PunBB

VioletlightHeron Wrote:Wendy, is Mr Mittens a Maine Coon? He looks awefully close to my mom's cat Gina.

I think he's part Maine Coon because he's HUGE and his fur isn't short and it isnt' long, plus he's got those tufts of fur on his ears.

Used to live with a buddy who owned a Boxer. Beautiful dog, but it only took cohabitation to discover that I officially hated this animal. Here’s what I could expect in a typical work-week in that living situation:

Monday: Wake up at 4:30 a.m. to what sounds like a badger trying to tunnel its way under my bedroom door. It’s the dog. I scold dog, and crawl back into bed. The “badgering” resumes. Since dog stubbornly ignores my pleas & commands to accompany me downstairs to roommate’s quarters, I forcefully drag dog by the collar to aforementioned destination. I then argue with dog owner as he takes offense to ME waking HIM up over HIS dog waking ME up. After the fracas, I cannot get back to sleep. Happy Monday.

Tuesday: Arrive home from work, and living room reeks of shit. Discover a steaming pile on the rug, which has unbelievably been ground in by the filthy animal’s own feet. Dozens of dogshit footprints adorn carpet in adjoining rooms. Welcome home!

After an hour of cleaning, I prep a steak for grilling. The phone rings, I place steak on top of the fridge to protect it from ravenous dog (dogs, for some reason, are constantly ravenous, regardless of the frequency or quantity of its meals). I return to kitchen to find dog’s hind legs on countertop, front paws on fridge-top, devouring steak. After a body-slam to the linoleum, dogs surrenders final three bites of steak.

Wednesday: Wake up hungry and very cranky because sleep was interrupted multiple times by dog barking. Workday is torturous. Upon quitting time, I make a beeline for home, longing for nap. Am greeted by garbage strewn about the house, dog huddling in corner. Ignoring mess, I head straight for bed. There is.... garbage.... in my bed. I nap in Lazy Boy, and dream of ways to brutally murder dog.

Thursday: Awake to sound of dog chasing cat about the house. Two houseplants and my favorite coffee mug are casualties of war. I make online purchase of three clay mortars and five-pound bag of rat-poison. Workday brings questions from colleagues regarding my mental state. Concern escalates as a result of long bouts of maniacal laughter and muttering. Arrive home to the stench of dog piss. A torn-open 10 lb. bag of flour sits in the middle of the kitchen floor. A fine white dusting coats all surfaces. The closet door is ajar, partially obscuring more destruction. Dog has shredded two rolls of wrapping paper and has consumed a bag of small balloons of various colors. I frantically search for “hurricanine”, burning with rage. I find dog in basement, wolfing down contents of the cat’s litterbox. Cute. Appointment is scheduled for anger-management seminar.

Friday: Arrive home from work to find roommate extracting partially-inflated balloon from dog’s rectum. I’m overwhelmed with glee. I prepare for evening date with diligently pursued med. student. She enters with wrinkled nose, and remarks on aroma of dog piss. I advise her of immanent departure and offer a seat. She refuses, insisting that dog hair would cover white dress. I inform her I’d happily remove every collected hair from her dress with my teeth. After med. student slams door behind her, I bandage split lip.

Dogs make fabulous housepets. cratch:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I've got two golden retrievers. They're beautiful dogs and so loving and playful. Nothing makes you feel more welcome home than two dogs knocking the walls down with their tails.

The Horrible Esthete Wrote:Used to live with a buddy who owned a Boxer. Beautiful dog, but it only took cohabitation to discover that I officially hated this animal. Here’s what I could expect in a typical work-week in that living situation:

Monday: Wake up at 4:30 a.m. to what sounds like a badger trying to tunnel its way under my bedroom door. It’s the dog. I scold dog, and crawl back into bed. The “badgering” resumes. Since dog stubbornly ignores my pleas & commands to accompany me downstairs to roommate’s quarters, I forcefully drag dog by the collar to aforementioned destination. I then argue with dog owner as he takes offense to ME waking HIM up over HIS dog waking ME up. After the fracas, I cannot get back to sleep. Happy Monday.

Tuesday: Arrive home from work, and living room reeks of shit. Discover a steaming pile on the rug, which has unbelievably been ground in by the filthy animal’s own feet. Dozens of dogshit footprints adorn carpet in adjoining rooms. Welcome home!

After an hour of cleaning, I prep a steak for grilling. The phone rings, I place steak on top of the fridge to protect it from ravenous dog (dogs, for some reason, are constantly ravenous, regardless of the frequency or quantity of its meals). I return to kitchen to find dog’s hind legs on countertop, front paws on fridge-top, devouring steak. After a body-slam to the linoleum, dogs surrenders final three bites of steak.

