The Dog Thread

[Merckx index]

File under: research that comes to a blatantly obvious conclusion that everyone already was aware of:

Researchers at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest measured the brain activity of family dogs using a technique called electroencephalography, which involved taping electrodes to the animals' heads.

The researchers played the dogs recorded instruction words they knew (such as "sit"), similar but nonsense words ("sut"), and then, very different nonsense words ("bep").

Experts found that dogs, who had not been specifically trained for the experiment, could quickly and clearly tell the difference between the known instruction words and the very different nonsense words...However, the animals did not pay attention to the small differences between known words and similar-sounding nonsense words. Instead, the canine study subjects processed them as the same word,

"it seems like they don't really pay attention to all of the speech sounds," [the researcher] said, adding that further research could explain why...the study also confirmed that dogs actually listen to human speech, as suggested by previous studies -- and don't just respond to familiar humans or body language.

Your dog doesn't really know what you're talking about

You might think your dog understands every word you say to him -- but chances are he isn't hanging on your every word, a new study has found.

edition.cnn.com

 

[Tricycle Rider]

File under: research that comes to a blatantly obvious conclusion that everyone already was aware of:

Your dog doesn't really know what you're talking about

You might think your dog understands every word you say to him -- but chances are he isn't hanging on your every word, a new study has found.

edition.cnn.com

Ah well, I'm sure most of us dog owners already love our dogs anyway, even if our dogs get their commands only halfway right. It just makes us humans feel important, and maybe even loved. (Mostly when it comes to food, of course, any dog can be taught a command when it comes to food. )

 

[jmdirt]

Are you a bot?

Bot banned!

 

[Unchained]

I am super confused..I have read stories about families adopting animals from disasters..feels good..have read stuff about demand increase during pandemic for pets to adopt..again feels good..have seen and read things about people expressing so many emotions about what animals have meant to them while they have been isolated..near tear joy..
but today I listened to a guy say that now is " drop off season " for pets..there is seasonal abandonment of animals..I hope he is wrong..
I don't think I can fully understand ditching your dogs no matter what

food update
we are enjoying our second log of Freshpet Chunky Beef raw food..it has visible carrots,rice and green bits that are peas. Have been mixing it @70-30 w the 30% being their dry food..it gets the two tongues up approval rating..they eat out of stainless bowls that at one time had a rubber anti slip,anti noise function. When you give them anything that they really really like they will lick the bowl clean and scoot it around on the concrete until there is no remaining flavor left.pretty noisy but lasts only a few minutes

 

[jmdirt]

I am super confused..I have read stories about families adopting animals from disasters..feels good..have read stuff about demand increase during pandemic for pets to adopt..again feels good..have seen and read things about people expressing so many emotions about what animals have meant to them while they have been isolated..near tear joy..
but today I listened to a guy say that now is " drop off season " for pets..there is seasonal abandonment of animals..I hope he is wrong..
I don't think I can fully understand ditching your dogs no matter what

food update
we are enjoying our second log of Freshpet Chunky Beef raw food..it has visible carrots,rice and green bits that are peas. Have been mixing it @70-30 w the 30% being their dry food..it gets the two tongues up approval rating..they eat out of stainless bowls that at one time had a rubber anti slip,anti noise function. When you give them anything that they really really like they will lick the bowl clean and scoot it around on the concrete until there is no remaining flavor left.pretty noisy but lasts only a few minutes

I think that January is the biggest drop off month in Boise. I don't understand either. I guess if you have to choose between feeding your family and feeding your dog? I donate a fair amount of money to the Idaho Humane Society to hopefully help with this (they have assistance programs to help feed pets), plus I give dog food to homeless people with dogs.

As far as the higher than normal adoptions since March goes, I hope that doesn't mean higher than normal drop offs, but it might.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Just when I thought humans couldn't get any more stupid they surprise me and do this to me, but a dog's gotta do what a dog's gotta do if he wants to get some very special treats for xmas. (It's entirely possible I may get another bath right before xmas so I don't stink up the whole joint, it's best to not even think about it.)

Anyhoo, Happy Holidays to my fellow canines and any other household pets (even those pesky kitties because I'm feeling generous at the mo'), stay safe, and don't eat anything you're not supposed to. Nobody wants to see you in the ER over the holidays!

