Tag: pets

Why wouldn’t you punish a dog for discovered pee spots?

why-animals-do-the-thing:

hrovitnir:

handsomedogs:

aph-tomato-pie:

fatgirlopinions:

handsomedogs:

Dogs live in the now. If you say, “Hey Brutus, come here!” Then yell at him for the pee spot you found on the floor, he is going to think, “Yikes, I shouldn’t come when I am called I guess.” They cannot associate punishment with things that happened in the past, only things in the moment. Even if you’re pretty sure he gets it because he looks super guilty, he is just responding to the tone of your voice.

This though

That’s why you stick their noses in the pee spot for a whiff too so they know their pee in that spot is making you upset. They will know it’s their pee right away because of their super sniffers, don’t worry. And it’s not as cruel as it sounds–dogs react to the nose before ears or eyes–so it’s like pointing to a juice spill because little Timmy was a brat. The dogs will understand because it’s all happening in the now.

Not sure if this is serious or not, but for those who feel this way please understand that a dog is.. Simple minded. So while you want to deliver the message that peeing in the house is not okay, they are learning that you do not approve of their pee in general. This will create a nervous dog who will hide their eliminations from you in fear, and may even hold their bladder.

The only effective way to provide bilateral feedback is to catch them in the act, then praise them outside. Scolding them hours later by shoving their face in their pee will leave your reasoning up to their interpretation. Do you not like when he smells his pee? Because you’re making him smell it, but then you’re scolding him. Do you not like when he poops? Because you are scolding him for pooping, so next time he will try not to poop.

They cannot differentiate when it is hours later. So while they do understand your anger towards their elimination, they are left to just assume that eliminations make you angry in general. Don’t be a bully.

Jesus I hate that people still do this. It’s very well demonstrated this does not work. It’s on you to set your dog up to succeed, not fail, and sometimes you just have to deal with mistakes.

I want to add that it’s not that dogs are simpleminded per se – they’re very capable of understanding schedules and noticing people’s selective attention for instance – but we have no way of communicating to them a frame of reference in time to which our punishment applies.

We don’t even know how dogs interpret time. We know they can remember previous things that happen but not if they have concepts for concrete blocks like ‘yesterday’ or ‘an hour ago’, so there’s no way of letting them know you’re referencing a previous action or what one it is. They mostly learn in the moment because that’s the only conceptual timeline we can communicate with them in.

Thank you to everyone who provided informative input on this because I wouldn’t have even known where to start with addressing it.

THERE. ARE. NO. “NANNY”. DOGS.

achoirofcritters:

IT’S NOT A THING. Your dog is not a babysitter or a child caretaker. Your dog is a dog, it’s a domesticated carnivore with teeth and the power to bite and if you trust a child around it unsupervised, you are risking a disaster, even if your dog never bites a child, the risk is always there. To call ANY dog a “nanny” is just inaccurate and perpetuates a very dangerous myth.

This is critically important. For one thing, the “nanny dog” thing is completely made up and for a second thing, you can’t trust young children with dogs.

I don’t care how much you trust the DOG. You can’t trust the CHILD to understand the dog if it feels uncomfortable or wants space. That’s how you end up with children getting bitten. And then the dog is blamed for communicating the only way it knows how. So supervise your children when they’re around the dog.

Even if you don’t think a dog will bite, if they’re big enough they could still knock a kid over or something. Sully loves my 3-year-old nephew but we always have to watch him because even though he doesn’t jump, he’s very enthusiastic in his greetings and he’s right at the kid’s face level.

So you want to set up a home aquarium…

montereybayaquarium:

image

We totally get it—you’re so inspired by movies like Finding Dory or a visit to an aquarium that now you want your own Dory or Nemo.

Keeping a fish can help you learn about caring for live animals and gain respect for aquatic life, but there’s a lot more to it than just fish + water + plants + food = aquarium.

Because we love fishes just like you do, here are some important things to think about first:

Fishes are live animals, and caring for an animal’s life and habitat is a serious responsibility and time commitment. Hey, we need a college degree to work at the Aquarium with saltwater fishes, invertebrates and complicated aquarium life support systems!

Do your homework! Fishes can live for several years, and will need care all during that time. Do your homework first. Take time to learn the needs of a particular species of fish or fishes, and what’s involved in maintaining a living aquatic ecosystem at home.

Bigger is not always better. Different species of fishes need different sizes of tanks. Food, water quality, size of tank, water volume and lighting are all requirements you need to consider when choosing a fish. Time for more homework!

Start simple. Saltwater fishes and aquariums can sometimes be more complicated than freshwater, but both require daily care and maintenance. A blue tang like Dory can be very difficult to keep, but there are other marine fishes that are easier. Many freshwater fishes, like some goldfish species, can be great for the beginner. Yep, more homework!

Buddy up! Ask a parent, sibling or friend to help you with your project. (Caring for animals is a good way to spend time with people, too.) Never capture a fish in the wild and bring it home. Instead, work with a reputable aquarium dealer who can help you set up a relatively easy-to-maintain system, and recommend a fish that best suits your interest—and skills.

Take the time to learn the ropes. See if this is something you want to stick with before you advance to more complex systems and fishes. If you get stuck, be kind and find a good home for your fishy pet. Don’t “release” it into a river or the ocean! It probably won’t survive, and if it does, can spread parasites and diseases to native fishes.

Remember, visiting your local aquarium is a great way to see and learn more about your favorite furry, feathered and finned friends!

(Note: Thank you for all of the thoughtful feedback on the subject of home aquariums. This is a complex topic so we wanted to share more of our thoughts.)