Comparing Betta Tanks to Dog Kennels - A Visual

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Small dogs aren't real dogs.
ouch.

you never met my Papillon, but she was more of a dog than most dogs out there. She chased cats, and ducks and hunted mice, rats, and grasshoppers. She would fetch and knew which people on the park had dog lollies. And if you played hide n seek, she would find you in about 5 seconds. She had a really good nose and could find anyone in the house even tho there were scent trails everywhere.
 
Not related to the fish part of the post, but the dog part.

Crates are only for bad dogs that cannot behave when left in the house alone. I must say, after our late beagle (rest his soul) tore out the screening in all our brand new windows and escaped when left alone for a mere 2 hours, you bet your biscuits he was in a crate. We tried a toddler gate to keep him in the kitchen but he jumped on the counter, ate half a rhubarb pie, and proceeded to pee on the sofa. That darn dog even tore up the new carpet when left in the crate for the first time, which I haven't a clue how he did it as the bottom was a hard plastic sheet. Should of had his nuts snipped, that might of calmed him down.

As for outdoor kennels, never understood them and never will. Dogs are indoor/outdoor pets. Ours roam the yard (w/o a fence or anything) and come back in after a bit, but the rotten young beagle we have now gets the shock collar and a watchful eye when let off the running line. Don't worry, the warning beep is plenty enough to make her mind and she rarely gets zapped.

And for the comment on little dogs, my two smaller breeds are far more intelligent than any of the larger dogs we've had. They play hide and seek and know a decent range of tricks and commands. Cats on the other hand... they're mysterious creatures that never seem to die yet always are the ones being taken to the vet for all sorts of infections and abscesses. At least they're good at keeping stray cats, coons, and other critters out of the yard.
 
Crates are only for bad dogs that cannot behave when left in the house alone. I must say, after our late beagle (rest his soul) tore out the screening in all our brand new windows and escaped when left alone for a mere 2 hours, you bet your biscuits he was in a crate. We tried a toddler gate to keep him in the kitchen but he jumped on the counter, ate half a rhubarb pie, and proceeded to pee on the sofa. That darn dog even tore up the new carpet when left in the crate for the first time, which I haven't a clue how he did it as the bottom was a hard plastic sheet. Should of had his nuts snipped, that might of calmed him down. .
No such thing as a bad dog, just a dog that is in charge of their owners. :)
Lots of dogs have dominant dog disorder, which is caused by people pampering the dog and treating it like a human child. Unfortunately when people do this the dog takes advantage and takes charge of the house. Dogs that are in charge of the house generally have separation anxiety too. The two disorders are linked.

In a wild dog pack you have dominant dogs (alphas) and subordinate dogs. There are only two alpha dogs in a pack, a male and a female. These two rule the pack and where they go, everyone else follows. At home people have a dog and let it jump up on the couch, feed it before they cook their own dinner, open the door for it and pat the dog as soon as it runs up to them. This is the same type of things that happen with alpha dogs.

Alpha dogs eat first, other dogs come up to them and lick their faces and make a big fuss over them. The alphas sit down or lay down wherever they want and if a lower ranking dog is in the way and doesn't move, the alpha dog sits on top of them. Has anyone ever had a dog jump up onto the couch and sit on your lap or lay across your legs? That is an alpha dog sitting on a subordinate dog/ person :)

Dogs that have dominant dog disorder are usually more aggressive towards strange dogs in public, especially if the other dog does not immediately submit. And they can be aggressive towards people visiting the house and will often sit next to their owner and growl at visitors or even try to bite them.

Separation anxiety comes into play when an alpha dog is not with their pack. The alpha dog calls and the pack should come running. However, in a house when the people go to work, the alpha dog barks, howls, and does everything it can to recall its pack members (the people). When the pack do not return for several hours, the dog stresses out and destroys the house. As soon as the people come home, the dog settles down and is quiet again. Many dog owners never realise their dogs have separation anxiety because the dog is always quiet when the people are at home. However, the neighbours hear the dog every time the humans go out.

This issue is easy to fix.
1) Feed yourself and your family before you feed the dog. When you feed the dog first you are telling the dog it is in charge because alpha dogs always eat first. If you don't want to have dinner but want to feed the dog, then spend several minutes eating or pretending to eat a biscuit, or something, in front of the dog so the dog sees you eating. After a couple of minutes of doing that, you can feed the dog.
This is not cruel but normal for a dog. Alphas always eat first and subordinates sit there and drool while waiting for their turn to eat.

2) When you get home and your pet runs up to you, ignore it for a couple of minutes or until it settles down. Once you have put your shopping away and hung the keys up and had a drink, then call the dog to you and pat it. If you give the dog attention as soon as you get home, you are reinforcing the fact the dog is in charge. Subordinate dogs go to the alpha dog to say high, not the other way around. Alpha dogs show affection to lower ranking dogs when the alpha dog wants to.

