avoiding using unnecessary physical control with your animals to train them fosters a desire to work with you and a bond of trust. instead of belly-rolling or scruffing or hitting or spraying your kitten/puppy for nipping you during play, you just have to stand up and leave.
animals will very quickly understand that ‘oh, when i do this thing it causes all the fun things to stop.’ however, if you immediately resort to physical control in all circumstances, you’re teaching them that your relationship is based on fear and control and they’ll do things for you based on FEAR and not understanding.
they don’t understand why something is bad if you beat them for it, or shove their faces in something, if you don’t give them an alternative and acceptable behavior
my dog doesn’t bite me when we play because i taught her that she needs to respect that other people (and dogs and other animals) have limits and she is ALSO allowed to express her limits and will have them respected which also means that she will give plenty of warning before resorting to physical force herself (ie, she will growl and back away and other things and express very clearly she doesn’t want something instead of immediately biting and snapping unprovoked).
she knows what she’s allowed to play with because i made it that way and because she realized if she destroys her things she doesn’t get them back, and if she doesn’t destroy my things she gets to play and gets more fun and is praised and encouraged for doing things that are appropriate and she’s learned to value her things and to understand in dog-capacity that my things also have value to me, and that we can trade. she’ll try to offer her things for mine. if i have a toy of hers, 90% of the time she’ll run and grab one of her equally-valuable toys or one of my socks to trade.
it’s respect, both for boundaries and for the intelligence of your animals. not everything has to resort to physical control.
Tag: pet care
the holidays are coming up, and as someone who works in a pet store there are some things i want everyone who plans on getting animals as gifts to remember:
- fish tanks need to be set up and running for at least one week before fish can be put it. all fish need treated water and bacteria supplements.
- fish can only survive in a plastic bag for about an hour.
- THE ONLY fish that can go in a bowl is a BETTA. all other fish, especially goldfish, will die/be very unhealthy in bowls.
- goldfish are supposed to live for up to 20 years. don’t get all high and mighty for keeping one alive for a few months. they have long life spans when taken proper care of.
- hamsters cannot live together. when they grow up, they become incredibly territorial and aggressive. they are asocial creatures that do not get along with each other.
- guinea pigs can’t go in hamster wheels or balls. they get spinal injuries from being in a curved position and sometimes die.
- rats and guinea pigs do better in groups/pairs.
- hamsters, mice, rats, guinea pigs, cats, and pretty much every single animal can’t live inside a sealed box. they will die. don’t do it.
- puppies get destructive. they break things and make messes and are loud. they need to be trained. don’t get a puppy if you don’t want to deal with training a large animal.
- don’t fucking take kittens and puppies away from their mothers prematurely just because they’re cute. it can affect them forever.
- cats will scratch your furniture and knock things over. declawing cats is a physically harmful and scarring process that literally permanently mutilates their paws. don’t get a cat if you aren’t willing to be patient with them.
- birds are LOUD. SO LOUD. and incredibly messy. and they bite.
- most lizards can get up to two feet long. some can live for 20 years. don’t get a baby bearded dragon and expect it to stay that small forever. they reach their full size within a year.
- pets are real and they have needs. their needs are not luxuries. don’t treat them like they don’t matter.
- hermit crabs are social, don’t get just one
- frogs and toads are very low-maintenance but you do need to feed live food, so if touching bugs freaks you out, don’t get amphibians
- guppies breed. i have so many guppies now. please take some.
- birds are loud and destructive and will destroy everything with their beaks: furniture, jewelry, clothing, etc.
- parrots are SMART so if you don’t spend hours with them each day and if you don’t let them out of their cages daily they will get depressed and angry. yes, even the small ones.
Rabbits cannot live full time in the cages you can buy at a pet store. They are happy to have them as a safe place as not as they have a room or obstacle course or free rein of the house. They can use a litter box just like a cat but they need special rabbit safe litter
Rats and hamsters also need more roaming room than the cages sold for them. A pair of rats can be kept in a rabbit cage but they are smart and small and can compress their skeletons to escape if they are feeling bored and like cuddles and can be trained. You might as well give them free roaming rein and set up the cage as a safe hiding place for when they are done with you.
