I seriously am not trying to start the old "xyz dog breed should be banned" shite, but what the hell is with the dog in this video? Is this a common reaction for a dog and a piece of meat? If that was my dog (and I haven't read enough yet to know if the test subject was a "family pet")... well, let's just say that I wouldn't allow that dog to be around people on an everyday basis.
Meh. This is actually a pretty even-tempered and good-natured dog, especially considering it has an EXTREMELY high-value item and is being very rudely harrassed by the fake dog. It tolerates the Aibo until the Aibo gets too close, it gives good, clear, gradually escalating signals that it doesn't want the Aibo to get any closer (stiffening, hard staring, snarling, probably growling), and then it lunges. I very much doubt there was any actual biting (just lunging and tooth-flashing), what the dog does is the next logical step in the progression from "Hey, back off, this is mine, okay?" to "I TOLD YOU TO GET THE HELL AWAY!", it's not vicious or unwarranted by any means, and I wouldn't in any way consider this dog to have a resource guarding problem, it's extremely polite to the Aibo (treating it as another dog) until the Aibo goes well past acceptable levels of dog-rudeness. And many dogs will guard things against other dogs but would never guard them against people (especially not if they've been raised properly and not by people who think it's a good idea to harrass dogs while they eat, take their food away, that sort of nonsense which CAUSES the very thing it's trying to prevent). This is actually a very nice example of good dog communication in action, I'd have that German Shepherd in my house happily, that is a dog who is extremely tolerant and patient (even of a robot dog which is often the sort of thing that really upsets dogs, since it looks like a dog but doesn't smell like a dog, or use proper body language) and gives a TON of warning before even escalating as far as a lunge (which is NOT a bite or an attack, it's still a warning), this is the sort of dog which is extremely unlikely to actually bite anyone or anything unless they are well past clueless, ignoring what the dog is telling them and harrassing the dog to boot. The scary dogs are the ones which don't give warnings (often they've been taught to do that by owners who punish the dog for growling rather than addressing the underlying issue), not dogs like this one.
the baby doesn't have to enforce its dominance, only the pack leader has to indicate who is more superior
In almost all canid packs (including domestic dogs), the alphas only care that the other pack members know who is alpha, the other levels of the pecking order are left to sort themselves out. Alphas do not maintain pack hierarchy below themselves.
Mental illness, a complete lack of understanding about dogs, some kind of creepy thrill from breastfeeding a dog or all of the above. This will have no positive effect whatsoever on how the dog feels about her daughter, and I can see that it's possible it could even have negative effects (i.e. rivalry). She's crazy if she thinks it's desirable to have a dog see a human as a sibling.
I'm always amazed by people who say declawing is cruel, but are big advocates of spaying and neutering.
Ask anyone - would you rather lose the last joint of your fingers, or your ability to have sex?
Cats aren't people, they don't have an emotional attachment to their naughty bits (and spaying/neutering doesn't remove their ability to have sex, it removes their ability to make kittens, and most of their desire to have sex). Declawing, on the other hand, is cruel and unusual punishment (in my opinion as a former veterinary assistant who has assisted with many declawing procedures), unless you have actually tried and failed to train the cat more appropriate scratching.
I find categorical moral arguments about letting your cats out ridiculous and emblematic of a slew of weird Western neuroses about common spaces
Um...okay. But neighbours often don't agree, and unfortunately, your pet cat ruining your neighbour's flower garden makes your cat "vermin" to your neighbour, and they will often do something about it. As long as there is such a thing as private property, it is antisocial to allow your pets access to others' property uninvited. And besides that, as languagehat pointed out, the main reason to keep your cat inside is to protect the cat, and to protect wildlife.
Before you decide to allow outdoor ventures, I urge you to check the actual facts about how dangerous this is, it drastically shortens the cat's lifespan, as well as causing damage to local wildlife, please don't. There is no reason a cat has to go outside if you provide adequate stimulation inside, and I'm sorry (hot topic with many people, I know) but allowing your pet to wander onto, and damage, other people's property is irresponsible. You wouldn't allow your dog to do this, why should you allow your cat to?
Training a kitten to accept walking on a lead and harness is doable (the internet has good advice about this), and this way you can take your cat out without danger.
Buy decent-quality cat food (hint: nothing you can buy at the supermarket is "decent quality") - Felidae, Natural Balance, Innova and Royal Canin are some good ones.
Make sure you have a litterbox that is large enough for the cat, use bag liners for easy litter changing. Make sure it's in a relatively private area, but not so private that you won't notice when it needs scooping or a full change. Also, it should be at least 12 feet away from the food and water bowls, and ideally in a different room.
Stainless steel bowls are the best choice, they're durable, easy to clean, do not absorb odours and do not cause skin reactions (like plastic bowls can).
Find a good vet now. Find out where your local animal emergency clinic is and put that information on your fridge.
Get some interactive cat toys, as well as some that the cat can play with alone. Do not give catnip to kittens under a year old. Get a scratching post and give the cat lots of positive reinforcement for using it.