Wednesday: Wake up hungry and very cranky because sleep was interrupted multiple times by dog barking. Workday is torturous. Upon quitting time, I make a beeline for home, longing for nap. Am greeted by garbage strewn about the house, dog huddling in corner. Ignoring mess, I head straight for bed. There is.... garbage.... in my bed. I nap in Lazy Boy, and dream of ways to brutally murder dog.

Thursday: Awake to sound of dog chasing cat about the house. Two houseplants and my favorite coffee mug are casualties of war. I make online purchase of three clay mortars and five-pound bag of rat-poison. Workday brings questions from colleagues regarding my mental state. Concern escalates as a result of long bouts of maniacal laughter and muttering. Arrive home to the stench of dog piss. A torn-open 10 lb. bag of flour sits in the middle of the kitchen floor. A fine white dusting coats all surfaces. The closet door is ajar, partially obscuring more destruction. Dog has shredded two rolls of wrapping paper and has consumed a bag of small balloons of various colors. I frantically search for “hurricanine”, burning with rage. I find dog in basement, wolfing down contents of the cat’s litterbox. Cute. Appointment is scheduled for anger-management seminar.

Friday: Arrive home from work to find roommate extracting partially-inflated balloon from dog’s rectum. I’m overwhelmed with glee. I prepare for evening date with diligently pursued med. student. She enters with wrinkled nose, and remarks on aroma of dog piss. I advise her of immanent departure and offer a seat. She refuses, insisting that dog hair would cover white dress. I inform her I’d happily remove every collected hair from her dress with my teeth. After med. student slams door behind her, I bandage split lip.

Dogs make fabulous housepets. cratch:

:lol: That story closely resembles some of my experiences with a roomates basset hound. That coupled with the fact that they tie you up and prevent last minute getaways to the mountains or an impromptu ski trip are why I will never have a dog as a house pet.

I like em well enough, just don't want the responsibility. The wife has gotten me to relent as far as getting a cat. I like the cat, she's pretty cool and the best part is that if I have to leave for a bit I can either throw her into my sisters house on the way out of town or top off the food and water depending on the length of my absence. My niece and nephew love the cat so it's always welcome over there.

Yeah, I must say that I enjoy dogs, as long as they are outside where they belong. I grew up in the countryside with dogs and many cats, but no pet ever set foot in the house - they took shelter (when needed) in the barns. I love dogs that I don't have to sleep under the same roof with, eat around, clean up after, or try to relax near....

The Horrible Esthete Wrote:I think cats make excellent indoor pets, but dogs do not. Dogs need space to roam, dirt to dig in, small furry animals to chase, etc.

Of course it's just my opinion, but I think it is unnatural, almost cruel, to confine a dog indoors....

I don't necessarily agree that all dogs belong or want to be outside. Yes they need lots of exercise and such but many dogs, including ours, want to come back inside just as soon as they goes outside. She loves to be right near us or curled up on the couch. She has always been like this, since she was little. They are pack animals and where we go, she wants to go...whether it be in or out.

highwaygirl28 Wrote:I don't necessarily agree that all dogs belong or want to be outside. Yes they need lots of exercise and such but many dogs, including ours, want to come back inside just as soon as they goes outside. She loves to be right near us or curled up on the couch. She has always been like this, since she was little. They are pack animals and where we go, she wants to go...whether it be in or out.

Oh, all dogs want to be around their master at all times, no doubt....whether it's inside or outside. But I contest that's only true because dogs are insufferably dependant on the care and attention of their masters, especially the ones raised as indoor pets....

The Horrible Esthete Wrote:Oh, all dogs want to be around their master at all times, no doubt....whether it's inside or outside. But I contest that's only true because dogs are insufferably dependant on the care and attention of their masters, especially the ones raised as indoor pets....

I disagree with this statement. Just go to some third world countries and you'll see TONS of strays that, while not in the best condition, are certainly taking care of themselves.

The reason (most) dogs want to be around their master at all times is because they want to please their master. It's one of those innate things for them.

With respect to your story about your rommie's boxer, don't blame the dog - blame the owner. If he's stealing food off of the counter and pinching loafs on the carpet, that's because he's been poorly trained, not because he's necessarily a bad dog. A poorly trained dog only has his instincts to rely upon (food? eat. bowel movement? let it go.)

Sounds like your roomie was a little unprepared for the responsibility that comes with dog ownership. :thumb:

cferneyh Wrote:

The Horrible Esthete Wrote:Oh, all dogs want to be around their master at all times, no doubt....whether it's inside or outside. But I contest that's only true because dogs are insufferably dependant on the care and attention of their masters, especially the ones raised as indoor pets....

I disagree with this statement. Just go to some third world countries and you'll see TONS of strays that, while not in the best condition, are certainly taking care of themselves.

