How can people be so blind?

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bendog
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Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 7:42 am

How can people be so blind?

Post by bendog »

Surely I'm not the only one thinking this dog in the video looks very very stressed and uncomfortable at being picked up and having the guys face near her?

http://blog.petflow.com/my-dog-sitter-f ... -vacation/

I saw it shared on Facebook and all the comments were about how great this guy is and how they wish they had a pet sitter like him?! Like literally thousands of comments.

To me it seems blantantly obvious the dog is not enjoying most of the interactions (except frisbee)
mansbestfriend
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Re: How can people be so blind?

Post by mansbestfriend »

Yes it looks like another bad situation that everyone thinks is the cutest thing EVER!!!!! :(
Unfortunately some dog 'trai(cough)ners' are exactly like this, and pollute proper (but less-spectacular) Positive meathods. And of course blind followers copy what they see and the sad cycle continues. "It's no life for a dog."

:)
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single Sit.
JudyN
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Re: How can people be so blind?

Post by JudyN »

It's all that 'in your face' stuff, isn't it? You can see the dog turning away and licking her lips. Most dogs need to have their personal space respected (gwd's spaniels are probably an exception here :lol: ).

But let's look on the bright side - he's not ignoring the dog and playing computer games instead, and I'm sure she gets a lot of positives and enjoyment from his company and they have a good bond. Just not as good as it could be.

Lovely little whippet, by the way.
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Nettle
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Re: How can people be so blind?

Post by Nettle »

I couldn't get it to work, which is probably just as well.
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gwd
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Re: How can people be so blind?

Post by gwd »

I honestly didn't think it was that bad. I believe that the pet sitter was being overly 'excited' and animated for the camera and that was putting the sensitive whippet off....... and of course the holding (and holding in the air) and 'forced snuggling' part was inappropriate..... but the play sessions said to me that the dog was quite happy with the pet sitter. If the dog was uncomfortable with the man it certainly wouldn't have felt secure enough to do Frisbee tug or play chase.

Oh......... and just a side note, what a LOVELY whippet! I think they're engaging little dogs. Way more 'up' than their larger, sighthound brethren.
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Suzette
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Re: How can people be so blind?

Post by Suzette »

I don't know. Whippets (which I ADORE) often seem to have that worried, woe-is me, the world is certainly about to end looked about them. I think it's just their way. But overall, I thought she looked very happy and relaxed throughout that video. I guess it's "know your dog". Just as this guy did, I can gently hold Piper's face in my hands and kiss her on the top of her nose and she doesn't care a bit. I have had dogs in the past where it would have gone bad had I tried that with them. This dog didn't seem stressed about it to me.

The only part I found to be questionable was when the pet sitter first got there and the owner riled the dog up to meet him. Most of us work hard to keep our dogs calm when meeting someone new. :?
My avatar is Piper, my sweet Pembroke Corgi. b. 5/11/11
gwd
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Re: How can people be so blind?

Post by gwd »

JudyN wrote: Most dogs need to have their personal space respected (gwd's spaniels are probably an exception here :lol: ).
Even baby girl has her quirks. She's been known to jump up, wrap her legs around my neck, wiggle her butt in to wedge it between me and the side of the couch, and press her face in (hard) to the point where breathing is difficult............ and then do a stress yawn. I'm NOT restricting her ferchristsake! Other times of course she'll do the same maneuver and give a contented sigh.......... she is of course, my stress-head.
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gwd
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Re: How can people be so blind?

Post by gwd »

gwd wrote:Even baby girl has her quirks. She's been known to jump up, wrap her legs around my neck, wiggle her butt in to wedge it between me and the side of the couch, and press her face in (hard) to the point where breathing is difficult............ and then do a stress yawn. I'm NOT restricting her ferchristsake! Other times of course she'll do the same maneuver and give a contented sigh.......... she is of course, my stress-head.
Quoting myself......... sorry.