If you are going to keep a dog outside full time do not get a dog. They are social creatures and we have bred them for thousands of years to depend on humans. Dogs bond to their human caretakers more strongly than their own parents or litter-mates. If you want a guard dog get an electronic alarm system.
Just because betas can survive I a bowl does not mean they enjoy it. A well kept beta will live ten or more years in a ten gallon tank. Fish get bored. Scenery and plants and little castles are as much for them as they are for us. Switch up the fish bowl decorations every few months
And please please if you are getting an animal as a gift make sure it’s for someone who is able and willing to properly care for the animal and that all of the adults in the home are equally as invested in the animal’s welfare
Do not buy someone a live animal and make it wait under the tree. Buy them a gift card or model of the animal and put it with the supplies.
DO NOT ASSUME THAT SOMEONE WANTS AN ANIMAL. Unless they really, genuinely want it, can care for it, and will care for it for the next 10 years, do NOT buy them an animal.
signal boost✨✨✨
Hi, concerning your last reply to someone asking about the puppy cost: what do you mean that the puppies make you work? Extreme energy / constant play time, or etc? My research so far has painted that, on average, dobes are trainable and smart.
I mean, they are trainable and smart. That, in and of itself, does not an easy dog make. Many dogs are highly trainable. Many dogs are very intelligent. Many of those dogs will completely wreck your house, your stuff, and your life if you don’t provide for their needs.
A border collie is trainable and smart. If all you do with your bc is teach it to sit and take it for a 5 minute walk around the block once a week, you will not own anything of significant value anymore. The “trainable and smart” is not the problem- it’s what makes them “trainable and smart”.
Dobes thrive when given a specific job. It doesn’t really matter what that job is most of the time- whether it’s just a lot of obedience training and exercise at home, or dog sports, or a true working job such as service work and search and rescue, if it’s hard work the dobe will thrive. Take that same dog and don’t meet its needs and you will regret ever thinking that this breed could mesh with your lifestyle. Your house will be destroyed. Your neighbors will be displeased about the noise level. You may even have an unstable or aggressive animal on your hands at the end of it from built up frustration and cabin fever.
People always see Creed interacting with me in videos, pictures, or even in person and ask where they can get a dog just like him. The only correct answer is that if you’re expecting to get a dog like him right out of the box, it’s never going to happen. He is the end product of hours of training, exercise, structure, and emotional bond poured into him over the course of nearly 2 years now. You will not get this in a puppy- you will get this over the course of time after you put in the work. And puppies like Creed? You either put in the work, or you have a serious mess on your hands later on in life because they will find something to amuse themselves if you don’t provide for what they require. Creed in a home that gave him anything less than what I give him would likely have been dumped in a shelter or euthanized before he hit a year old. He would be completely out of control, destructive, and quite likely on some shelter’s short list of dogs that wouldn’t pass the temperament testing to save his life. Literally.
It’s not that he’s a bad dog. It’s not that he’s unstable, aggressive, or out of control. It’s not that, outside of his dog aggression phase, he was ever at risk to have been called a menace to society. But the only reason that is so is because he was responsibly placed into the hands of someone who could meet his unique needs and who wanted the challenge of a dog that needed to work… or else.
Once again, I have never had a better dog. But I mean it when I say that he and his litter are not for the faint of heart as far as owners go. He is safe, well rounded, and goes literally everywhere with me without worry. Today he was the demo dog for my mentor’s store and got to wiggle at children and show off his flashy obedience under heavy distraction. That is the trainable and smart. But getting there is not easy, nor is it fast, and you will work for your end result or you will not like the dog you get as an adult.
This is exactly what I mean when I explain to people that certain dogs aren’t pets. They’re lifestyles. Long term, no days off commitments, but totally worth it if you’re up for it. Basically if you’re not able to have your dog be your top priority, just don’t. There are so many breeds that there will be one that fits your lifestyle.
