Puppy Love

[hiddenmuse]

Reading an article like this, about how affluent dog owners are guilty of neglect and abuse towards their dogs ... it breaks my heart.

People like that seem to be most interested in fulfilling their desire to complete their Utopian/Idyllic Family fantasy - husband, wife, child(ren), station wagon/minivan/suburban attack vehicle, family pet. When they obtain this family pet, they assume that it will be as adorable as it was on Day One - seeming to only pay mind to the breed and various credentials - all the superfical aspects, not caring about the animal's Meta Needs (survival, belonging, love, etc.), as a good Human would.

When reality sets in, and the adorable AKC-papered puppy that is Westminster Kennel Club-worthy (three names and all) ends up being as emotionally and physically needy and demanding as an infant child - the Humans lose interest. They quickly tire of the once-adorable Weimaraner peeing on the kitchen floor, teething on the legs of the rosewood coffee table, and eating The New York Times and his momma's On Gossamer panties out of boredom. The puppy gets cordoned off, relegated to a crate for 3/4 of the day - only brought out when its convenient to his Humans ... or when he can make the Humans look good, shuttled off to Doggy Day Care or obedience school, or G*d forbid, turned over to a shelter - so his Humans can have their high-pressure semi-charmed lives, without having to deal with the inconvenience of a dog.


It really gets under my skin, as you can guess. If people really want "Status Symbol Land" dogs, they should consider going to Animal Rescue organizations - go to the Pet Finder Website as a general resource. Considering the many varieties of breeds out there - people getting into the dogs for whatever reason, whether it be Disney influence, childhood memories, or general reputation - so many of the dogs end up being turned over to shelters, abandoned, or otherwise neglected, and are taken in by Animal Rescue groups. These groups have individuals that are foster parents to the dogs, until permanent homes are found, to give the dogs a comfortable, safe place to live, and in many cases - to get them socialized and acclimated to living with Humans that will treat them with decency and respect, not abusing or treating them cruelly.

Another option is, of course, the animal shelter. I'm partial to a shelter like Pets Unlimited, because they are a no-kill shelter, taking in the cats and dogs that most other shelters have been unable to adopt out. The animals there have incredible spirits, and if you're a volunteer dog walker - just carrying a leash in hand will earn you several canine fans right away.

That's all for now. Just please keep those things in mind the next time you consider getting a dog - and read this article as well The Myth of the Perfect Dog.


Edited to add a couple of URLs

Comments

[donia.livejournal.com]

My heart was broken on a daily basis when I worked at a doggy day care earlier this year. Yuppies would come and drop their dogs off early in the morning and pick them up when we closed at 8 p.m. They were immediately shunted off in cages and constantly told to sit and be quiet. When I did dog walking, I would go to these people's houses to get the dog and they would be sitting there watching tv or entertaining friends. They hired me not because they wanted the dog to be walked and played with while they were at work, but because they didn't want to deal with a pet that did more than look adorable. I felt so bad for those dogs, they had everything except love.

[hiddenmuse.livejournal.com]

The article in Slate was saying pretty much the same thing - that the owners were providing for the dog in every way, except giving him the love and attention he craved.

That's what irritates me - people want the dogs for status symbols, to make them look good. They seem to be oblivious to the obligations that go along with having the pets in their lives. The people that could provide a good home to a dog sometimes don't have the space, or the capability in one way or another for a dog, so we volunteer at shelters instead.

[full4zaccordion.livejournal.com]

My dad has been in the veterinary field for almost 30 yrs and my mom was in for a while, too, till she got out 6 yrs ago. I also worked at our local Humane Society for a short time. I've heard countless stories of pet owners with more money than brains. Some pet owners abuse their animals with too much pampering. This one lady fed her dog people food, and it was people food that wasn't even healthy for humans. She'd feed her dog candy bars and food from McDonald's. She said she knew it wasn't healthy, but "ehen she looks at me with those eyes, I just can't say no." Her dog had to be put down because of kidney and liver failure, and my dad had to tell her she, in essence, killed that dog. People like that make me sick :P

[hiddenmuse.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've heard so many times that even the smallest amount of chocolate can be dangerous to a dog's system - and that leftovers/table scraps aren't the best things to feed animals, either.

It's really, really sad. I talk about wanting there to be licensing to be parents of human children - perhaps there should be licensing to be parents for canine/feline children, too.