Good luck! Enjoy your kitty.
Cats are much safer indoors. I suspect that the problem is that you haven't replaced the stimulation they were used to outside. This is relatively simple to fix: invest in some good cat toys (like a cat dancer), build or buy a kitty condo that they can climb on and hide in, get a window seat for them (they make hammocky things which attach to the window sill). The problem likely isn't that you've turned indoor-outdoor cats into indoor-only cats, it's that you haven't made their indoor environment interesting enough for them.
coppermac: neutering is castration, not a vasectomy. You're confusing the former (in which the testicles are removed) with the latter (in which the vas deferens (i.e. plumbing) is cut or clamped). Pets get neutered not only to stop them from breeding, but also to the reduce behaviour issues that some feel are related to testosterone levels (the testicles are the largest source of testosterone, and vasectomy has no effect on it). You can give a pet a vasectomy, however, but few people do, not least because it's not 100% reliable, and also because it doesn't reduce testosterone).
Hi mothninja, yes I am that biscotti, the dog-related advice one, not the crunchy morsel of deliciousness that goes great with cappuccino one (and I swear I posted here before I knew about the Great MeFi Famine which has now struck - it wasn't just a "getting my foot in the door" thing, really it wasn't!).
Look rocket88, there aren't that many places where a three-testicled-dog story is really appropriate, ya know? Thank you for the welcome, and I'll point out that I, having no testicles of my own, am female.
I don't think it's fair to compare these to pet diapers. Diapers make sense in some cases (incontinent pets, for example). Neuticles serve one of two purposes (neither of which is non-creepy): to make the owner who identifies too closely with their pet's naughty bits feel better about neutering, or to cheat at dog shows (show dogs must have two descended testicles, and as far as I know there has been at least one case of a dog with only one descended testicle having a Neuticle implanted, only to have its other testicle descend at an inopportune time, and a judge find three testicles in there, leading to disqualification and further punitive action against the handler). (and hi monkeys! I've been lurking here a while, but this is my first MonkeyPost!)
Look into Simply Accounting. I like it better than just about any other accounting package, but I don't know what your specific needs are.
posted by biscotti 19 years ago
In "The short unhappy life"
I seriously am not trying to start the old "xyz dog breed should be banned" shite, but what the hell is with the dog in this video? Is this a common reaction for a dog and a piece of meat? If that was my dog (and I haven't read enough yet to know if the test subject was a "family pet")... well, let's just say that I wouldn't allow that dog to be around people on an everyday basis. Meh. This is actually a pretty even-tempered and good-natured dog, especially considering it has an EXTREMELY high-value item and is being very rudely harrassed by the fake dog. It tolerates the Aibo until the Aibo gets too close, it gives good, clear, gradually escalating signals that it doesn't want the Aibo to get any closer (stiffening, hard staring, snarling, probably growling), and then it lunges. I very much doubt there was any actual biting (just lunging and tooth-flashing), what the dog does is the next logical step in the progression from "Hey, back off, this is mine, okay?" to "I TOLD YOU TO GET THE HELL AWAY!", it's not vicious or unwarranted by any means, and I wouldn't in any way consider this dog to have a resource guarding problem, it's extremely polite to the Aibo (treating it as another dog) until the Aibo goes well past acceptable levels of dog-rudeness. And many dogs will guard things against other dogs but would never guard them against people (especially not if they've been raised properly and not by people who think it's a good idea to harrass dogs while they eat, take their food away, that sort of nonsense which CAUSES the very thing it's trying to prevent). This is actually a very nice example of good dog communication in action, I'd have that German Shepherd in my house happily, that is a dog who is extremely tolerant and patient (even of a robot dog which is often the sort of thing that really upsets dogs, since it looks like a dog but doesn't smell like a dog, or use proper body language) and gives a TON of warning before even escalating as far as a lunge (which is NOT a bite or an attack, it's still a warning), this is the sort of dog which is extremely unlikely to actually bite anyone or anything unless they are well past clueless, ignoring what the dog is telling them and harrassing the dog to boot. The scary dogs are the ones which don't give warnings (often they've been taught to do that by owners who punish the dog for growling rather than addressing the underlying issue), not dogs like this one.
posted by biscotti 19 years ago
In "Woman breastfeeds dog"
the baby doesn't have to enforce its dominance, only the pack leader has to indicate who is more superior In almost all canid packs (including domestic dogs), the alphas only care that the other pack members know who is alpha, the other levels of the pecking order are left to sort themselves out. Alphas do not maintain pack hierarchy below themselves.
posted by biscotti 19 years ago
Mental illness, a complete lack of understanding about dogs, some kind of creepy thrill from breastfeeding a dog or all of the above. This will have no positive effect whatsoever on how the dog feels about her daughter, and I can see that it's possible it could even have negative effects (i.e. rivalry). She's crazy if she thinks it's desirable to have a dog see a human as a sibling.
