Name Some Dog Myths

[lovemesideways]

When dogs hump you they are just showing that they love you

obviously................................................

.....

My friend's Keeshond LOVED my leg. But I blame myself since I was wearing bicycle shorts during these "episodes" and who is responsible for their actions in the presence of spandex?

and that, friends, is why I can never go back to the gym

Cause in the presence of spandex you'll have the uncontrollable urge to start humping legs?

[Kissindra]

Cause in the presence of spandex you'll have the uncontrollable urge to start humping legs?

...I blame Xanadu

[zayda_asher]

"Soft drink bottles full of water will stop dogs peeing on your garden."

Though I don't seem to see it anymore, everyone used to believe this.

Never heard that before! So you're supposed to put drink bottle full of water in your garden or what?

When I was a kid lots of people would have many bottles of water strewn across their lawn/garden. I think the reflection of the water through a clear bottle was supposed to scare the dogs. Though I've also heard that it's because the dog will know it's fresh water and so won't pee or poop there (like saying a dog won't toilet near their bed or food but forgetting that the dog doesn't own that yard and nor can it tell there's water in the bottle).

It must've been on Tv or something again here, cos my area has started sprouting water bottles again... the dogs think they are nice objects to pee on

[lovemesideways]

"Soft drink bottles full of water will stop dogs peeing on your garden."

Though I don't seem to see it anymore, everyone used to believe this.

Never heard that before! So you're supposed to put drink bottle full of water in your garden or what?

When I was a kid lots of people would have many bottles of water strewn across their lawn/garden. I think the reflection of the water through a clear bottle was supposed to scare the dogs. Though I've also heard that it's because the dog will know it's fresh water and so won't pee or poop there (like saying a dog won't toilet near their bed or food but forgetting that the dog doesn't own that yard and nor can it tell there's water in the bottle).

It must've been on Tv or something again here, cos my area has started sprouting water bottles again... the dogs think they are nice objects to pee on

I can imagine Riddick and Rover would "mark" ever single bottle .

What a strange myth!

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I try to explain to joggers at our local football ovals that putting their drink bottles on the ground next to footy goal posts or the floodlight poles is a really really bad idea, but they don't learn.

I watched one ACD bitch - pee and drink out of the gutter next to a football oval as she ran through the long puddle in it. And then come back and roll in it and then drink some more. So that dog had no trouble peeing on its own reflection.

Menky water tastes best - especially the stuff in the saucer under the pot plant with mozzie larvae and algae in it.

[GoldenGirl85]

"Soft drink bottles full of water will stop dogs peeing on your garden."

Though I don't seem to see it anymore, everyone used to believe this.

OMG I remember that! we used to have water bottles on our front lawn lol, a lot of people in the area did

[lovemesideways]

I got told this one today.

"Purebred dogs all have horrible genetic problems because they're SO inbred"

A lady telling me my labradors where sure to die earlier than her Shmoodleywoo (or whatever the cute mutt was called) because they're purebred...

[Parkeyre]

My 3 and a half week old pups today were growling at eachother and play howling etc.

The person checking the electricity said "don't let them live together anymore or they'll be vicious for life".

OMG

[Amika]

Wasn't there one about sharing spit makes the dog loyal to you

I thought the black roof of mouth meant the dog was really smart (the myth I mean!)

Yes it is.....thats how one of my old uncles use to choose his best sheep dogs , pmsl....problem is they usually were which helped support the myth!!

[Amika]

I don't recall wild dogs grazing, farming or picking fruit. Their teeth are constructed to hunt and chomp muscle tissue and bone, not grind up grains. They have claws to grab prey, not suited to manipulating fruit. Their short digestive system is indicative of specific adaptation to meat consumption, and the enzyme make-up of their digestive is not suited to digest starch or carbohydrate. Manufactured dog food is about maximising profit margins and human convenience, and the cheapest way to provide bulk in dog food is to use a cereal crop. Its only through a laborious factory process that this "food" is remotely palatable to the dog.

Hear, hear! A dog is a carnivore, with a carnivore's digestive system, a carnivore's teeth. You can't say your dog is an omnivore when it's scientifically proven that they're not. Yes, of course they will eat fruit, vegetables and grain if that's what we feed them - just as we can eat processed food and sugary junk, even though it is not good for our bodies and will likely cause issues in the future. My own dog will graze on the apples and plums that fall from my trees - he loves the sugary sweetness. His body uses none of it - it all comes out the other end, looking quite similar to when it went in.

Tell me. What will happen if i feed my rabbit meat?

Dogs are not *obligate carnivores* (like a ferret or a cat) but they are carnivores! Meaning that they can digest vegetable matter too (unlike the ferret or the cat)

Is your dog a wild dog? Wow! Even though my Samoyed is one of the most closely related domesticated breeds to a wolf, he has over years and years of eating the scrap food of his people developed teeth to grind vegetable matter.

I said this in a post yesterday, I'm just so amazed at how many people think their own dogs are so unevolved!

Who are they getting this information from? People on dog forums? or scientific research found somewhere other than the internet?

Better watch out Bindii.. if you annoy someone they might grab Hugo and hold him upside down!!! Don't you know his eyes will just pop right out!