Anyhow, I've often wondered if baby girl finds herself stressed AFTER she's plastered herself against me, or, was she stressed and elected to seek out close contact to sooth herself and the stress yawn was a way to communicate that she was feeling edgy.
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Nettle
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Re: How can people be so blind?

Post by Nettle »

Maybe the yawn was releasing the stress once she is plastered on top of you and therefore 'safe'.

There is a certain high-profile vet appearing currently on UK television who picks animals up, hugs them, passes them to vet nurses to hug, takes their faces in both hands and eyeballs them grinning at zero distance....it sets a shocking example and I am shortly off to a consultation where someone did that and got bitten...... :roll:
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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CarolineLovesDogs

Re: How can people be so blind?

Post by CarolineLovesDogs »

You guys remember that video that went around the internet and entertainment news a while back with the dog attacking its foot that clearly had some fixation and mental issues? People thought it was adorable.
Another thing that comes to mind is recently my mom wanted to show me this video of two dogs that lived together. The video showed the little dog snapping at the dog, growling, et cetera, at the other dog while the other dog was eating. She, and just about everyone else who watched the video, though it was the cutest thing ever.
gwd
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Re: How can people be so blind?

Post by gwd »

:evil: Another nominee for the 'wtf, people? Thread!

http://blogs.discovery.com/bites-animal ... -hair.html

I'd seen this youtube on another site and the comments were, predictably, way off the mark, 'Oh, how cute!!" :twisted:

I was even more disturbed when I saw the same video posted on the animal planet network site. I'm not a big fan of the network because they're seriously leaning in the direction of promoting animal activism......... but darn it, they should know better.
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jacksdad
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Re: How can people be so blind?

Post by jacksdad »

bendog wrote:To me it seems blantantly obvious the dog is not enjoying most of the interactions (except frisbee)
It is a sad fact (there is even a study on this) that humans do not easily pickup on dog signal for stress and anxiety. I agree with you, in those snap shot moments in the video, he was doing things the dog would rather not be happening.

However, over all, I think there is very possibly a lot of raw potential there if that video is a honest glimpse into who that guy is.
ScarletSci
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Re: How can people be so blind?

Post by ScarletSci »

gwd wrote:
JudyN wrote: Most dogs need to have their personal space respected (gwd's spaniels are probably an exception here :lol: ).
Even baby girl has her quirks. She's been known to jump up, wrap her legs around my neck, wiggle her butt in to wedge it between me and the side of the couch, and press her face in (hard) to the point where breathing is difficult............ and then do a stress yawn. I'm NOT restricting her ferchristsake! Other times of course she'll do the same maneuver and give a contented sigh.......... she is of course, my stress-head.
My babygirl has her quirks when it comes to personal space as well. While she nearly always wants to be either plastered against me, sitting on my lap, or at the very least, interacting with me (still trying to get her to stop the demanding, and rather shrill, bark for attention I accidentally/kind of on purpose taught her works), she also only wants it on her terms. I don't tend to pull a dog into a cuddle, because I was always raised to give them their space, but she doesn't like being picked up, and the times I have tried to hug her, she'll back off if she doesn't want it. That's usually when she wants to play or go for a walk, rather than snuggle.

She is incredibly high energy though, and always on the move, so even snuggles on her terms don't tend to last that long, because she'll then do things to strongly suggest she wants to play or train for a bit.. like look me in the eyes and do her demanding bark. God help me, it still makes me laugh sometimes, and she finds me laughing intensely rewarding, so I may never break this habit! This afternoon I was waiting for my mum to be ready for the afternoon walk (she has spinal surgery last September, needs her walks as well as the dogs) and Jack was whining, begging to go, while Pixie was doing the shrill bark, demanding to go! It's cuter than it sounds - she's a darling really... just very, very cheeky!
bendog
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Re: How can people be so blind?

Post by bendog »

Now THIS is what I like to see whilst dog sitting :wink:
Haha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh-f46rm4r4
mansbestfriend
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Location: Queensland, Australia

Re: How can people be so blind?

Post by mansbestfriend »

8)
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single Sit.
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