Paw-fives,

The Tobes

 

[Tricycle Rider]

So my vet had sent me a link to some useful tips on how to keep pets (the furry kind) safe during the holidays, most of these I was already aware of. However, I was not aware that raisins, currants, and grapes might not be so good for dogs, and it didn't even occur to me that someone might want to try to give their dog fruitcake. Fruitcake? Seriously? Surely not even dogs would contemplate ingesting such an abomination, but then again, they probably would.

Anyhoo, most of you are probably aware of all this stuff, but if this is your first holiday season owning a cat or dog you might find these tips helpful.

https://vcahospitals.com/shop/home/articles/tips-for-a-safe-hazard-free-pet-holiday?

 

[ebandit]

not been here for such a long time but the dog and i are well..we're both immune to the zombie
virus

thanks! i do like to read about others dogs

Mark L

 

[ebandit]

out this morning the dog is running around with her friends barking like mad
'being a dog is the BEST thing......EVER'

she's like me........with expectations of grandeur.....

Mark L

 

[jmdirt]

OK, off topic here...what happened to the cat thread?

 

[ebandit]

how my dog gets excited to see cats........................'another playmate....'

cats have other ideas........the cat thread too has run......i see it 10 threads down from here

Msrk L

 

[jmdirt]

how my dog gets excited to see cats........................'another playmate....'

cats have other ideas........the cat thread too has run......i see it 10 threads down from here

Msrk L

Thanks. I can't see it. I was able to find it by looking through all of my old post via my profile, but I posted to it and still can't see it. Any ideas?

 

[ebandit]

even my dog can't work that one out...i posted in the cat thread too....it's nip and tuck
cat thread was 1st....now 2nd


Mark L

 

[Tricycle Rider]

not been here for such a long time but the dog and i are well..we're both immune to the zombie
virus

thanks! i do like to read about others dogs

Mark L

I was about to ask because it's been a while, how are everyone's pooches doing? Glad you and your pooch are doing well.

On my end I took Toby to the vet recently because I had found some new lumps, more than likely they are fatty tumors. And even if they are something more aggressive the vet had asked me what I would want to do about it - surgery? chemo? I'm like nope, Toby's been through enough in his 13 years, so we didn't even bother with biopsies. My main goal is to keep him comfortable, which the vet had agreed with. So Tobes is currently on tramadol for any aches and pains that come with aging, and otherwise he's his usual self. Eating, peeping, pooping, barking at the squirrels, throwing a fit after a bubble bath - everything is normal, so I won't worry unless something unusual comes up.

And now a word from Toby:

Hello, fellow canines, it took me a year to figure out what to do with this damned doggie bed, turns out my stupid owner had put it in the wrong place. Once she had put it by the TV in the living room where everyone can keep me company I got myself all comfy.



Anyhoo, hope you all are coping well with the ongoing movement/quarantine restrictions, paw-fives,

The Tobes

 

[ebandit]

thank you! pip 'n i are great.....covid/lockdown makes zero difference to us.....we're still enjoying
long rambles...actually it's better with less traffic and less aircraft flying overhead

i'm pleased to see that despite his troubles tobes is looking content........he's well looked after and his final years will be the best possible

pip is my second dog....of course it's so hard when our dear friends depart but we must reflect
on the good times

pic is a friends designer dog with designer treat ( doggy cheesecake from local cafe FFS!)

Mark L

 

[ebandit]

this is wor pip....drawn by friends 8yr old son.....i added to bubble.....cos i like bubbles
...and i think 'creates a cheeery image'

Mark L

 

[ebandit]

it's 'art' pip......but not as toby knows it.......

Mark L

 

[Tricycle Rider]

thank you! pip 'n i are great.....covid/lockdown makes zero difference to us.....we're still enjoying
long rambles...actually it's better with less traffic and less aircraft flying overhead

i'm pleased to see that despite his troubles tobes is looking content........he's well looked after and his final years will be the best possible

pip is my second dog....of course it's so hard when our dear friends depart but we must reflect
on the good times

pic is a friends designer dog with designer treat ( doggy cheesecake from local cafe FFS!)

Mark L

Toby is spoiled rotten, but I refuse to buy him designer cupcakes! That's just a little too foo-foo, but he is at least being spoiled with the FreshPet soft dog food. He just loves and goes nuts for it... at one point they were all out in the stores, so I was dreading I might have to find something else because they had discontinued carrying the brand. Fortunately the stores are mostly stocked up again though, think there were just some delivery problems due to the Rona. Whew! Glad I don't have to search for something else Toby might like in his golden years.

