Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am older, work from home, and have an Akita. I have had this breed for over forty years.
This breed and I are simpatico. No drama, little noise unless warranted, unvarnished joy with the simple things (good food; unhurried long walks; time to sniff the roses, etc.)
He performs his public service every day with care and attention. His work is allowing himself to be admired by long term acquaintances and those new to the fold. It is obvious how much enjoyment he gets from doing a good job.
Cars stop on the street to admire him. He knows he is being admired, and takes it in stride. Random strangers stop us on the street to comment about what a happy dog he is. "I am ready for my admiration", kind of thing.
There is NO WAY that my companion would blossom in this way if he were off on his own, part of a feral pack, lived with an inattentive "owner", whatever. This is truly a breed that blossoms when it has a full time staff (umm...me) to discern its desires, express companionable grunts of contentment, and attend to its Comforts. Perish the thought that he should ever be deprived of any of these things.
Some people say that Akitas are stubborn, and dominant, and you have to show them who's boss. It has rather been my experience that they are intuitive and intelligent, and they rightly believe their opinions should be respected. I have found that if you put in the work on the front end to discern their preferences and acknowledge them, you are able to negotiate a solution to most disagreements. He will indicate the direction in which he wants to go by looking there. I can change his mind by looking somewhere else.
There are, of course, instances where sharp corrections are necessary. Darting into traffic. !SQUIRREL!!. !MY RIBEYE!! That kind of thing. After a period of hurt feelings (I kid you not), he does take the lesson.
To recognize his ancient heritage as a big game hunter and Guardian of the Emperor, he chose the name of Baby Good Dogge. Trust me - I tried out others. But this was the name to which he invariably inclined his left ear. Akitas are VERY understated dogs, but they are eloquent in making themselves understood.
I am totally, utterly daft about my companion. In my view, we have an unparalleled partnership. I believe utterly that his life is better with me (or somebody like me) than not.
FOOEY to those PETA types who would deprive both of us of this quality of life.
There's nothing wrong with people socializing, i.e. chatting with other people, at the dog park, as long as their first priority is seeing that their dogs get some exercise, or at least some healthy activity. I see too many people of all ages come to the dog park at the end of the day and plant themselves on chairs and chat and give their/each other's dogs' treats; while the dogs mostly sit around after relieving themselves. The dog owners just want to relax after work. Nothing wrong with that, in principal; but I believe that the dogs need to get out and walk and trot and sniff things. No reason why dog owners can't combine social interaction with walking their dogs at the dog park. And dog owners should keep their eyes on their dogs at all times (from even good-natured dogs) when at the dog park; spats and fights can results if they fail to do so.
My old Doberman was an alpha dog. By alpha, I mean he automatically made himself leader of any existing pack, even though he never did pack up with any dogs. He spent his time roaming the perimeter and checking things out instead. He always got along fine with other dogs that wanted to play with him, but I would never trust him with an unneutered male, even though he himself had been neutered (unfortunately not until he was 2 1/2 years, though). So there would be times when I'd bring him somewhere to run and would have to wait until another possible alpha male that was already there was taken home. I might have been overcautious, but I never had to break up a dogfight either.
Obviously, if a dog is off-leash in a fenced dog park, it's free to run or walk around or sit as it wishes. I was referring to people who "walk" their dogs but then sit, staring at a phone, with the dog restrained, NOT walking the dog OR drag the dog along at the owner's versus the dog's pace, usually preoccupied by his phone, versus being attuned to the dog's needs and wants and engaging meaningfully with it. Not to repeat myself.
And I respectfully disagree that feeling concern or sympathy for such pets is "why the country's in a shambles."
Unless you're absolutely stalking these people and following them from the time they leave their homes to the time they return, you have no way of knowing where they were before they sat on the bench and where they're going after they get off the bench. And these kind of worst-case assumptions about every little thing among people who don't even know each other is indeed having an adverse effect on our country. People are at each other's throats over everything these days.
My old Doberman was an alpha dog. By alpha, I mean he automatically made himself leader of any existing pack, even though he never did pack up with any dogs. He spent his time roaming the perimeter and checking things out instead. He always got along fine with other dogs that wanted to play with him, but I would never trust him with an unneutered male, even though he himself had been neutered (unfortunately not until he was 2 1/2 years, though). So there would be times when I'd bring him somewhere to run and would have to wait until another possible alpha male that was already there was taken home. I might have been overcautious, but I never had to break up a dogfight either.
