Author Topic: Working Dog  (Read 1311 times)

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Offline DeeDee

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Working Dog
« on: May 06, 2017, 10:21:35 PM »
Yeah. That dog is working it!

"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." Edward Hoagland
"Thorns may hurt you, men desert you, sunlight turn to fog; but you're never friendless ever, if you have a dog."

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Working Dog
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2017, 08:20:09 AM »
Debbie Downer here..I wouldn't think that would be very good for the dog. His body isn't designed to walk that way.  He's going to have a lot of pain as he gets older.  If he doesn't already.  I wish people would just let animals be who they are, animals, beloved family members, but animals.

I mean..the dog doesn't look unhappy.  But his humans aren't thinking about how much pain he will be in as he gets old, from doing that now.

Offline DeeDee

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Re: Working Dog
« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2017, 10:28:17 AM »
I've wondered more than once in the past few years if dogs are evolving physically. Like Vlad, many dance upright. I see more and more dogs walking like this voluntarily.  They ride bikes upright. They ride scooters upright. They jump straight up and play basketball, and Norman the Briard is a perfect example of a lot of these human behaviors being self-taught before turning them into tricks. Maybe they just love their humans so much that they're trying to be just like them?

Also, many times, they're attempting to make themselves larger in the eyes of others by mimicking their humans when they're at their largest--Vlad stands up when trying to scare someone. When I'm standing at the fence talking to neighbors, he'll come stand up just like us.

The big questions are: Does the dog walk upright without any prompting? Is the dog able to balance without that basket? How many other dogs has that dog been around consistently? Does it have only humans to mimic?
"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." Edward Hoagland
"Thorns may hurt you, men desert you, sunlight turn to fog; but you're never friendless ever, if you have a dog."

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Working Dog
« Reply #3 on: May 07, 2017, 11:18:27 AM »
Not evolving, no.  Bred to characteristic by humans perhaps. Someone has a dog that shows a propensity for doing those kind of tricks, bred to another of the same. Evolution has little to do with it, in my cynical opinion. Just humans, doing something, simply because they can, whether right or wrong is not going to be an issue for them. Breeding dogs to act "human like" for their own entertainment and profit.

Offline DeeDee

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Re: Working Dog
« Reply #4 on: May 07, 2017, 11:33:15 AM »
But it's a proven fact that dogs try to fit into "the pack." When their pack is human, they're going to do things that are human-like in an attempt to fit in with the group. Plenty of dogs do Yoga poses without prompting just to spend time with their humans. I'm not talking about that guy that does Photoshop to make them look all Zen. I'm talking actually joining in with human activities just to be with their humans.
"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." Edward Hoagland
"Thorns may hurt you, men desert you, sunlight turn to fog; but you're never friendless ever, if you have a dog."

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Working Dog
« Reply #5 on: May 07, 2017, 01:40:31 PM »
But Dee, the dog did not dress himself in clothes and cannot conceive of the concept of the need for clothes.  Yes a dog will pull a blanket over himself for warmth and comfort. That's just intelligence working with instinct. But he does not understand the concept of nakedness..  The dog did not put a basket on his own back.

Cats imitate their humans too.  Cats are the original copy cats.

Dogs should not be encouraged to walk on their hind legs, it is not good for them, not good for their musculature, not good for their bone structure not good for their joints. And to dress a dog in a little sweatsuit and put a basket on his back, for human entertainment is just wrong.  IN my opinion.  It's not cute or funny.  It's humans doing what they do best, exploiting animals for their own entertainment and other uses.

Offline DeeDee

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Re: Working Dog
« Reply #6 on: May 07, 2017, 02:36:31 PM »
Why I said:

Quote
The big questions are: Does the dog walk upright without any prompting? Is the dog able to balance without that basket? How many other dogs has that dog been around consistently? Does it have only humans to mimic?

And honestly, there are a lot of breeds that I'd put clothes on myself. Barkly has a little pleather jacket with a Harley hat. He's also got a Christmas Elf costume with a little tophat. I just don't have a lot of clothes for him b/c it's hard to fit dwarf-dogs, and I hate altering clothes for anyone--dog OR human.

Vlad doesn't have any clothes b/c I can't find any his size, but he has a Santa beard, hat and glasses. I've still got Dannyboy's Furby costume that he wore at Halloween though. I've got Dannyboy's pleather jacket and hat. I've got a bazillion bandannas for them. My determination about putting clothing on dogs is, do they fight it or run away?

These are put on dogs all the time so that people can take them backpacking with them:
https://www.backcountryedge.com/ruff-wear-approach-pack-2013.html  How are we to know that the dog with the basket wasn't in a all-4-down position when it first started carrying that basket and actually is doing a job? We don't absolutely know that the dog is doing what it is because of training because more and more dogs perform as if they're human in many instances.

Seriously. What makes Vlad jump up and dance with me? Dancing around the house is common for me. He just stood up one day and joined in, and I'm not going to do something to break him from having fun when he smiles like that.
"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." Edward Hoagland
"Thorns may hurt you, men desert you, sunlight turn to fog; but you're never friendless ever, if you have a dog."

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Working Dog
« Reply #7 on: May 07, 2017, 02:48:35 PM »
I'm out of arguments. :)

<edit> but I guess I do have more to say.  <smile>

I don't understand why anyone would put clothes on a dog unless it is to keep the dog warm or dry. I mean no disrespect to you, but it baffles me why anyone would do it.

 I guess it just comes down to different strokes.....

I'm glad he likes to dance with you and it is fun for you both.  Presumably he is not hopping around on his hind legs for long stretches of time or many times a day.  If he were, and this were my dog, I would not encourage it, because I know what happens when age hits.  Pain.

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