Then someone should tell almost every dog I've owned that they are not to pick fruit,(apples, pears, sultanas, oranges, mandarines as these are what we grew) and eat it as they are carnivores! The dogs I have now still pick fruit when I go visit a friend who has fruit trees. Something I thought was a bit odd though, one of my horses pinched a chop off the bbq once

[Hetzer]

I got told this one today.

"Purebred dogs all have horrible genetic problems because they're SO inbred"

A lady telling me my labradors where sure to die earlier than her Shmoodleywoo (or whatever the cute mutt was called) because they're purebred...

Yeah goes hand-in-hand (or paw-in-paw) with the hybrid-vigour myth, which is a borderline religion among designer-dog peddlers.

[Smartypaws]

BIG FAT MYTH: "When I yell at my dog several hours after he does something naughty, he looks guilty, so he obviously knows what I'm talking about"

If I had a dollar for everytime I have heard a client say that thier dog knows they have done something wrong because they "look guilty".......

I also like it when dogs behave in a variety of ways becuase they "are jealous". Although, a particularly favourite question I get asked is "at what age will my dog be trained/toliet trained/stop jumping on me" (insert a variety of behaviours here that apparently automatically stop when a puppy/dog reaches a certain age).

[Staranais]

I got told this one today.

"Purebred dogs all have horrible genetic problems because they're SO inbred"

A lady telling me my labradors where sure to die earlier than her Shmoodleywoo (or whatever the cute mutt was called) because they're purebred...

Yeah goes hand-in-hand (or paw-in-paw) with the hybrid-vigour myth, which is a borderline religion among designer-dog peddlers.

Of course, the idea that hybrid vigour doesn't exist at all is also a myth that I hear repeated quite often by dog owners (the cattle farming industry uses crossbreeding extensively to improve production, and has quite a lot of evidence of its efficacy in different types of farming system). Whether the concept of hybrid vigour applies to purebred dogs is a different matter, of course.

I think both sides of the "dogs are carnivores" "dogs are omnivores" debate thinks science is on their side. Luckily, dogs are adaptable animals and can thrive on a variety of diets.

[Rach...]

Heelers are all aggressive and shouldn't live in the city -_-'

My girl hates cows!

oh and its normal for them to be fat.

Edited June 12, 2010 by Rach...

[lovemesideways]

If a dog sleeps with you on the bed he will become dominant

or

If a dog sleeps on your bed he is dominant and see's himself as the boss.

[Kissindra]

If a dog sleeps with you on the bed he will become dominant

or

If a dog sleeps on your bed he is dominant and see's himself as the boss.

and if you allow this your poor dog will be confused and miserable because you have failed to give it any kind of structure simply by letting him/her/them on the bed, therefore you are a bad bad owner - no treat for you!

[geo]

If a dog sleeps with you on the bed he will become dominant

or

If a dog sleeps on your bed he is dominant and see's himself as the boss.

and if you allow this your poor dog will be confused and miserable because you have failed to give it any kind of structure simply by letting him/her/them on the bed, therefore you are a bad bad owner - no treat for you!

Too true if you give our bitch an inch she'll take a mile, and it all starts with where they perceive they are in the pecking order... now she has even more competition with our young boy hitting 1 year of age (entire.. at the moment ;-)) so it's strict rules at our house for absolutely everything!

[Kissindra]

Too true if you give our bitch an inch she'll take a mile, and it all starts with where they perceive they are in the pecking order... now she has even more competition with our young boy hitting 1 year of age (entire.. at the moment ;-)) so it's strict rules at our house for absolutely everything!

The myth is this is the case for every dog, and it isn't. Be it by virtue of nature or nurture some dogs just don't push the boundaries or have any particular desire to usurp possition. While you'd have hell to pay with your girl over one lessening of a rule(in this case sleeping on the bed), others wouldn't with their dogs.

[lovemesideways]

Too true if you give our bitch an inch she'll take a mile, and it all starts with where they perceive they are in the pecking order... now she has even more competition with our young boy hitting 1 year of age (entire.. at the moment ;-)) so it's strict rules at our house for absolutely everything!

The myth is this is the case for every dog, and it isn't. Be it by virtue of nature or nurture some dogs just don't push the boundaries or have any particular desire to usurp possition. While you'd have hell to pay with your girl over one lessening of a rule(in this case sleeping on the bed), others wouldn't with their dogs.

Exactly, neither of my dogs will ever have any problem with being let on the bed or couch or any higher surface of any kind.

Just because something works for one dog doesn't mean it will work for any other.

[geo]

Too true if you give our bitch an inch she'll take a mile, and it all starts with where they perceive they are in the pecking order... now she has even more competition with our young boy hitting 1 year of age (entire.. at the moment ;-)) so it's strict rules at our house for absolutely everything!

The myth is this is the case for every dog, and it isn't. Be it by virtue of nature or nurture some dogs just don't push the boundaries or have any particular desire to usurp possition. While you'd have hell to pay with your girl over one lessening of a rule(in this case sleeping on the bed), others wouldn't with their dogs.

I think the case for most dogs is that they're above their owners so thats why there isn't an issue. But you're right it depends on the individual dog.