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A dog is a dog, a human is a human. It really pains me when I see friends and family treating dogs like humans and trying to apply or mirror their own disorder
by mothsonasloth 8y ago
A dog is a dog, a human is a human.
It really pains me when I see friends and family treating dogs like humans and trying to apply or mirror their own disorders on to their pets.
A caption from the article reads:
> Many labradors with CCD compulsively carry objects in their mouth.
Its a fn Labrador, a gun dog. It was bred to carry objects in its mouth.
If your dog is misbehaving, it is probably because its anxious, caused by you being a bad owner (most of the time).
I had a border collie when I was younger, I loved that dog and made sure it was cared for. A friend who had another Collie never gave it the full attention it deserved. This resulted it in wreaking havoc in their family home.
They took it to "doggy school" along with all the housewives who couldn't control their pugs or designer dogs.
The more they tried to treat the dog as a human, the worse its behaviour got.
I looked after it several times and after good long walks and a couple of slaps to the nose for bad behaviour, he was a great dog to look after.
Seriously, some people need to stop self diagnosing. Especially the faux OCD sufferers who complain about how they iike a "tidy bathroom or work desk".
OCD is a debilitating illness, we trivialize it with all these fake mental diagnoses people pick up after reading an article on psychology.com
To those who are thinking of getting a dog please think carefully:
- Make sure you have the time and love to give it
- Make sure you can be firm but not cruel to it
- Make sure you can afford it
- Make sure you try adopting or rehoming before going for a puppy
- duskwuff 8y agoI feel like you're responding to the headline alone. Read the article. It lays out some rather compelling evidence that some behavioral disorders in dogs are analogous to OCD in humans, and can be treated in similar ways.
- mothsonasloth 8y agoDon't "feel", "think". Too many people nowadays use their feelings instead of their brains.
- mikestew 8y agoOkay, I think you didn’t read the article, or more charitably, cherry-picked a straw man example to make a point. Save the ad hominems, and address how the behaviors in the article are “just breeding”. Start with an easy one like tail-chasing if you like. Be sure to address how “I raised a couple of dogs when I was a kid” makes you such an expert on dog behavior that you can talk to people in a condescending tone.
- NeedMoreTea 8y agoFully agree, and would add - make sure you're willing to accept breed traits. Collies will "compulsively" herd things, it's what they're bred for, and it's wired in very strongly. So when your collie starts herding the cats, it's not a problem with the dog. As you noted gun dogs will often carry or hold things. It's ridiculous to see these traits, or a long evolved habit such as circling before lying, as OCD that should be treated. It's a companion animal, not part of the decoration.
- mikestew 8y agoSo when your collie starts herding the cats, it's not a problem with the dog. I must have missed the part in the article where folks complained about herding breeds herding things. Of the examples I read, all were much more destructive behaviors and if they are “breed traits”, they are undesirable ones.
- NeedMoreTea 8y agoYou must have also missed the part where I was responding to the parent commenter. I managed to read the entire article, which included very weak as well as some convincing examples, before commenting. Including the part at the end pointing out that it was produced by Wellcome, a drug research foundation.
- mothsonasloth 8y agoNo it's your fault if the dog starts herding. It means you haven't stimulated it enough. Stop deflecting blame, when it lies at your own feet
- mikestew 8y agoIn addition to TFA, do you even bother reading what you reply to? That has nothing to do with what I wrote. I’d watch your tone, too, Dog Whisperer. Anyone smacking dogs on the nose can save the self-righteous attitude.
- Insanity 8y agoYou could say OCD is a disease of the brain, and as dogs have brains as well, I don't think it's impossible that they'd suffer from a similar 'disease'. Maybe I just misunderstood what you were trying to say though, but I do agree that you should not treat them as human children. (I have OCD myself (2 decades+) and it is a horrible thing to live with.)
- mikestew 8y agoOCD is a debilitating illness Do you consider chasing your tail until your mouth and tail are bleeding “debilitating”, or just something bull terriers are “bred for”?
- tjr 8y agoBorder collies can be especially intense. Would recommend to a potential adopter to very strongly consider not getting a border collie. Only if you are sure it is right for you, and that you are right for it, then go for it.
- sjg007 8y agoIf you get a border collie get a few sheep too.
- mothsonasloth 8y agoYou need a garden space, plenty of time and a physical lifestyle.