IMHO, you were very wise to take the prudent course of action. My Baby Good Dogge is a male Akita. Akitas own the turf upon which they walk. Any other male dog represents a violation of the security perimeter he has established in his hunting territory.
His hunting territory consists of the outermost perimeter of all the areas we have walked in our town. I estimate a 10 mile diameter. It would be larger, except for the fact that his Comforts are assured and appear on a predictable schedule.
Any male dog will get the Stink Eye and the Ambush Crouch. I have to give him a sharp correction and place myself between Baby Good Dogge and the competition.
Preservation of hunting territory is virtually a life and death matter for this particular breed. A Japanese breeder explained it to me thus: the Akitas' original habitat was in rough, frigid, snowy areas. Such areas are not hospitable for game animals. There may be enough game to sustain a small pack, but it will require a hunting territory of 100 miles in diameter. If another carnivore threatens the game in this area, somebody in the pack will starve. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to chase off or kill any possible competition for the limited food supply in the hunting territory. Hence, male Akitas do not tolerate (imaginary) competition for (fictitious) food sources within their hunting territories (walks).
Same story for polar bears, who are solitary. Except for a brief two week mating season. Male polar bears have to move on, because there just isn't enough game to sustain a polar bear family. Hence, the cubs become a food source - were the males to stick around.
And these kind of worst-case assumptions about every little thing among people who don't even know each other is indeed having an adverse effect on our country. People are at each other's throats over everything these days.
Cats are not hard to understand at all. They have socialized for human companionship just as dogs have. People who believe otherwise have probably never had a cat as a pet. Cats form very tight bonds with their human families.
Absolutely. One of my cats (who I rescued as a stray - along with her 3 sisters) went missing for almost 2 months last year, and was eventually found thanks to a postcard service I purchased. The woman who responded to the postcard said she'd been feeding Flower for a few weeks, but couldn't get close enough to catch her. So maybe I'd have more luck if I came out there? Some folks said to be prepared that she'd "gone feral" and/or wouldn't remember me. Long story short, when I whistled for her there she came RUNNING. Leaped into my arms, and basically didn't let go or stop purring for the next couple of weeks.
As you said, anyone who thinks cats don't bond with their humans hasn't had a cat. Or just didn't treat their cat very well. This is her now(ish):
Absolutely. One of my cats (who I rescued as a stray - along with her 3 sisters) went missing for almost 2 months last year, and was eventually found thanks to a postcard service I purchased. The woman who responded to the postcard said she'd been feeding Flower for a few weeks, but couldn't get close enough to catch her. So maybe I'd have more luck if I came out there? Some folks said to be prepared that she'd "gone feral" and/or wouldn't remember me. Long story short, when I whistled for her there she came RUNNING. Leaped into my arms, and basically didn't let go or stop purring for the next couple of weeks.
As you said, anyone who thinks cats don't bond with their humans hasn't had a cat. Or just didn't treat their cat very well. This is her now(ish):
What a sweet story and very cute cat! My husband just left to take a walk. Our cat, who had been sitting with me on the couch, leapt up and ran across the room to the kitchen. Now, he is sitting in the kitchen window, yowling loudly and forlornly, watching my husband as he walks down the street. He'll stay there until my husband returns. He is our only cat, and we adore him. I have no doubt that the feeling is mutual.
Otter, when I see someone sitting on a bench with their dog, do know what I see? I see someone sitting on a bench with their dog, no more, no less. For all I know, they just came off one of the local trails after a hike or are on their way home from (or to) the park. I guess all you see is someone who's committing all manner of abuses against their poor pet.
It's just a bench, and it's just a very small snapshot of a bigger picture.
Obviously, if a dog is off-leash in a fenced dog park, it's free to run or walk around or sit as it wishes. I was referring to people who "walk" their dogs but then sit, staring at a phone, with the dog restrained, NOT walking the dog OR drag the dog along at the owner's versus the dog's pace, usually preoccupied by his phone, versus being attuned to the dog's needs and wants and engaging meaningfully with it. Not to repeat myself.
And I respectfully disagree that feeling concern or sympathy for such pets is "why the country's in a shambles."
Metlakatla is right. You really have NO IDEA what is going on. A man sitting on a bench with his dog isn't hurting anyone. It doesn't MATTER to anyone why he's sitting, or why his dog isn't playing loose. Maybe there's a reason, maybe there isn't... it's just shouldn't be an issue for anyone else.
We need to get out of other people's business. I think putting a reply button on our whole lives was maybe a mistake.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