posted by biscotti 19 years ago
In "Curious George: New Cat"
I'm always amazed by people who say declawing is cruel, but are big advocates of spaying and neutering. Ask anyone - would you rather lose the last joint of your fingers, or your ability to have sex? Cats aren't people, they don't have an emotional attachment to their naughty bits (and spaying/neutering doesn't remove their ability to have sex, it removes their ability to make kittens, and most of their desire to have sex). Declawing, on the other hand, is cruel and unusual punishment (in my opinion as a former veterinary assistant who has assisted with many declawing procedures), unless you have actually tried and failed to train the cat more appropriate scratching. I find categorical moral arguments about letting your cats out ridiculous and emblematic of a slew of weird Western neuroses about common spaces Um...okay. But neighbours often don't agree, and unfortunately, your pet cat ruining your neighbour's flower garden makes your cat "vermin" to your neighbour, and they will often do something about it. As long as there is such a thing as private property, it is antisocial to allow your pets access to others' property uninvited. And besides that, as languagehat pointed out, the main reason to keep your cat inside is to protect the cat, and to protect wildlife.
posted by biscotti 20 years ago
Before you decide to allow outdoor ventures, I urge you to check the actual facts about how dangerous this is, it drastically shortens the cat's lifespan, as well as causing damage to local wildlife, please don't. There is no reason a cat has to go outside if you provide adequate stimulation inside, and I'm sorry (hot topic with many people, I know) but allowing your pet to wander onto, and damage, other people's property is irresponsible. You wouldn't allow your dog to do this, why should you allow your cat to? Training a kitten to accept walking on a lead and harness is doable (the internet has good advice about this), and this way you can take your cat out without danger. Buy decent-quality cat food (hint: nothing you can buy at the supermarket is "decent quality") - Felidae, Natural Balance, Innova and Royal Canin are some good ones. Make sure you have a litterbox that is large enough for the cat, use bag liners for easy litter changing. Make sure it's in a relatively private area, but not so private that you won't notice when it needs scooping or a full change. Also, it should be at least 12 feet away from the food and water bowls, and ideally in a different room. Stainless steel bowls are the best choice, they're durable, easy to clean, do not absorb odours and do not cause skin reactions (like plastic bowls can). Find a good vet now. Find out where your local animal emergency clinic is and put that information on your fridge. Get some interactive cat toys, as well as some that the cat can play with alone. Do not give catnip to kittens under a year old. Get a scratching post and give the cat lots of positive reinforcement for using it. Good luck! Enjoy your kitty.
posted by biscotti 20 years ago
In "Curious George: MonkeyCatFilter"
And I agree with mechagrue about getting a vet check done just in case.
posted by biscotti 20 years ago
Cats are much safer indoors. I suspect that the problem is that you haven't replaced the stimulation they were used to outside. This is relatively simple to fix: invest in some good cat toys (like a cat dancer), build or buy a kitty condo that they can climb on and hide in, get a window seat for them (they make hammocky things which attach to the window sill). The problem likely isn't that you've turned indoor-outdoor cats into indoor-only cats, it's that you haven't made their indoor environment interesting enough for them.
posted by biscotti 20 years ago
In "Something for the girlzone in these troubled times, and maybe for the guys. NSFW."
Oh merci beaucoup path, I feel much better now. Le rowr.
posted by biscotti 20 years ago
In "Neuticles: Customized Testicular Implants for Pets"
Wolof never heard that one before...
posted by biscotti 20 years ago
coppermac: neutering is castration, not a vasectomy. You're confusing the former (in which the testicles are removed) with the latter (in which the vas deferens (i.e. plumbing) is cut or clamped). Pets get neutered not only to stop them from breeding, but also to the reduce behaviour issues that some feel are related to testosterone levels (the testicles are the largest source of testosterone, and vasectomy has no effect on it). You can give a pet a vasectomy, however, but few people do, not least because it's not 100% reliable, and also because it doesn't reduce testosterone).
posted by biscotti 20 years ago
Hi mothninja, yes I am that biscotti, the dog-related advice one, not the crunchy morsel of deliciousness that goes great with cappuccino one (and I swear I posted here before I knew about the Great MeFi Famine which has now struck - it wasn't just a "getting my foot in the door" thing, really it wasn't!).
posted by biscotti 20 years ago
Look rocket88, there aren't that many places where a three-testicled-dog story is really appropriate, ya know? Thank you for the welcome, and I'll point out that I, having no testicles of my own, am female.
posted by biscotti 20 years ago
I don't think it's fair to compare these to pet diapers. Diapers make sense in some cases (incontinent pets, for example). Neuticles serve one of two purposes (neither of which is non-creepy): to make the owner who identifies too closely with their pet's naughty bits feel better about neutering, or to cheat at dog shows (show dogs must have two descended testicles, and as far as I know there has been at least one case of a dog with only one descended testicle having a Neuticle implanted, only to have its other testicle descend at an inopportune time, and a judge find three testicles in there, leading to disqualification and further punitive action against the handler). (and hi monkeys! I've been lurking here a while, but this is my first MonkeyPost!)
posted by biscotti 20 years ago
(limited to the most recent 20 comments)