"Stray" dogs don't have masters, and therefore do not apply to that statement. A stray dog is closer to a wild animal than a "pet".

cferneyh Wrote:The reason (most) dogs want to be around their master at all times is because they want to please their master. It's one of those innate things for them.

What consortium of dogs told you this? It'll be tough to prove that to anyone who's been around some of the breeds that are notorious "attention hounds" (pun intended). Yeah, they're incessantly nuzzling under the palm of my hand because they want me to be happy, not because they want attention, right?

cferneyh Wrote:With respect to your story about your rommie's boxer, don't blame the dog - blame the owner. If he's stealing food off of the counter and pinching loafs on the carpet, that's because he's been poorly trained, not because he's necessarily a bad dog. A poorly trained dog only has his instincts to rely upon (food? eat. bowel movement? let it go.)

I wasn't blaming anyone...you're right - the responsibility for the behavior of that Boxer rests squarely on the shoulders of its owner. But that doesn't mean I have to like that dog or excuse its misbehavior. The fact that proper "training" is so crucial to my ability to cohabitate with it simply bolsters my argument that cats, who need ZERO "training", make better indoor pets than dogs.

I think I am entitled to that opinion :thumb:

ShannonW Wrote:I've got two golden retrievers. They're beautiful dogs and so loving and playful. Nothing makes you feel more welcome home than two dogs knocking the walls down with their tails.

lol,
but sometimes in the morning, it can be a little disruptive to one's sleep!
(with mine anyways)

I think the arguement about which pet makes a better indoor pet can go both ways, it all depends on the personality of the pet and the training and attention it gets. When I was a kid, our german sheperd would go all over the place if it had cooped up in house while people were away but would go outside like it was supposed to when there was somebody around to let it out. We've taken in cats who were poorly trained about finding the litter box that we had to correct their behavior and my ex had a shiz sou (sp?) that had been trained to go on their lineleoum floor during the night if it had to go. My personal perference is to have cats or small dogs because big dogs are more rambunctious and harder to control in an indoor setting. It all boils down to personal perference :thumb:

The Horrible Esthete Wrote:I wasn't blaming anyone...you're right - the responsibility for the behavior of that Boxer rests squarely on the shoulders of its owner. But that doesn't mean I have to like that dog or excuse its misbehavior. The fact that proper "training" is so crucial to my ability to cohabitate with it simply bolsters my argument that cats, who need ZERO "training", make better indoor pets than dogs.

I think I am entitled to that opinion :thumb:

Yikes! Where did I say that you aren't entitled to your opinion? cratch:

I was just defending the dog, s'all. I think too many people blame dogs for being "bad dogs" rather than look at the owner. Sure, there is the odd dog here and there that is a pain in the arse no matter what, but most dogs are only as good as their owner trains 'em. :thumb:

VioletlightHeron Wrote:I think the arguement about which pet makes a better indoor pet can go both ways, it all depends on the personality of the pet and the training and attention it gets. When I was a kid, our german sheperd would go all over the place if it had cooped up in house while people were away but would go outside like it was supposed to when there was somebody around to let it out. We've taken in cats who were poorly trained about finding the litter box that we had to correct their behavior and my ex had a shiz sou (sp?) that had been trained to go on their lineleoum floor during the night if it had to go. My personal perference is to have cats or small dogs because big dogs are more rambunctious and harder to control in an indoor setting. It all boils down to personal perference :thumb:

I agree.

Personally I love animals - my family has always had pets, we never paid a dime for any of them but we always invested a lot. We had everything ranging from cats to birds to turtles to hedgehogs to a hamster to dogs and it's always been great BUT animals, no matter what kind, take up a lot of time, energy and money. If you know you're not an animal kinda person and/or you're not willing to make the investment, whether money-wise, time-wise or otherwise, then don't take a pet - you're not bound to enjoy the experience and frankly it's not fair on the animal either.

As for us, it's weird around our house now. Our two last pets, two dogs, died within four months of each other; one last May and one just over a month ago, we'd had them for 14 and 16 years.
Losing our dogs has been extremely sad and painful, some people say "get over it, it's just an animal" but it just doesn't work that way.
Nevertheless I'm glad my parents allowed us to have pets, I think there are invaluable lessons to be learned from taking care of an animal.

Kim Wrote:As for us, it's weird around our house now. Our two last pets, two dogs, died within four months of each other; one last May and one just over a month ago, we'd had them for 14 and 16 years.
Losing our dogs has been extremely sad and painful, some people say "get over it, it's just an animal" but it just doesn't work that way.

Sorry to hear that Kim I understand how a non-animal lover can say to get over it, but for someone who truly loves animals and views them as a member of the family, it just isn't that simple. I hate to think how I will be when Mollie dies someday Crazy how close we get to them and them to us.