 

[ebandit]

i'm the same....i expect doggy food.....to look loke dog food.....i steer clear of products that are
made to appeal to owners tastes.....and charge for it!

reading BBC news 'shortage of pouches due to extra dogs bought in lockdown' i buy whatever product is on the shelf rather than specific items

mostly the cheapest...'cos i'm still too lazy to go to work!

Mark L

 

[Tricycle Rider]

i'm the same....i expect doggy food.....to look loke dog food.....i steer clear of products that are
made to appeal to owners tastes.....and charge for it!

reading BBC news 'shortage of pouches due to extra dogs bought in lockdown' i buy whatever product is on the shelf rather than specific items

mostly the cheapest...'cos i'm still too lazy to go to work!

Mark L

I have no problem with the cheap pet food as long as it provides some actual nutrition and isn't just a bunch of useless filler that really nobody would want to eat.

Do you share your human food with Pip when you're eating? (You know, like we're not supposed to? ) If so, it probably offers more nutrition than some of these really, really cheap pet foods.

Toby gets the soft food (that he really likes) now because at his age he probably has some dental issues, which is actually normal for some of these smaller dog breeds at any age. So my unsolicited tip/opinion of the day is to just soak the hard food in some water, which will make the hard food easier to chew for these dogs. And having said that I'll shut up now.

 

[jmdirt]

I have no problem with the cheap pet food as long as it provides some actual nutrition and isn't just a bunch of useless filler that really nobody would want to eat.

Do you share your human food with Pip when you're eating? (You know, like we're not supposed to? ) If so, it probably offers more nutrition than some of these really, really cheap pet foods.

Toby gets the soft food (that he really likes) now because at his age he probably has some dental issues, which is actually normal for some of these smaller dog breeds at any age. So my unsolicited tip/opinion of the day is to just soak the hard food in some water, which will make the hard food easier to chew for these dogs. And having said that I'll shut up now.

I always wonder about the wisdom of not feeding dogs 'people food'. If we are eating food that is so bad, maybe we shouldn't eat it either. Some dog food executive made that up anyway. I've never owned a dog who won't happily eat from the garbage, cat box, sidewalk, etc. if not watched closely because they love it!

 

[ebandit]

oops! i am guilty of sharing my food with pip.....cooking things like eggs/sausage there's always
1 extra for pip.....whatever else i have there is always division.. a bite for myself/a morsel for pip

my diet is shocking! just been munching on potato crisps/your chips.....pip loves those too even
though they are potentially even worse for her than me.....earlier i had meat pie/sausage rolls and those are a fave with pip too

sometimes even i am alarmed at just how much i eat/how bad my diet is...i'm just as greedy as pip but luckily rambling far/riding my bike i never put on weight

Mark L

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I always wonder about the wisdom of not feeding dogs 'people food'. If we are eating food that is so bad, maybe we shouldn't eat it either. Some dog food executive made that up anyway. I've never owned a dog who won't happily eat from the garbage, cat box, sidewalk, etc. if not watched closely because they love it!

I've known dog owners whose dogs ended up eating their own poop, just because the owners were trying to control the dog's weight by limiting the dog's intake.

How sad is that?

 

[Tricycle Rider]

oops! i am guilty of sharing my food with pip.....cooking things like eggs/sausage there's always
1 extra for pip.....whatever else i have there is always division.. a bite for myself/a morsel for pip

my diet is shocking! just been munching on potato crisps/your chips.....pip loves those too even
though they are potentially even worse for her than me.....earlier i had meat pie/sausage rolls and those are a fave with pip too

sometimes even i am alarmed at just how much i eat/how bad my diet is...i'm just as greedy as pip but luckily rambling far/riding my bike i never put on weight

Mark L

Could you throw in some produce (any kind of fruits or veggies, for the love of all that is aero), now and again?

 

[ebandit]

thanks! my diet is as i live my life......reckless.......i did get my 5 a day at the weekend..bottle
of red!

but i'm just like pip.....healthy! we are both NEVER ill......hope ya ALL can stay that way too!

Mark L

edit....after walk etc...i'm eating my pork pie/sausage roll........pip has her head on my lap
giving it 'big puppy dog eyes'.......despite just being fed a big bowl full...better quality food
today.....gift from a friend.........