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I have to wonder if these were people living in the same house as you? Otherwise...how would you know they NEVER over the course of decades show affection toward their pets?
I have neighbors who leave their dogs outside, night and day. They never seem to interact with them unless it is to feed them. I often wonder, why even have them? To me, there is nothing more sad than a dog house in the far corner of the yard, far from the home. For a pack animal, it must be torture to see people coming and going and be so far removed from any interaction.
Too many times, posters here on CD will suggest getting a dog or cat to take care of security or a mouse/rat infestation. I can only hope that those who take their advice also realize that the animal needs love, affection and human interaction and are willing to give it.
I can think of two instances when it might be okay, and neither applies to most people.
There are dogs that are kept to protect livestock, particularly sheep. They are raised from puppyhood to bond more with the flock than the people. I can understand having such a dog (or dogs, as I believe they should be kept in pairs), and have met a few, but even these dogs do receive attention from their owners on a daily basis. It's just that their primary function is not that of house pet. They're more like employees or co-workers, and they are highly appreciated for the role they play. Obviously, not every breed is suited to this kind of life.
Other situation? Barn cats. I would never get a kitten with the intention of making it a barn cat, but a warm, cozy barn with plenty of food, water, and regular vet care would be a pretty sweet deal for a small group of otherwise unadoptable feral cats (spayed and neutered, of course.)
Other than that, what you have described is a thing I hate to see. We had a neighbor like that when I was younger. Little bitty kennel in the corner of the yard. The only time I ever saw the guy take that dog out was when he went duck hunting.
Why are there people having a dog (or cat) as a pet and yet you can see them day after day after day after week after month after year after multiple years at a time with their pet & you seemingly NEVER see them showing any degree of demonstrative affection or love to their animals? Why take it upon yourself to have an animal AT ALL (with the time, expense, and commitments it demands of you to tend to the needs of such a pet) and yet, to anyone's observations over the course of time, you seemingly never hug, kiss, stroke, rub, cuddle, and otherwise show other acts of apparent love for your possessed pet? It seems as though some (or many?) of them are even seemingly annoyed or nonplussed to have to tend to this animal. Then why have one AT ALL if it so non-plusses you? I've encountered this phenomenon varied times over the course of six-something decades of living to-date (thus far).
A most strange phenomenon!
How about you? How you noticed this over the course of time with some of your fellow humans and wondered about it?
I used to wonder about it. But I came to the conclusion that there can be several reasons. If one grew up in a family where they had a pet - dog, cat - and the pet was fed but never doted upon, or never even really acknowledged beyond feeding them or letting them outdoors, then that trait sometimes can pass down through several generations...the belief that it's normal to have a pet in the home, but the pet is simply that...a pet.
Some people still tend to get pets as an appeasement for their children ("he/she should grow up with a dog/cat" without actually understanding why their child should do so). So they get a pet for the child(ren), but fail to teach the child that the pet is actually sentient and has needs beyond basic physical ones...something that the parent never learned.
There are also those who get a dog because they were raised to believe that a 'dog in the yard' is serving a purpose (burglar/yard control) but the dog is nothing more than that.
Also, the trend today is to look at pets quite differently than society did 70, 60, even 50 years ago. In a matter of years we went from understanding that the family pet did have a place in the home, and did deserve a good life, to that of elevating the pet to family status...something that many today still find odd, and some even become upset over ('an animal is NOT a family member! It is NOT a human!' sort of thing). So while the tide is turning and we as a society do tend to recognize that animals are not only sentient, but that they can/should enjoy a safe, happy life under our care, there are still many who do not maintain the belief.
I can think of two instances when it might be okay, and neither applies to most people.
There are dogs that are kept to protect livestock, particularly sheep. They are raised from puppyhood to bond more with the flock than the people. I can understand having such a dog (or dogs, as I believe they should be kept in pairs), and have met a few, but even these dogs do receive attention from their owners on a daily basis. It's just that their primary function is not that of house pet. They're more like employees or co-workers, and they are highly appreciated for the role they play. Obviously, not every breed is suited to this kind of life.
Other situation? Barn cats. I would never get a kitten with the intention of making it a barn cat, but a warm, cozy barn with plenty of food, water, and regular vet care would be a pretty sweet deal for a small group of otherwise unadoptable feral cats (spayed and neutered, of course.)
Other than that, what you have described is a thing I hate to see. We had a neighbor like that when I was younger. Little bitty kennel in the corner of the yard. The only time I ever saw the guy take that dog out was when he went duck hunting.
We had a guy in a town nearby who kept a group of hunting dogs in cages. There was a big controversy. He got to keep the dogs but they were monitoring him.
I have neighbors who leave their dogs outside, night and day. They never seem to interact with them unless it is to feed them. I often wonder, why even have them? To me, there is nothing more sad than a dog house in the far corner of the yard, far from the home. For a pack animal, it must be torture to see people coming and going and be so far removed from any interaction.
Too many times, posters here on CD will suggest getting a dog or cat to take care of security or a mouse/rat infestation. I can only hope that those who take their advice also realize that the animal needs love, affection and human interaction and are willing to give it.
There should be a law in every State so people can't leave their dogs tied outside 24/7. I heard there is a law in some States. I also think neighbors should be held accountable if they see a dog or cat, or for that fact, any animal being abused or neglected. Too many times you read or see on the news horrific stories of people leaving their dogs tied up and they end up dead. A neighbor saw this animal starved to death or left out in the freezing cold and didn't do anything??!! Come on!
We had a guy in a town nearby who kept a group of hunting dogs in cages. There was a big controversy. He got to keep the dogs but they were monitoring him.
Not really a big deal necessarily. The dogs have each other and hunting dogs are not bred to need that intensive interaction that say herding breeds would. My father kept his hunting dogs in packs in outdoor kennels, but he was well and truly bonded with them in ways his hunting buddies were not with their dogs. I would often wander out to the garage and find him talking to them while he fed them. In fact, whenever I was upset or sad, that's where he'd send me. However, he was also extreme in how much he socialized and handled his hunting dogs. Some of the older guys even said they preferred their dogs be shy.
Not really a big deal necessarily. The dogs have each other and hunting dogs are not bred to need that intensive interaction that say herding breeds would. My father kept his hunting dogs in packs in outdoor kennels, but he was well and truly bonded with them in ways his hunting buddies were not with their dogs. I would often wander out to the garage and find him talking to them while he fed them. In fact, whenever I was upset or sad, that's where he'd send me. However, he was also extreme in how much he socialized and handled his hunting dogs. Some of the older guys even said they preferred their dogs be shy.
Yeah, I think hardcore working dogs are an exception... they are bred and raised to do a specific job, and sometimes being too sociable can be a detriment to them. Sled dogs, for example, are happiest and most "productive" when kept outside with their pack.
Now I forget the name, but there's a sheep protection dog from someplace like Hungary or such and on the breed guidelines they specifically say that the dog is independent and doesn't do well as an indoor pet. It was bred to be an outdoor dog, kept outdoors to do a certain job. Tibetan Mastiffs come to mind as well - they aren't supposed to make the best indoor pet dogs.
Having said that, these dogs would also be unhappy confined to a yard or a kennel day in and day out. When they are bred to do a job, they need to be able to do that job, or they can become unmanageable and hyper.
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