a funeral service helps with their grief. I don’t believe in a rainbow bridge, but I wouldn’t put down those who need to believe to cope with their loss. I personally think a funeral for a companion animal is beautiful.

[Odin-Genie]

I have no issues with what people call their companion animals. People call their cars ‘baby’. To me the issue is how they are treated. Our dogs have always been dogs to us. We wanted them because they were dogs, not baby substitutes. But they have been part of our family, included in everything that a dog can enjoy. And they were not any less than other human family members.
When one of our dogs was diagnosed with cancer we left no stone unturned for her treatment and well-being, and I took a sabbatical from work to look after her. 
So, if this post is about not treating dogs like babies, I totally agree. If this is about dogs shouldn’t be as important as humans, I totally disagree. No one has the right to dictate how much one loves another being.

 

[tdierikx]

18 hours ago, Odin-Genie said:

So, if this post is about not treating dogs like babies, I totally agree. If this is about dogs shouldn’t be as important as humans, I totally disagree. No one has the right to dictate how much one loves another being.

 

I think the sentiment is about projecting humanising qualities on our pets.

 

T.

[sandgrubber]

And don't forget the people who die trying to rescue a pet from flood, fire or other disaster.   Many people have very deep emotional bonds to their pet.  The many jokes about loving the pet more than the partner aren't entirely jokes.  It's a feature of our time.

Edited May 10, 2022 by sandgrubber

[Loving my Oldies]

From listening and reading, I realise I am pretty well on my own, but one of my "pet hates" is calling children kids - LOL.  

[coneye]

On 10/05/2022 at 5:04 PM, Loving my Oldies said:

From listening and reading, I realise I am pretty well on my own, but one of my "pet hates" is calling children kids - LOL.  

Well to me  a dog is a dog ,, my dogs have always been well looked after  lived long  healthy lives  and been happy dogs  i treat them has mates , after all thats why i get a dog .  my dogs have always had a role    which was to be a good dog and a familly dog , but  protector of the property has well  , hence i mainly owned big dogs  ,   and for at least 30 years i  alweays had two dogs  , i figured they need company  during the day if no ones home ,  , regards sleeping  simple they slept where they want  inside outside i don't care  , some would want to sleep outside your bedroom door others go outside in there kennel  had one dog  who during the day wanted to be in with you , but at night  would howl and scratch the door  if you did'nt let him out , he would  lie in the middle of the garden in a storm and would refuse to come in , would'nt even go in his kennel but heh  i'd say to the wife leave him , he's a dog  , and he's got a doggy door if he wants to come in , they have all been mates companions protectors and a joy to own ,, now thats my version

 

 My wifes version is different   all my dogs ,i've never allowed on the furnture  ,  i'd  have a cushion   which was for them they knew they have there cushions , but soon has i'm gone the wife allowed them on the settee with her ,   she would give them a bit of whatever she had  , one for you one for me  sort of thing   dispite me saying they know there meal times ,   I have never been able to convince my wife  there dogs , you don't have to leave the light on for them , and you don't have to leave the tele on for them  theve got each other when were not home , , even now  , when we go out she will always say to our dog    , has she gives him a kiss  ,  won't be long baba  be good ,,   leaves the tele on for him    ,  he don't care he just sleeps ,,   i've put the security cameras on my phone and said to her  look at this  he's not watching tele , he's not budged he's in his bed  asleep ,, no matter how much i say to her , he's not a baba he's a dog ,, her answer is always the same he's my baba ...... Now  this all  coincides with the kids ,, she talks about our 3 lads , and refers to them has the kids ,, it annoys me ,  i tell her  for gods sake woman there not kids , the youngest is 35    theve all got there own kids  ,    there adults not babies ,,, her answer  don't care there my babies ,

 

Point being who cares what people call there dog ,   call it furbaby , baba , or dog  has long has its treated well  who cares

 

[asal]

gee one vet practice, that's had enough.

 

Desert Cross Veterinary Hospital

pretoof 3a5131Mu0903:5am71 yll t  · 

Dear Dog Owners,

This week I have seen post after post after post on the veterinary social media pages about the struggle with larger breed dogs that are undisciplined and fearful and trying to bite at staff and veterinarians. Half of the posts stated that they, the vet, were going to stop seeing any large breed dogs, some of them said that they were going to fire all clients who had dogs that were not well controlled, others said that they were starting to refuse service to dogs that growled or tried to bite or got freaked out when they tried to examine them. Clients, this is a huge problem and it is your problem and let's be real, it is your fault.

Dogs are NOT children or humans and we need to stop treating them like they are. They are animals! They do not learn by being coddled and babied and allowed to get away with whatever they feel like doing. It does not work that way in the animal kingdom. If you are a little shit of a dog your mom or some older dog is going to bite your head off to teach you! Once that puppy leaves its mom, you now become the teacher and trainer of what is and what is not acceptable behavior and if you don't, you and you alone are ruining your dog!

