Return that dog. - Page 3

Why would you think that, Guddu. My last 2 GSDs were  adults when I got them. Cradle meaning from the day I gave them a home, not necessarily from their date of birth.  I don't take dogs unless I think I can provide forever homes for them. That's not being nobel, it's being responsible.

Guddu: I think we pet owners humanize our dogs, especially gsd's. Give them mythical powers and emotional bonds.

Well, if a GSD who arrived as a pup, doesn't develop an extremely strong bond with the family who 'adopted' him/her, I would be very surprised. And so with such a strong bond, one will individualize one's dogs and that is natural, IMO.....and in fact not invidualizing one's GSD would be un-natural.

So when I hear about  a GSD who has been with a family for a couple of years and has participated in everything that the family has done, being "re-homed", I tend to equate that with "re-homing" your son or daughter.

I think unlike dogs like Labrador Retrievers or Goldens and such, GSDs don't do well at all if they are excised from the family they know, and are "re-homed".  There are exceptions of course but by and large, that is what I believe, going by the nature of some GSDs (single owner dogs etc) and I can see why they would have trouble with such radical life transitions.

 aaykay

Blitzen:
   The usual meaning of cradle is a bassinet where small children sleep. I have not heard it being used for adult humans or dogs (but english is a second language for me). However, I dont disagree with your philosophy of care (from time of receipt of dog to death).
P.S." noble" was the wrong choice of word, responsible is better !

There are circumstances where it's best to sell or rehome a dog, however, "not working out as expected" is a sorry reason to do so, imo. I have raised young dogs and sold them or given them away to better homes than I could provide THAT PARTICULAR dog for some reason, but to BUY a PUPPY and raise it, have it bond to you, and then dump it when it doesn't "meet expectations" because YOU WERE TOO CHEAP TO BUY A DOG FOR YOUR PURPOSES IN THE FIRST PLACE, well, I just think that sucks. If you want to breed, buy a breeding quality dog. If you want to show, buy a show quality dog. If you want to bond with a puppy for life, buy a puppy and keep it for life. 

I would never, ever, make someone return a dog in order to make good on a guarantee. I wouldn't even want to sell a dog to someone who would give up a dog if it had a problem. Those aren't the kind of homes a dog deserves. I think many sport people get so blinded by the goal that they forget this is a living being and as KitKat said, they have a certain responsibility as to how that dog turns out! The disposable mentality is sickening, as is the lack of personal responsibility on the part of humans, particularly the USA lately. I cannot speak for other countries. The revolving door types make me sick. You all know the ones I mean- a new pup every year or so, or less, and all are washed out and belittled as being "garbage." Yuck. That's enough to make me want to keep every dog. I have kept pups from every litter I've bred and placed them w/family or close friends if I can't keep them here. If you're wanting to see how a dog turns out, do something like that and then if the dog doesn't turn out for breeding or sport or whatever, leave the dog in the home with the people who love it and the dog is never the wiser that he was a washout. ;-)

I vehemently disagree with guddu's entire view on dogs' emotions and our bonds to them. Why do you even have a dog if that's how you feel about them? It's glaringly obvious from your post that you have never had a true bond with a dog- likely because you are always trying to find a scientific or psychological reason for the good in life. You're missing out, imo. 

by guddu on 05 January 2013 - 14:01

guddu Posts: 269 Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2011 05:53 pm

I think we pet owners humanize our dogs, especially gsd's. Give them mythical powers and emotional bonds. Perhaps the same is done to horses too. I am sure there are psychological reasons for that. To some sport/SL people, gsd's may be a tool to achieve success. For police/military, gsd's are a tool, and they mercilessly cull them after they are no longer useful. I dont think either of these view points is more correct or wrong than another. Its all about whether we have formed an emotional bond with the dog and what is it worth to us. As an OT: Recently I was investigating mouse traps (the kind that snap and instantly kill the mouse), and there were many who were opposed to killing the mouse and wanted a humane way to capture them and release them into the wild!.

Jenni you misquote me completely

"I vehemently disagree with guddu's entire view on dogs' emotions and our bonds to them. Why do you even have a dog if that's how you feel about them? It's glaringly obvious from your post that you have never had a true bond with a dog- likely because you are always trying to find a scientific or psychological reason for the good in life. You're missing out, imo".

Where have I said that I think that dogs are disposable ?. 

I have said "we pet owners humanize our dogs"...that means that I too humanize dogs and that there are psychological reasons for that. It does not mean that I support the "disposable dog" society, but I understand how some others might think.

I think we pet owners humanize our dogs, especially gsd's.

I don´t, never did.  During my life with dogs I made a lot of mistakes and I saw a lot of things happen to single dogs and to the breed as a whole.
I believe in the German Shepherd as a working dog, these working abilities should become challanged and advanced.
I don´t blame anyone, who needs to give his dog away.
There might be several reasons:
Illness
desperate lack of money
too much dog for this special owner
maybe no bond between owner and dog
and so on
In this case it´s the owners duty to find a suitable place for his dog, with or without money paid.
There will always be enough green or elder dogs on the market,
but once again, it´s not ethical to give a dog away because it´s no VA or trial champion.
A lot of people have forgotten, why in the first case, they bought their first dog.
I forgot, too, but at one point in my life I fortunately remembered.

I didn't misquote you at all. I copied and pasted your ENTIRE post. I didn't mention your name until the end.   The rest doesn't apply to you, or I would've addressed you. Giving them" mystical powers and emotional bonds" sounds like you think emotional bonds are mystical/mythical and that just sucks, imho, for both you and the dog. I didn't say you mistreat your dogs, just that it seems you are missing out on one of the best things in life. 

Humanizing and forming emotional bonds are not related. Humanizing and individualizing are not the same, either. I don't think I humanize my dogs, but I certainly treat them all as the unique individuals they are, all with their own personalities and different emotional needs. If that makes me crazy, so be it. 

Jenni:

I will just highlight the relevant portions and leave it at that.

""I vehemently disagree with guddu's entire view on dogs' emotions and our bonds to them. Why do you even have a dog if that's how you feel about them? It's glaringly obvious from your post that you have never had a true bond with a dog- likely because you are always trying to find a scientific or psychological reason for the good in life. You're missing out, imo".

Q.E.D. (quod erat demonstrandum, sorry the only part you are correct is that I am scientific)

E.H.E. errare humanum est