If you’re unsure how to pet a cat (i.e., maybe you didn’t have cats around growing up), it can be helpful to bear in mind that petting is a grooming activity. Grooming each other is how cats bond. Of course, each cat will have individual preferences, but the fact that it’s a grooming thing gives you two basic places to start:
- Scratch areas that the cat has difficulty reaching, like the chin and upper throat, behind the ears, or the the very top of the head. (Watch the body language here – you’ll know if you pick the wrong spot right away.)
- Work your fingers deeply into areas of thick fur where tangles are likely to form, like around the shoulderblades or the ruff of the neck. (You may come away with a handful of loose fur; this means you’re doing it right.)
Also, if you’re unsure of how to approach, try extending your hand with the palm up and the fingers relaxed for the cat to sniff. It’s the cat equivalent of a handshake – cats sniff each other to see where they’ve been, and for humans, it’s the hands that carry our scent history, since we touch everything constantly.
It’s kind of amazing watching all the folks who didn’t know that petting is a grooming behaviour come to the realisation that cats lick you because they want to pet you back.
Another thing you can do with skittish cats is offer your *closed fist*.
A cat that is shy of an open hand that can grab may approach a closed hand that they don’t perceive as trying to grab them. (Needless to say, don’t actually grab them, please.)
They bonk against your hands (and your head, if they are at head level) the same way they bonk against one another’s heads. It’s a friendly greeting that often ends in friendly cats turning and licking each others shoulders, necks, and ears a few times.
They scent mark by rubbing their faces on things. Their cheek glands produce a pleasant-smelling (to them, we can’t smell it) pheromone that projects friendship and reassurance. When they scent mark you like this, it is a friendly gesture.
So with this in mind, try letting the cat bump your fist, then gently rub the fist past the side of their face as they rub their face against your fist. Think of your fist like a cat’s head, and you are scent marking them back. You are sharing a friendly gesture.
A worried cat may warm up after a few passes of this, and you may be able to pet the neck and back of the head. The under-chin/throat area can be a little dicey. They don’t casually kiss each other there.very often and it can make them feel vulnerable.
Rolling over to show the tummy does not always mean the same thing it means for dogs. Unless you know the cat, be very careful touching the tummy. It might not be an invitation. It might be a readiness posture.
Digression: cats don’t show submission by rolling. Rolling is a defensive maneuver that prepares them for possible combat with other cats by putting their most powerful weapons – their teeth and back claws – into play simultaneously. They fight other cats by hugging with the front legs, biting anything they can reach, and kicking with the incredibly strong hind legs. It is an advantageous position for fighting/play fighting, lets them see all around them AND above, where humans usually approach them from, and it keeps them from getting pinned on their bellies, unable to retaliate. If they need to, they can flip and run away easily because cats are FAST.
So yeah, some cats love tummy stuff. Some hate it and just want you to admire from afar. A gentle hand placed on their tummy should tell you whether they want actual pets there or not. If they stretch or open up their body language, that’s good. If they tense or “sit up” to look at your hand, that’s not good. Stop petting and go back to the head.
Obviously if they grab your hand and rabbit-kick and bite, then you should not pet them there.
Some cats have a hair trigger. Sorry about that.
You can also pet them without moving your hand, just hold it out and let them rub against it. This will give you a good idea of where they like to be touched and how hard and for how long.
Very shy cats, once they realize you are willing to pet them without grabbing, may really come to enjoy approaching you.
We have a cat like this. If you let him see you respect him by not over-petting, he will rub against your hands and legs for a long time.
The moral is that cats are not inconsistent jerks, it’s just that we misinterpret their body language.
It’s also that we do not respect their boundaries when they present them, because we, as humans, want to be allowed to pet all soft things, and, somewhat spoiled by dogs, who love it nearly unconditionally, we unreasonably expect it of cats, a very very different animal.
If you want a cat to come back for more, don’t push yourself on them. They will remember you are a Cool Human and will come back for more.
