#Dog Ownership

[adhd-attention-deficit-dumbass]

PSA - If you are walking your dog without a leash in a shared public space you are kind of being a dick🐕

I had a period of severe anxiety especially when walking outside. Despite this I did my best to force myself to go outside once a day if only for a few minutes to improve my physical and mental well-being.

So there I am doing my little walk around the neighborhood already struggling to keep my anxiety in check, I’m almost home, relieved that the torture of going outside is almost over. I look behind me (as you do when you expect the world to pounce on you at any second) and I see a woman walking with a big dog unleashed. The dog is walking next to her no problem not looking agressive at all.

Now I’m not afraid of dogs in any way shape or form. We had a giant rottweiler growing up so I really have no reason to be afraid, but since I was already overwhelmed with anxiety this really freaked me out and I started walking faster, but so did the dog lady.

I actually don’t know if what happened next really happened the way I remember it, but I keep looking back and they keep getting closer. In that moment I remember a close family friend who got attacked and bit in the head on a walk by an unleashed dog. I think about the stitches she had to get, how she became so afraid of encountering dogs that she couldn’t take her own dog for walks any longer. Thee lady and the dog keep coming closer and I start panicking even though I’m fully convinced that this dog looks nowhere near even considering attacking. Next thing I know, I look back again and I see this big black dog running up behind me and just scream like I’ve never screamed before.

I step off the trail and sort of freeze. Embarrased but also afraid and I end up sitting down and sort of rocking myself trying to control my anxiety.

The dog lady comes over and tells me

”It’s okay, he’s friendly.”

She gives me this look like she doesn’t know what to think of me. I start profusely apologizing explaining that I just got really scared but that I’m actually fine. She doesn’t really buy it (understandably as I was starting to hyperventilate) She sort of half-heartedly asks if there’s anything she can do and I tell her to please put a leash on her dog. However rather than doing that she starts telling me over and over how friendly and safe the dog is and I just kinda shut her out just asking her to please leave. So she does. I sit in the grass for a good 10-15 minutes probably trying to calm myself down, feeling incredibly ashamed and guilty over having such a big emotional reaction which is of course not helping me calm down.

As I’m trying to muster the courage to get up and walk the remaining 2 minutes back home the lady returns without the dog and again asks if she can do something to help (which was actually really nice of her but in the moment it just made things worse as I felt pressured to ”feel better” for the sake of easing her discomfort) I kept telling her

”Thank you but no, I just need some time to calm down”

After going back and forth a bit she eventually leaves and after an additional 5-10 minutes I’m able to get back up, finish my walk and return to the safety of my home where I break down in tears. Ashamed of my reaction but also just so angry.

Listen, dog people, I get it. Your pup is probably super well trained and wouldn’t hurt a fly. I believe you, but just because you know they’re well behaved doesn’t mean other people know. Even if they know fear can be incredibly irrational and difficult to control. It should be obvious that in shared public spaces you should be respectful of others by leashing your dog. There are dedicated spaces for dogs to run about without a leash but on your daily walk where you have a high likelyhood of encountering lots of people is not that space. It’s unsafe not only for others but for your dog. Some people may attempt to attack your dog out of fear in order to defend themselves.

So please, for the safety and well-being of everyone, just leash your dog

[wyrddogs]

One of the great pros of purebred dog ownership is running into people who own the same breed.

I ran into a gentleman at the park with a tervuren (!) who is fifteen years old (!!). He told me he used to do agility with her. He wished me luck with Zaku. Lovely dog and lovely man.

Later I took the boys for an outing to Home Depot and while we were in line a guy with an ambully was right behind us and he told me he had three dachshunds at home and they were all in a calendar! He said Kermie is very handsome.

It's fun!

[bantuotaku]

A Black People's History of Dogs

[saltskinandasociopath]

a test of privacy and responsibility

[tooattached2fictionalcharacters]

This is your not so friendly reminder that if your dogs are acting non-friendly in any way, do not approach a fence with another dog. Especially don’t expect the person to say yes come into the dog area after your dog snapped at mine. In fact, just plain don’t allow fence greetings or leashed greetings with your dogs. That’s how fights start.

[elfdragon12]

Thinking about the advice that first time dog owners should get puppies rather than adopting adult dogs.

I've talked about it before, but man! It's very misguided!

