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When did dogs become our best friends?

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Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#61

Post by doublepg23 »

temporarely wrote: post #24
sph wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 hi…

> Cats on the other hand are much more like humans - cat's dig urbanism, can hang out at a cafe for hours, sit on a couch watching the tube all day, they happily adapt.. So that' why we say "there's a cool cat" but you never hear anything about "cool dogs". So your theory is correct in my opinion: dogs are good rural friends and cats are good urban friends. There is also the matter of dog poop. Has anyone every compl…

This is either amazing satire or the most Hacker News comment ever written.

Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#62

Post by the_common_man »

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…

They are pets and not friends

Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#63

Post by antisthenes »

JohnBooty wrote: post #42
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 generally agree that cities and apartments aren't great places for dogs. But a lot of dogs are rescues, and a lot of breeds are quite happy in apartments. There are also a lot of mitigations possible. There are dog walkers and dog sitters who come by and walk the dogs during the daytime. You can have multiple dogs that keep each other company. Etc. based on the number of dogs locked away in apartments all day barki…

> While I generally don't think we should be breeding dogs at all

What do you mean by this? If we don't breed dogs, in about 15 years or so, there will be no dogs left at all.

Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#64

Post by doubled112 »

prmoustache wrote: post #52
ashleney wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This kind of thinking very much reminds me of those parents who view the children they chose to have as nefarious evil leeches.

Well first thing they do even before birth is starting sucking your energy out so there is that. Now that they are gently reaching teenager years, I call them roomies. They eat everything that is available in the fridge, don't want to help with cleaning, interact less and less with me, invite dubious people and listen to loud music in their room.

I'm reminded of that scene in House M.D. where he tells a patient she has a parasite, but she might learn to embrace it and dress it up in cute outfits.

Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#66

Post by nervousvarun »

hasty_pudding wrote: post #50
INTPenis wrote: post #2

On this topic I saw this great documentary called "Man's first friend" from 2008.[1]. Also speaking of northern Italy, as a dog owner, I am fully behind this[2] proposal to DNA test dogs and punish anyone leaving dog poop on the streets. 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=talBvZ5x8sY&t=4882s 2. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/17/italian-provin...

The founding fathers would think that allowing the government to have a database on ANYTHING is a bad idea. Plus dog poop is ecologically good for the environment and fertilizes nature.

Apparently, dog poop is not an effective fertilizer and is considered harmful for grass?

Was news to me as a dog owner who allows our dog to do her business in the back yard (but would never allow it on a public walkway/area).

https://lawnlove.com/blog/is-dog-poop-bad-for-grass/

Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#68

Post by actionfromafar »

sph wrote: post #20
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 hi…

Some dogs really can handle modest exercise. I know a happy cocker spaniel who’s an apartment dweller. Gets a lot of human interaction with almost constant human companions, with about ten humans rotating in and out of the dogs life over a month. So, exercise wise, not too much except walks in the city and parks, but socially a very interesting life. I am sure a husky would go insane in the same circumstances. It also very much depends on the individual, so if you get a dog, find out as much as possible how it’s close relatives behave.

Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#69

Post by smugglerFlynn »

xandrius wrote: post #3
INTPenis wrote: post #2

On this topic I saw this great documentary called "Man's first friend" from 2008.[1]. Also speaking of northern Italy, as a dog owner, I am fully behind this[2] proposal to DNA test dogs and punish anyone leaving dog poop on the streets. 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=talBvZ5x8sY&t=4882s 2. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/17/italian-provin...

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.

Isn’t solving trust issues with further mistrust leads to an even lower trust in the end? (genuinely interested because “low-trust/high-trust communities” concept is a topic I know nothing about.)

Re: When did dogs become our best friends?

#70

Post by poloniculmov »

JohnBooty wrote: post #31
poloniculmov wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I do not see where the parent poster advocated for leaving a dog alone in the back yard.

They didn't, I'm pointing out that the problem isn't the space (apartment), but that owners aren't providing adequate stimulation and companionship for the dogs.
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