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When did dogs become our best friends?

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Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#11

Post by [deleted] »

mynameisvlad wrote: post #8
vouaobrasil wrote: post #7

First, I know a lot of people are very nice to their dogs, but... I live in a large city, and based on the number of dogs locked away in apartments all day barking and bored to death with almost no stimulation, I figure dogs are certainly not the best friends of a lot of people. Instead, they are more like prisoners that illustrate the cruelness of humanity in general: these people use them as entertainment and care…

That’s an extremely harsh take considering those same owners likely do care a lot about their dogs and shower them with love and affection outside those 8 hours. You’re focusing on a single part of the experience in order to paint the whole thing in a negative light. To put it another way, would they be better off being strays? I doubt it.

[deleted]

Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#12

Post by rybosworld »

vouaobrasil wrote: post #7

First, I know a lot of people are very nice to their dogs, but... I live in a large city, and based on the number of dogs locked away in apartments all day barking and bored to death with almost no stimulation, I figure dogs are certainly not the best friends of a lot of people. Instead, they are more like prisoners that illustrate the cruelness of humanity in general: these people use them as entertainment and care…

That's a pretty extreme take.

Being unfit to raise a dog does not imply cruelty.

Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#13

Post by lallysingh »

vouaobrasil wrote: post #9
mynameisvlad wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s an extremely harsh take considering those same owners likely do care a lot about their dogs and shower them with love and affection outside those 8 hours. You’re focusing on a single part of the experience in order to paint the whole thing in a negative light. To put it another way, would they be better off being strays? I doubt it.

Extremely harsh? Many of these dogs are very smart. What about locking a human away for 8 hours with no internet, no books, no entertainment, nothing to do? And it might be affection they give their dogs but it's not really love if they are so cruel. Besides, they wouldn't be strays if they were never bought, at least not a lot of them if the demand were lower, then so would the breeding and supply.

I called that K-12.

Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#14

Post by lotsofpulp »

ethanbond wrote: post #5
xandrius wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In a low-trust country such as Italy, I'd say that it would be useful. Also it would depend on the specific commune and not a country-wide requirement.

Also necessary in NYC which I don’t really feel is low-trust in general.

Also necessary in pretty much all USA metros and suburbs I have been to in the last 10 years.

Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#15

Post by newsclues »

vouaobrasil wrote: post #7

First, I know a lot of people are very nice to their dogs, but... I live in a large city, and based on the number of dogs locked away in apartments all day barking and bored to death with almost no stimulation, I figure dogs are certainly not the best friends of a lot of people. Instead, they are more like prisoners that illustrate the cruelness of humanity in general: these people use them as entertainment and care…

Lived on a farm with a 100 acres a dog could roam freely in.

Live in a suburban house with a small back yard and a small dog doesn't like it and wants to roam.

Dogs are great in rural areas, in cities I think they suffer for the sake of humans.

Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#16

Post by rybosworld »

vouaobrasil wrote: post #9
mynameisvlad wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s an extremely harsh take considering those same owners likely do care a lot about their dogs and shower them with love and affection outside those 8 hours. You’re focusing on a single part of the experience in order to paint the whole thing in a negative light. To put it another way, would they be better off being strays? I doubt it.

Extremely harsh? Many of these dogs are very smart. What about locking a human away for 8 hours with no internet, no books, no entertainment, nothing to do? And it might be affection they give their dogs but it's not really love if they are so cruel. Besides, they wouldn't be strays if they were never bought, at least not a lot of them if the demand were lower, then so would the breeding and supply.

> What about locking a human away for 8 hours with no internet, no books, no entertainment, nothing to do

These arguments fall apart when the animal is anthropomorphized.

Dogs sleep a lot more than people do, needing around 12 hours. They will take about 4 hours of that sleep in the day regardless if a human is around.

It's very breed dependent but, the majority of dogs don't require a significant amount of mental stimulation. For most breeds, a half hour of mental stimulation is plenty.

Obviously locking a husky or a cattle dog in an apartment (and this unfortunately does happen), is another story. There are certain breeds you shouldn't go for if you live in an apartment. But there are a lot of breeds that do just fine, even some large ones, like greyhounds.

Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#17

Post by matwood »

newsclues wrote: post #15
vouaobrasil wrote: post #7

First, I know a lot of people are very nice to their dogs, but... I live in a large city, and based on the number of dogs locked away in apartments all day barking and bored to death with almost no stimulation, I figure dogs are certainly not the best friends of a lot of people. Instead, they are more like prisoners that illustrate the cruelness of humanity in general: these people use them as entertainment and care…

Lived on a farm with a 100 acres a dog could roam freely in. Live in a suburban house with a small back yard and a small dog doesn't like it and wants to roam. Dogs are great in rural areas, in cities I think they suffer for the sake of humans.

Really depends on the dog. The problem is that people get high activity working dogs and then don't work them.

Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#18

Post by poloniculmov »

Arisaka1 wrote: post #10
vouaobrasil wrote: post #7

First, I know a lot of people are very nice to their dogs, but... I live in a large city, and based on the number of dogs locked away in apartments all day barking and bored to death with almost no stimulation, I figure dogs are certainly not the best friends of a lot of people. Instead, they are more like prisoners that illustrate the cruelness of humanity in general: these people use them as entertainment and care…

Me and my parents came to an agreement that we will not own a pet while we live in an apartment precisely because of this sentiment. I also disagree with the strawman the other comment presented: The alternative isn't to have the dog fight for survival on the streets as a stray. The alternative is to have the dog owned by a family that can actually provide it with the appropriate environment.

Dogs are very social and they love to be with their humans, your pet is not going to be happier being left alone in the back yard than lounging on the couch with you.

Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#20

Post by sph »

vouaobrasil wrote: post #7

First, I know a lot of people are very nice to their dogs, but... I live in a large city, and based on the number of dogs locked away in apartments all day barking and bored to death with almost no stimulation, I figure dogs are certainly not the best friends of a lot of people. Instead, they are more like prisoners that illustrate the cruelness of humanity in general: these people use them as entertainment and care…

I strongly agree and it's apparent not everybody shares this opinion.

I grew up in the countryside in the middle of nowhere, my dog used to have an enormous backyard to run in, and was cheeky enough to have made a hole in the fence when that time of the year came and he really wanted to leave for a couple days at a time, either to sire some puppies, or to roll around in horse dung. We used a leash whenever we took him amidst civilization, otherwise he was used to just walking unleashed, with us (mostly getting impatient at how slow humans are), sniffing anything he wanted and peeing on every pole that stood in his path.

I miss him every day (died at 15 years old a happy and free half golden retriever mutt). I'd love another dog, but I know they're a type of animal that enjoys a large territory, freedom, as well as a social hierarchy. I will have to suffer with this hole inside of me until I am able to leave the city and offer a dog not only love, but large enough space to run around and not get bored to death.

Cats on the other hand, as long as they have food and are left alone, can happily live holed up in a flat. Thrive, I'm not sure, but they have much simpler needs than dogs.

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