Puppies are an even bigger commitment than usual for dog ownership. You have to do everything from the ground up: house training, leash training, obedience training, crate training, socialization, and dealing with young separation anxiety! It's a ton of work!

Puppies (and, later, adolescent dogs) have tons of energy and want to get into everything. Plus there is a mouthy stage to deal with.

Buying from a breeder is a tricky process as there are plenty of folks just looking to make money off of popular breeds without bothering to keep up with the health or temperament of their dogs. (There are puppies at shelters from mothers put up for adoption though.)

Just because a dog is in the shelter doesn't mean it's there because it was rescued from an abusive situation that a dog needs help recovering from or had temperament problems. Sometimes, it's a perfectly well-behaved dog that the previous owner had to give up because major life changes kept them from properly taking care of it. There are plenty of good dogs that can use a home that would be just fine for a new owner.

Getting a dog, especially for a first time owner, is all about finding a good match, no matter the source or age!

While my family owned dogs as I was growing up, my current dog is my first dog as an adult. She is actually not what I think most folks would suggest for a first time owner, being a shar pei/husky mix (though I had to do a DNA test to figure out the husky part). However, I enjoy benefitting off of someone else's hard work and am living with a wonderful dog that's calm, quiet, and loving (without being clingy). She's not a perfect dog (pulls, super high prey drive, and stubborn), but she's been perfect for me. Even the higher than expected exercise needs has been nice as I actually go out to enjoy local hiking trails and she's a tireless companion for them.

Adoption worked out really well for me and would work for other new owners as well. It all depends on the person, their lifestyle, and what they're looking for. A young puppy is not a good fit for everyone. Adoption may not work for everyone.

Don't turn people off from adoption because you think raising a puppy is automatically easier.

[gnbrules]

Apparently I’ve been doing dog ownership wrong. Was anyone gonna tell me TJ Maxx and Home Goods have some of the same dog toys as pet stores but way cheaper?? Just bought The Boy 3 quality dog toys for under $20.

[ladytemeraire]

This also applies to things like reactivity btw.

If your dog is reactive to things like other dogs or people or motorcycles (especially if the reactivity is fear based) and you yell at them for barking/lunging/whatever, that only reinforces the negative emotion further. YOU may think you're correcting them for barking or other "bad behaviors"; THEY think they're being punished for being afraid of something.

(This is also why many trainers, including mine, don't recommend prong collars or e-collars for reactive dogs - not only are they getting triggered, now they're also getting hurt with the trigger.)

so many people do not understand that 1) animals are not people, and 2) they aren't teaching their animals what they THINK they are teaching them.

dog group on the book of faces, someone is asking for advice on how to get their dog to come to them after the dog is done relieving itself outside. The dog doesn't like coming to them an they spend ten or twenty minutes or more catching the dog each time to bring it in. Which reminded me of one of many attempts to talk a person through trying to fix exactly this same behavior in *many* other dogs over the years...

Me: So, a quick question for you... does the dog not coming to you and you having to chase them down frustrate you?

Them: Of course!

Me: So what do you do when you finally either catch the dog or get them to come to you?

Them: I give the dog a correction!

Me: So. You get hands on your dog and then you immediately punish them for allowing you to get hands on them. And you wonder why your dog has developed the habit of not coming to you?

Them: No, that's not... I'm punishing them for not coming when I call!

Me: Which was.... fifteen minutes ago, or so, you said?

Them: Yes, when I first called them!

Me: Dogs brains literally cannot link an abstract thought like that. A thought and a consequence MUST happen within 2.4 seconds of one another, or the consequence becomes linked to the most recent behavior, thought, or activity. So, tell me... how is your dog supposed to understand that you punishing them is for the event fifteen minutes ago when you have made such a concerted, if unintentional, effort to teach them that them getting close enough for you to lay hands on them in the yard means an immediate punishment?

Them: But that's not what I *meant*!

Me: Doesn't matter what YOU meant... what THEY learned is that they come to you, and they get punished. Stop punishing your dog for the behavior that you want to see more of.

Stop anthropomorphizing your animals, folks. They don't think like us. Stop setting them - and yourself - up for failure.

[princehenry11]

Five Benefits Of Dog Ownership That May Contribute To A Longer Life.

