Anthropomorphism in Dog Ownership is Destroying Lives
Yes, I’m Going There Today.
How is it that every time I open Facebook or Instagram, these are the things that I see in dog trainer groups:
“My dog destroyed his third crate, and if I leave him out, he’ll eat at my house from the inside out when I’m at work. What do I do? I have to go to work. I can’t work from home. I worked with trainers who haven’t helped the issue because we can’t figure out what the cause of his behavior is. Is it separation? Is he bored? I’m so frustrated and I love him, but this isn’t what I want from a dog. Maybe I need to take him to the vet? Do I need a stronger crate? I’ll spend any amount of money so that he can live happily and calmly.”
Go to the comments:
“You should be ashamed for leaving that baby so long during the day!”
“Crates are cruel, he’ll be used to roaming eventually. Try CBD oil?”
“He’s upset you’re leaving him all day!”
Versus…
“My dog bit my niece out of nowhere! She’s 2 years old. She had to get stitches in the ER. We were having our annual Thanksgiving dinner, and nobody was watching the dog. But he’s 12, he should know better! He’s been around kids plenty of times and never bit them! My husband blames me because I let him out of the crate to go say hi to everyone because he looked so excited in there and was wagging his tail, but then he ran right to my niece and bit her in the face!”
Go to the comments:
“I’m sure it was just a mistake! Don’t give up on him!”
“Maybe it was a play bite? Sometimes dogs don’t know any better!”
“Get a new husband!”
Huhhh????
The Wrong Opinions Seen in the Dog Owner Community That Are Dangerous (From People Who Don’t Know Dog Behavior)
Crates are cruel
Dogs deserve to be off leash
Wagging tail means they’re happy
Alert nuisance barking is good because it’ll scare intruders
All dogs can learn the same way
Adopt don’t shop
All breeding is unethical
Dogs can’t do any harm
Kids and dogs make good friends
So, let’s address them one by one.
Crates are a Training Tool and Should be Used Regularly as Structured Rest Time.
It’s functionally the same as putting a baby down for a nap when they get cranky and can’t express their need for sleep. Dogs also get cranky when they’re tired and can’t express their need for sleep. So, they nip, snap, growl, and become over aroused by small things. Using the crate for scheduled rest while you are home is what you should be using a crate for in addition to keeping them safe while you’re away. Predictability and consistency create a well-rounded dog.
Dogs Need to be Leashed. It’s the Law.
Unless you’re in a designated off-leash facility or park, dogs need to be leashed in public according to our state laws regarding dogs at large. If your excuse for walking your dog off leash is that they don’t respond on leash, you need MORE practice! Dogs should not be off leash until they respond well on-leash with a 100-foot longline.
Dogs Wag Their Tails When They’re Angry, too.
Dogs sometimes wag their tails when they really want to bite someone or something, which doesn’t always mean they’re happy. It is simply a body language cue and shouldn’t be relied on to tell a dog’s emotional state without looking at the whole dog and surrounding context. A dog happy to see you will wag their tail, droop their tongue out, and sit politely next to you. A dog who wants to bite you will also wag their tail, hold their mouth stiff, and lunge at you.
Your Dog is Not a Protection Dog, but Even if They Were, They’d Need to be Taught When to be Quiet and When to Bark.
Your household pet that barks at the doorbell isn’t trained to defend against intruders, you’re just setting them up to fail if that’s what you’re expecting because they’re not protecting you, they’re just sensitive to the sound of the doorbell by not being desensitized to it early on.
Dogs Learn Best When Motivated by Something, and That Something Varies Between Dogs.
If you’re trying to feed a dog treats who isn’t taking treats, they are not currently motivated by the treats. Sometimes it’s attention, but other dogs may be introverted and hate attention. Establishing the motivator is key for success in training. Ideally, dogs will see that their people provide shelter, food, and fun, making them more exciting than everything else — but dogs don’t rationalize like that.
Adopt or Shop Responsibly from Breeders Who Give a Damn, and Please, Stop Buying Everything-Doodles and “Exotic” Bullies from Backyard Breeders.
Adoption is great if it fits your lifestyle. But some people have a lifestyle suited to a particular breed, and that’s okay. What should not be happening are doodled French Bulldogs, or Pocket Bullies with dwarfism, for example, and instead purebred dogs should be sourced from breeders who are educated, who care, who spend time with their litters, and who know their breed inside and out.
Without Ethical Breeders, There Would Be No Purebred, Well-Bred Dogs - At All.
Ethical breeders preserve the quality and traits of specific purebred dogs bred for specific tasks — Newfoundland dogs bred for water rescue need to be hardy, task driven, good swimmers, and friendly. A “lab mix” can mean anything. You wouldn’t have your lab mix if someone didn’t breed them, whether accidentally or on purpose which is worse than someone dedicating their whole lives to improving the health and well-being of a specific recognized breed.
Dogs Can and Do Cause Harm Sometimes, even if by Accident.
Like the extreme example I gave in the beginning, dogs can unintentionally cause harm to others by destroying property or they can choose to escalate in an innocent situation. Dogs don’t need to have malicious intent to act on instincts and make the choice to escalate, but it is something that is biological and needs intervention, immediately. Aggression in dogs is a dog’s choice to escalate a situation to an attack, which acts on their instincts; some breeds of dogs have a greater tendency to escalate than others.
Kids and Dogs Need to be Supervised When Together and Separated When Unsupervised — NO Exceptions.
Dogs can be unpredictable around kids, because kids haven’t developed all of their senses and life skills yet to know not to punch a dog in the face. Allowing kids and dogs to be in each other’s faces unsupervised is not only dangerous, but extremely negligent and any injury as a result will be heavily scrutinized. Your health insurance will want your dog put-down for bites that break skin, and many townships have a one bite rule only before a dog is deemed dangerous and has certain restrictions.
Why Anthropomorphism is Making This Worse for Everybody
Somehow in some way, people are projecting human thoughts and emotions onto their dogs WHILE being misinformed, leading to the WORST EVER responses on the Internet. Resource guarding isn’t jealousy or protection; it’s a behavioral issue that can lead to a bite. A dog that is smiling isn’t happy; they’re showing submission in a situation that they are appeasing to get you to stop. Dogs aren’t babies, they’re dogs who need structure and guidance to be well-rounded. Please. I beg.
~ Ashley