Dogs need discipline! They are like your kids! They need you to teach them, to train them, to discipline them so they learn what is and what is not acceptable. I can not tell you the number of times I have been in an exam room and a dog is growling at me and the owner does nothing. In fact, often times they pull back from the dog and they always get that sheepish look and often will say, “he doesn’t bite.” The hell he doesn’t bite! He is a dog, he bites and he is going to bite me because you have not shown him who is boss and he has no fear of humans and he has no idea that being a jerk is not allowed.

Please, if you love your dog, do your job and discipline them, train them, show them the proper way to behave and make sure they know that being a jerk gets them in trouble. If you do not, you will not be able to find a vet to help them when they are in need and that will be your fault and not the vets fault. No where in our oath does it say that we have to subject ourselves to being bitten by someones dog because they treated it like a human and felt sorry for it and never disciplined it and so it now has no respect for humans and bites. If you don’t start being a responsible pet owner, your dog is not going to be seen and you do not want that to happen.

Do not let your dog be the top dog in your house! It is not fair to them and it is not fair to us in the veterinary profession when we have to fear for our safety in order to try and help them when they are sick.

Teach them to be nice, take them to uncomfortable places, make sure they know that humans are the big dog in the relationship, that does not mean you beat them that means you show them that you are the boss by not allowing them to be jerks and get away with behaviors that they shouldn’t. Your dogs life and health depend on you being a good dog owner and raising them to be good dogs.

Sincerely,

Dr Debbie and Every Vet

[sandgrubber]

10 hours ago, asal said:

gee one vet practice, that's had enough.

 

Desert Cross Veterinary Hospital

pretoof 3a5131Mu0903:5am71 yll t  · 

 

Teach them to be nice, take them to uncomfortable places, make sure they know that humans are the big dog in the relationship, that does not mean you beat them that means you show them that you are the boss by not allowing them to be jerks and get away with behaviors that they shouldn’t. 

No question, undisciplined biters are a menace. But it's not spare the rod and spoil the dog.

 

Well behaved, lovable dogs are often taught in ways that are so soft you'd hardly call them discipline, and are treated almost as children.  I doubt there's big overlap between vet-biters and dogs whose owners call them 'furbaby' and allow them on the bed and sofa. 

 

Formal training often isn't required to get a dog to be well mannered and reasonably polite.   Just consistent gentle encouragement/discouragement by the owner.   Often not much more than tone of voice and an occasional push or pull.  Body language,  tone of voice, treats for good behaviour, and patience cause puppies take awhile to catch on to some things.

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by sandgrubber
additional thoughts

[persephone]

It's just that so many people have never learned, or have forgotten that dogs CAN be aggressive ..they have a different way of behaving to humans - and need to be understood and treated differently . 

[Pjrt]

1 hour ago, sandgrubber said:

No question, undisciplined biters are a menace. But it's not spare the rod and spoil the dog.

 

Well behaved, lovable dogs are often taught in ways that are so soft you'd hardly call them discipline, and are treated almost as children.  I doubt there's big overlap between vet-biters and dogs whose owners call them 'furbaby' and allow them on the bed and sofa. 

 

Formal training often isn't required to get a dog to be well mannered and reasonably polite.   Just consistent gentle encouragement/discouragement by the owner.   Often not much more than tone of voice and an occasional push or pull.  Body language,  tone of voice, treats for good behaviour, and patience cause puppies take awhile to catch on to some things.

 

I also thought the tone was a bit punitive.  My favourite way of training for a calm sensible dog is to withdraw attention at the slightest hint of ‘undesirable behaviour’. Watch them try hard to work out what they need to do to get your attention back! Of course the occasional gruff noise or bit of a push but I find the hands off silent ways far far better and lasting for both the dog and the humans! 

[moosmum]

"Larger breeds that are undisciplined and fearful..."

 

Many of the dogs presenting this way are also more likely to be out door dogs only, with little of the opportunity  or expectation of being out in public, in crowds or tight spaces.

People in general, including long time dog owners, have a lot less experience with dog behavior and 'reading' a dog even if they are well able to read their own.

Bigger dogs are far less often allowed to be the companions they are capable of being. Which is a huge shame because traditionally, these dogs have been selected far more more rigorously than small dogs who can more easily get away with poor behavior.  

 

Poor vets, and poor big dogs 

[sandgrubber]

3 hours ago, persephone said:

It's just that so many people have never learned, or have forgotten that dogs CAN be aggressive ..they have a different way of behaving to humans - and need to be understood and treated differently . 

Worth noting that this was from a vet practice in Arizona.   Perhaps a region where big mean dogs are seen as weapons

[Diva]

I found it internally contradictory, the first paragraph complains about fearful dogs, and the third paragraph complains of dogs that have no fear of humans.   I would not use a vet who wanted my dogs to fear people, in my breed a dog which trusts people is a much safer bet.

Edited May 22, 2022 by Diva