Five Benefits Of Dog Ownership That May Contribute To A Longer Life. 5 ways owning a dog can help you live longer: Dogs are remarkable beings that enrich human lives through their unwavering love and loyalty. A study conducted in Sweden in 2019 highlighted that dog owners experience enhanced physical activity and social support, which can contribute to a reduced mortality risk. The American Heart…

[doggozila]

(via DOG OWNER: WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO BECOME ONE?)

[spuriousdiscourse]

You: (licking peanut butter off the window)

Me: (struggling to shave you)

[leggy-martian]

I lucked out with Marte, after the previous dog was a grand total of 4lbs (and well behaved too!) because Marte's breeder did a phenomenal job teaching him basic manners indoors and around people. He became leash reactive because I fucked up and let him meet a bunch of dogs on-leash while he was a teenager and in a "lemme test boundaries" phase while also having just gone through a major life change and trying to sort out who is in the leadership position now. I'm paying for that, but I'm also fixing it, because Marte is just too damn big to act like an idiot.

I pass waaaay too many untrained reactive dogs on our walks these days. Way too many. The fact that most of those dogs are under 20lbs doesn't excuse it. It's weird, when I lived in Atlanta, there was maybe 1? 2? mildly reactive dogs in my neighborhood. Here in San Francisco? More than half of the ones I encounter in my neighborhood lunge and bark. And many of the owners laugh about it.

i thought maybe owning my first dog would make me understand why I have met so many stupid dog owners in my precious time on planet earth but it's actually the extreme opposite. it is way easier to just train them

[lonepower]

yes i Am paying real money to make you all look at our new dog. we've had her for 3 hours and if anything happened to her I'd kill everyone in this room and then myself. her name is Tater Tot

[delicatelysublimeforester]

A Heartfelt Thank You to Chris and Liz: Keeping Our Dog Park Clean

[actinidiafruit]

Tw: talks about training a dog, mentions 'the old way' which was borderline abusive, poor pet owners, mentions loosing a dog, briefly mentions spanking.

.

Tldr:

My older family members got a puppy. They don't treat him properly, due to being stuck in their 'old ways,' and I'm in shock of how much of a difference there is in old days vs recent times dog ownership. I'm working to have them interact with the puppy properly, and he's doing well!

.

Had a puppy come into my life recently. It's interesting (and a bit saddening) to see how different some people treat animals; especially when it comes to a person's age.

So, one of my family members decided to get a puppy a few months ago. He's a gorgeous chocolate coloured aussie. Anyways, this family member is, well... getting on in life. So I decided to help them out with the pup, because they're not as able-bodied as they used to be, and I'm missing my own dog who passed earlier this year.

And y'know, I'll be the first to say that despite growing up with dogs, it took me a long time to actually understand them; and I keep learning new things everyday! Up until recently, I thought I had a very basic knowledge of them, until I saw my older family members interact with the puppy. Oh boy... let's just say that their methods are very outdated and they've forgotten a lot about training.

The most interesting (and sad) thing I've picked up on, is that they don't really see the puppy as a living thing in the same way that I do? Like, of course they know he's alive and a little guy we have to protect, but... just in the way they treat him, you can see that they don't have any sort of respect. It's either their way or the high way.

There's no trying to work *with* the dog, the dog is simply expected to obey them, and somehow obey them right away..? In the beginning, they were frustrated that he wasn't listening to their commands. Meanwhile, they hadn't even bothered to teach him any! They just shouted at him and expected him to understand. They also refused to use treats as an incentive for the pup, because apparently it's 'spoiling him.' They didn't handle him the best... the first time the pup was introduced to his leash, my family member grabbed him by the collar and just snapped it on, then walked away with him freaking out. My heart broke when I witnessed it, I was frozen in shock, and I wish I would've said or done something, because that whole method was ass-backwards.

Anyways. I am actively trying to get my family members to interact with our puppy appropriately. This means little to no yelling (at least when I'm around), giving him treats when he listens and engages in behaviour we want, diverting and redirecting attention properly (not just yelling at him), and absolutely no manhandling. It's a fight every day, and they still think I'm spoiling him with the amount of treats I give, because apparently positive reinforcement isn't a thing 🙄 /s. But, we're working on it.

I don't want to sound like an asshole, but it's pretty clear to see who the puppy trusts more when we're all together. Up until yesterday, my family thought that the pup was just miraculously listening... yeah, no. I do training sessions with him every day, but sure, you randomly yelling at him to sit is totally working, lol.