(Also, speak softly. Cats usually really hate loud people.)
Two other things to consider with all of this: blinking and body position. If you offer your finger or hand, the cat will look up into your face as they sniff. Blink, slowly, and do not stare. This communicates a lack of aggressive intent. It also helps if you break your body plane backward; that is, lean back a little. If you are leaning backwards and not staring, you’re not about to pounce. I spend the first five minutes of an exam leaning against the wall and looking bored. It helps.
People who are excited to see a cat tend to lean forward, make eye contact and (as noted above) raise their voices, and then the cat thinks they’re in trouble. This is why cats are attracted to the people in the room who “don’t like cats;” they’re the ones communicating the least possibility of conflict.
Beginner advice on rat keeping
Check out my other rat comic What I learned from having pet rats too
But what about people selling dogs and therefore taking away a potential home from a shelter pet? Only really applicable to people only buying a pet, not a dog for a specific task. Not really disagreeing with you for the big picture, but I have to smh at people who buy just a pet.
Well again, the idea that someone buying a dog from a breeder is ‘taking away a potential home’ from a shelter dog isn’t accurate. Just because someone doesn’t buy, or can’t buy, a dog from a breeder doesn’t mean that they will want or will adopt a dog from a shelter.
A lot of it is situational. People who want a pet dog have specific requirements based on where they live, their lifestyle, their energy level, how much they’re willing to groom, how much they want to exercise a dog, etc. There may not be a shelter dog in their area that fits their needs. In my city, for example, there are very few dogs available at the local shelter. They usually average 10-15 dogs at any one time. There have been times they have had no dogs available at all. That’s just my city. Other cities may be overwhelmed with adoptable dogs, and have an enormous range of dogs to choose from, giving potential adopters a greater chance of finding the dog that will fit their needs.
And I feel like it can’t be emphasized enough that people need dogs that fit their lifestyle. An older retired lady who wants a companion is not going to want a 1 year old 60 lb herding mix. A younger guy who jogs every day is probably not going to want an elderly chihuahua. Families who already have dogs, or cats, or children, will need a dog that has been socialized or can be socialized to live with dogs/cats/children. A shelter puppy with unknown parentage can be socialized to live with dogs/cats/children, but genetics could rear their ugly head when that dog grows up and turns out to be dog aggressive.
Rescue animals are fantastic. But with rescue animals there will always be some element of mystery and risk involved. Mystery breed, mystery socialization, mystery training. I’m not saying all rescues are ticking time bombs, but knowing the background of an animal can make a huge difference in taking them into your home and being prepared to care for them and meet their specific needs. If you’re prepared to take on possible health or behavioral problems with a rescue animal, that’s great! That’s what I’ve done with most of my animals. But if you are not prepared to deal with possible health or behavioral problems, if you have a lifestyle that limits itself to a specific type of dog, rescue may not be the best option for you or the rescued animal.
If you buy a dog from a responsible breeder, you’re going to know all the traits of that breed, you’re going to be able to meet the parents, you’re going to know how that puppy has been socialized and what they’ve been exposed to from day one. This can be extremely important for people who have children, who already have other pets, who want some advance knowledge about what they’re getting into and how this dog is likely to grow up.
And again – if somebody wants a pet, but they have specific requirements for that pet, and there are not rescue animals that fit those requirements, they will not rescue an animal as a pet. This is not a home being stolen from a rescue animal, because this is not a home that can handle having a rescue animal.
I mean long story short every prospective animal owner needs an animal that fits their lifestyle and their capabilities (this is how animals stay in homes instead of bouncing back to a rescue situation). Every prospective animal owner lives in a different area where their access to breeders good and bad and rescues good and bad varies. When some breeders are shitty, some rescues are shitty, some breeders are great, some rescues are great, etc etc etc, it all comes down to people being educated and taking the responsibility to find a dog that they can guarantee keeping for its whole life.
