Musings on the dog culture in America - Page 1

After reading the many posts on Gustav's topic of discernment, I've been thinking about the dog culture that exists specifically in America. I can't speak for other countries since I didn't grow up there and don't have as much experience with how dogs are viewed and treated.

To me, it seems as if dogs are something that are a fun thing to have, to try to make them into children, to have around the house for the cute factor, for companionship, etc.  Not all of these are inherently bad, but it seems like dogs aren't being taken for what they are: dogs. This can be evidenced by popular sayings similar to how puppies are more than just for Christmas/birthdays/what have you. They aren't given jobs that are aligned with the breed or personality- they're cuddly lap things which we snuggle with.

This isn't meant to be overly critical, because I love to snuggle with my puppy when we're both ready for a nap, but I don't do this all the time, and I know that she's not a human being.  She hasn't taken the place of a child to me, and while she's important to me and is part of my family, she's still a dog. (Actually part of the reason I think that is because I'm actually.. a cat person.. )

My whole reason for bringing this up is because it seems in the changing of the culture from viewing dogs as working animals and companions to viewing them first as snuggly furballs that need babying and then secondly as companions, that it has resulted in breeds like the GSD to head down into what seems like a decline. Along Gustav's post, discernment and other traits that are highly desirable might not be as present as they once were. Have we been babying to the breed because the current culture feels that if it's not snuggly first and then does its' job second, then it's not a desirable pet. 

I'm kind of musing aloud here, and could probably talk for some time about our current culture for anything and the lack of credibility and the problems associated with it, but why not start here 

So, is the culture more to blame for the problems we're seeing than actually the breeders? As in, since the culture demands lap dogs and snuggly pups, and is now fearful of dogs which have a real use (such as protection), have many breeders merely adapted to give the culture what it wants?

UschiRun, that is what many breeders have been trying to say. That the modern culture is what has "degraded" the dogs. Maybe for some. The USA is huge and the number of breeders is huge. Your broad brush can't find enough paint. But for a springboard for a topic, it should work.

A local dog place that does grooming, daycare, overnight boarding, etc. says on its website: "because dogs are just kids with fur!" 
Although that reflects the current culture, to me, that is an insult to both dogs and kids.

I was just thinking about this very subject as I was doing my grocery shopping. How far are we willing to go in treating a dog or cat as a family member? Where do you draw the line?

I remember hearing about a Hollwyood star having a hearing aid made for his much loved dog. The dog died before the hearing aid was finished.

I currently have a cat in for boarding that's a real headache. It was neglected by the owner, who is ill. He is very, very thin. His fur is horribly matted and the undercoat isn't shedding out. He has kidney problems, has a very large urine output, and keeps peeing outside the litterbox. At some point in his life, he was hit by a car, and broke either his hip or pelvis or maybe both. I think it was allowed to heal on its own without surgery, so his mobility isn't very good. He tends to list to one side, and even falls over if you don't place him down carefully enough after picking him up. This injury is likely the cause of the peeing outside the box, and his inability to groom his coat properly.

But he's eating like a horse, and has gained quite a bit of weight while he's been here. He purrs up a storm when you pet him, and meows loudly for attention every time I go out to the kennel. Oh, yeah, and he's 21 years old.

Time for euthanasia?  Are you sure?

I wouldn't have a problem putting him to sleep, as I hate the stink of cat pee, plus he's going to die soon anyway, and definitely doesn't have a very good quality of life. But what if I'd had the cat since it was a kitten? 

In the meantime, he is being spoiled rotten. He has been bathed and had as much of the mats and dead fur removed from his coat as he will tolerate. I am mopping his cage sometimes twice a day to deal with the pee problem. And he is allowed out to wander around the kennel kitchen at least once a day, to keep him from losing what little muscle he has left.

I think you have hit the nail on the head, for at least a PART of the
answer to your conundrum, with your last sentence.  Looking across
all breeds, not just GSDs but in particular in our breed, I believe a lot
of the problem has arisen with some breeders doing exactly that -
but it isn't just to suit the 'culture', it is also to line their own pockets.
Ppl who breed for the dogs as they were originally intended & worked
are gradually being squeezed out, as a response to an ever more
selfish n coddled society,  where "I want, so I'm gonna have" has over
taken in just about every strand of life.  Think of the parents you've met
who were desperate to have children, then didn't have the first idea on
how to raise them right.  Not so different from ppl wanting a Golden
Retriever in a GSD body;  not so different from wanting any pet but not
having the lifestyle to support its needs properly, either from a health
standpoint  or an 'available time' one if they are working / commuting
all-hours.  "We"(the human race) just become more selfish and stupid as
time goes on.  And like any market, supply expands to meet demand, as
there is nobody saying "Stop".  I'm talking for your adopted country here
rather than America, but there is so much similarity between the two
countries cultures - as often enough evidenced on this board, let alone
anywhere else - that the comments seem to apply on both sides of the
Pond.

I think that is poppycock, proclaiming that breeders who maintain the standards are being squeezed out by a massive consumer base demanding dogs become surrogates for children.

pick any breed of dog and I think you will find it gravitates towards the $ and most often the easy $.

Sunsilver - if I didn't know better, I'd think you have my cat (minus being hit by a car).  We have a Maine Coon that followed us home 19 years ago and never left.  He wasn't a kitten at the time, so we're not sure how old he actually is.  He's made multiple moves with us, including the most recent to and from Hawaii and is still kicking, and doing pretty well considering.  Every time we move, it's a chore to find a groomer willing to shave him (because of his age) as he no longer grooms himself like he used to.  He's recently been banished to the master bedroom where the litterbox is in the bathroom after I caught him going somewhere else in the house.  After a vet checkup to determine if there was anything wrong that might indicate it being time to euthanize him, it's been decided that he's just old and continuing to go thru the aging process, but not in any obvious pain or discomfort.  He's still a happy, content cat and doesn't hesitate to let the dogs know that he's still in charge.  I don't know when the right time to put him down will be, but I'm hoping for a very obvious sign/symptom.

Bee,
Well, I think it's undeniable that within the media and even in the education system, the dogs that are most often depicted are ones which are friendly, outgoing while respectful, never display any aggression (whether warranted or not), and are definitely anthropomorphized. They behave as humans, not dogs, would. I would assume that as with other markets, when another person can produce a product for cheaper and sell it cheaper, then those products will frequently (though not always) be purchased first by those who can't afford the real deal. This would also extend to the dog 'industry'- so to speak.

Uschi, I could probably find a dog snarling with teeth example in the media for every assertion you make for anthropomorphism. Ads don't show that at all. They show a well trained animal. You are making the incorrect assumption, is all, if you make a transference to generalize about pet breeding. Isn't that really what you are talking about? The breeding for pets only? Who does it and why?

These people:

They are just to the north of me. http://purdypuppy.com/

Although I don't care for how they operate, they are not a puppy mill, but they definitely cater strictly to the pet market!