It's kinda crazy that they can't wrap their heads around positive reinforcement, attention diverting and redirecting, negative attention, and respect. I've explained it to them so many times I've lost count. I've had hour long conversations about it, tried to talk about it in different perspectives, other analogies, but they just revert the minute I leave. It's frustrating as fuck. I know I'll eventually make a breakthrough with them, but it's gonna take a while. It's just, I want to do everything in my power to not let this dog be set up for failure.

My mind goes to two separate little dogs I know and their families. Let's call them P and L.

P is, well, what a lot of people picture as the classic little dog. Filled to the brim with tons of attitude, quick to show aggression, run off, etc. Y'know how P's family treats her? They don't respect her personal space, they antagonize her 'jokingly,' and haven't done much training with her (I can't recall if she even knows how to sit!). She doesn't have many toys around the house, either.

Now, let me tell you about L. L is a similar size to P, also female. She's very chill and laid back, will freely come up to you for love, and is well behaved. Her family treats her with respect and routinely gives her enrichment toys/treats, keeps up with her health, and has her trained to listen to basic commands.

Can you see the difference? This might not apply to all dogs, as they all carry their own unique experiences, fears, etc. But, the difference is clear. Giving your dog respect, enrichment, and training them will set them up for success in life.

So, it saddens me when I see my older family members making these mistakes. Mistakes that actively set back our puppy's training AND harm their relationships with him.

What makes them think that behaving like that with an animal is acceptable? I often wonder if it's due to a lack of patience and using emotions first, over thoughts. Like how people who spank their children will do it out of their *emotional* reaction, not logical. It just sucks.

Anyways. To end off on a high note, our puppy is doing great! In this short time, he's gone from having multiple accidents in the house a day, to maybe a few a week. He's learned how to sit, give us his paw, come. He's doing well with bite control, having his paws and tail touched, etc. He's working on (and getting better at) not jumping up at people, coming when we call him (even while distracted!), and learning to stay. I'm so impressed with his progress, despite the inconsistencies and behaviour of my older family members. I can only hope he continues to thrive and be the best boy he can :).

[iamactivedoggy]

Embrace The Wag: Life Is Better With A Dog By Your Side

Whoever said that a dog is a man's best friend couldn't have been more accurate. Dogs bring an unparalleled joy and companionship to our lives, making every day brighter and more fulfilling. But what is it about these furry companions that make them so special? Let's delve into the wonders of having a dog by your side.

The Bond That Transcends Words

One of the most beautiful aspects of having a dog is the bond that forms between human and canine. It's a relationship built on pure love, loyalty, and trust. Dogs have an incredible ability to understand our emotions, offering comfort with a simple wag of their tail or a gentle nuzzle. Whether you're celebrating a victory or weathering a storm, your dog is there, unwavering in their support.

A Healthier, Happier Life

Numerous studies have shown that owning a dog is beneficial for both your physical and mental well-being. The daily walks and playtime sessions keep you active and encourage a more active lifestyle. Not to mention the stress-relieving power of petting a dog, which can lower blood pressure and release feel-good hormones like oxytocin and serotonin. In essence, having a dog promotes a healthier, happier you.

Unconditional Love and Acceptance

Dogs don't judge. They don't care about your flaws or imperfections; they love you unconditionally, flaws and all. In a world where judgment and criticism are all too common, the pure acceptance of a dog is a breath of fresh air. They teach us valuable lessons about love, forgiveness, and living in the present moment.

Teaching Us Important Life Lessons

Beyond their cuddles and companionship, dogs are excellent teachers. They remind us of the importance of loyalty, patience, and resilience. They show us how to find joy in the simplest of things and approach each day with enthusiasm and curiosity. Through their actions, dogs inspire us to be better humans.

A Source of Comfort and Companionship

Life can be tough at times, but having a dog by your side makes the journey a little easier to bear. Whether you're coming home after a long day at work or facing a difficult challenge, your dog is there to offer a comforting presence. Their unwavering loyalty and affection provide solace in times of need, reminding us that we're never truly alone.

Conclusion

In conclusion, life is undeniably better with a dog by your side. From the unconditional love they give to the valuable lessons they teach, dogs enrich our lives in countless ways. So, if you're considering welcoming a furry friend into your home, don't hesitate. Embrace the wag and experience the joy of having a dog as your loyal companion.