Adopting a dog because it feels good and there’s pressure to ‘adopt, don’t buy!’ means nothing if that dog makes them miserable, gets stuck in a kennel in a backyard for the rest of its life, bites another dog and ends up euthanized, or just gets dumped at the shelter again. And that’s the main reason I will never shame people into adoption over purchasing a pet, because adoption should be undertaken with the exact same amount of care, research, and commitment as buying from a breeder.
After our old dog died, my mom new the next dog had to be a small, cuddly, non-shedding, young-ish adult.
Do you know how rare that dog is in shelters?
She looked for over a year, in every shelter within 50 miles, because she has moral objections to buying dogs from breeders, and she had given up and gone to look at lab mix puppies when she saw ‘Curly’ at the shelter. Our local shelters get dogs and puppies shipped in en masse from shelters in South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, because most rescues around here (NYC area) are bully breed mixes, which don’t appeal to many.
So, Charlie, as he is know named, is a rarity. He’s small, non-shedding, cuddly, calm, friendly-great dog, right?
Except that he’s terrified of children, to the point where he was incredibly leash-aggressive towards them for months after we got him.
If we had small kids, Charlie wouldn’t have been the dog for us, and my family might have decided to buy a dog from a breeder.
It’s perfect chance that we got the lovely lil scaredy-pup that we did, and I have no ill-feelings towards anybody who decides to “shop” rather than “adopt.”
When my mom needed a dog she could train as a support/service dog for herself, we went to a breeder because we needed a young puppy with a predictable temperament and trainability. We got Chester and he was as stubborn as redhead as you ever met but he was damn smart, he learned fast, and he knew he had a job. We had him for his whole life and it was the best 18 years ever.
After Chester died, mom just wanted a buddy to snuggle, so we went to an adoption center to find somebody small and cuddly. We got Mitzy and she is the cutest little thing ever (even if she is kind of scared of the cats and runs away from them unless they’re laying down). She’s very smart but she only seems to use her smarts to steal food off peoples’ plates when no one’s looking. We don’t mind because we don’t expect her to do anything except be a dog and snuggle (which she’s great at!)
Me, I’ve got Harley and he was a stray that literally just followed me home. He saw me out walking Mitzy and liked her and they got along and when I turned around to take Mitzy back home, Harley just followed me right in the door with her and suddenly I had a dog. I love him to death but he is dumb as a box of rocks (it took me a week to teach him “sit”), he’s afraid of strange men, and doesn’t seem to like other dogs except for Mitzy (but he loves the cats and doesn’t quite get why they don’t want to play with him). He’s got loads of other issues too and I’m having to work really hard to get him trained out of them as much as I can (I can’t clip his nails if he snaps at me every time I grab his feet. It’s taken a lot of treats and belly rubs to work him down to just ‘boof’ing at me and pulling his paws away).
We’ve adopted most of our pets but that’s because all we were looking for was a pet that met fairly loose guidelines (must not be over 30lbs and must be ok with other cats/dogs). When we needed a little furry helper around the house, we had to go to a breeder because the list of “must”s was much longer and stricter. Both are perfectly valid choices for their own reasons.
Many years ago, when I didn’t know anything about dog behavior, I used to train my (aggressive) dog with prong collar corrections and methods that include inflicting pain and fear. I had no idea I was doing anything wrong because I saw this on TV. I also had no idea that my dog was stressed and unhappy, because my dog looked “calm”, and I didn’t know how to read the body language signals. When I learned and knew better, I changed.
My dog changed too, and became a generally more relaxed, calm, confident, happier dog.
Unfortunately, there are lots of trainers out there who still promote outdated knowledge and use outdated methods. I did this illustration to hopefully encourage people to understand what their dogs are feeling and communicating.
My illustration appears in this very important dogster.com article:
http://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/what-do-outdated-dog-training-and-a-pit-of-spiders-have-in-common
ALSO READ:
http://eileenanddogs.com/2013/11/21/shut-down-dogs-part-2/
https://paws4udogs.wordpress.com/2013/08/12/belly-rub-redux/
queerhomestuck 