3) Do not let the dog sleep on you, your bed or your furniture. The dog must have its own bed and should use it. If you let your dog sleep on top of you or next to you in bed, you are telling the dog it is in charge and the dog can sleep anywhere it wants.
You can let a dog hop up on the couch and sit on your lap or lay down next to you, but you must call it up. The dog should not be allowed to just jump up any time it wants. And when you stand up or say get off, the dog should do as it's told.

4) When you are walking around the house, do not step over the dog. If a dog sees you walking towards it and doesn't get up, tell it to move out of the way. Alpha dogs go wherever they want and subordinate dogs move out of their way.

These 4 steps can be used on any dog and if done correctly, you will see a noticeable change in the dogs behaviour within 2 weeks, usually less. And in fact a lot of dogs almost act and look suicidal after about a week. This lasts for a couple of days where the dog sulks and doesn't want to associated with you. This is the dog reacting to you taking over the pack and the dog losing its position as top dog. Once the dog has accepted its new position at the bottom of the pecking order, it will look to the human as the leader and not worry about you going out to work and will be much less inclined to destroying the house while it stresses out over its owners (lower ranking pack members) not being there.

You have to continue using these 4 steps for the rest of the dog's life otherwise it can take over the pack again.

If the dog has had this behaviour for a long time then anxiety medication can be prescribed by a vet and can help reduce the stress during the change over period.

Basic training is also a must for all dogs. They don't have to turn the tele on and cook dinner for you but they should no the basics of sit, come, stay.

Finally, dogs have to be taken for a walk each day so they can get out of the house and see what is happening in the neighbourhood. Dogs kept in backyards with little or no social interaction, eventually go nuts. They are in solitary confinement when left alone for hours on end and not given a chance to socialise with other dogs or people. If you multiply that by 10 yrs of a dog never going for a walk, it messes them up pretty badly. Imagine living in your house and never going outside and never speaking to anyone else except those who live in the house with you. You have no telephone, tv, internet or any way of communicating with the outside world. That is what happens to dogs that are kept in backyards and never taken for a walk.

Dogs need to go out and explore the world, sniff things and see other animals. Dogs that don't get enough exercise will dig up the garden, chew things and destroy virtually everything in the house or backyard. Beagles are working dogs and need to get lots of exercise or they make life hell for everyone in the house :)


Cats on the other hand... they're mysterious creatures that never seem to die yet always are the ones being taken to the vet for all sorts of infections and abscesses. At least they're good at keeping stray cats, coons, and other critters out of the yard.
Cats should be kept indoors to prevent them roaming the streets at night and getting into fights. 90% of cats that get taken to a vet have wounds from fighting with other cats. Even if your cat doesn't wander at night, and they all do to some degree, other cats come onto your property and they fight because they are highly territorial.

Feral cats can carry rabies and feline aids, and transmit it to your cat. Cats can also carry diseases that can affect people, toxoplasmosis. Keeping them confined to your property can significantly reduce the number of visits to the vet, and the helps the native wildlife :)
 
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Then theres this keeping large dogs in apartments, Who in their right mind thinks a Great Dane is ok in an apartment?


We asked 162 real Great Dane owners the following question:

Would You Recommend a Great Dane for Someone Living in An Apartment?
70% said Yes
30% said No
https://iheartdogs.com/knowledge-ba...eat-danes-for-someone-living-in-an-apartment/

My fish are my pets I talk to them and I play with them and nothing is too good for them, I do not care that the pellets I give them are $48 AUD,
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Xtreme-...m-Fry-Pellet-255g-Free-Shipping-/142595098302

If you have a pet no matter what it is, It's your duty and obligation to give them the best food and care, just like you would a child.
 
Then theres this keeping large dogs in apartments, Who in their right mind thinks a Great Dane is ok in an apartment?
Its not just about size though. Spaniels are little but totally unsuted for apartments because they have very high energy / excercise needs.

(Wouln't keep a great dane in one either)
 
No such thing as a bad dog
I agree.
Here's a few more must haves IMO for creating well behaved dogs
  1. People first. When I open a door / gate / sty the dog waits and follows me through it. Not the other way around. So much so that when I let her into the garden in the rain she waits for permission to go out.
  2. Follow me. When I start "off lead" training I go into the woods (any secure area is ok but woods are better because you can hide behind trees), and randomly change direction and speed without looking at or calling the dog. If you start this young enough the dog quickly learns that it is its job to keep track of you and keep up - not your job to keep calling it back.
  3. Sharing is ok. From an early age I randomly pick up and move the food bowl while the dog is eating (and let other people do that too). Important that you don't steal its food or deprive it. As a kid we were terrifed of going near our dog while it ate. The only reason it was aggressive / protective is because my mother always insisted that nobody went near when the dog was feeding. My greedy lab waits for permission to eat so even if I drop a raw steak on the floor it is "safe", she also comes when called - even if she is in the middle of a meal.
  4. A tired dog is a happy dog. Destructive or attention seeking behaviour is completely eliminated if the dog gets enough excercise and time withe its people. (But do understand that chewing and digging is natural behaviour for puppies, the crate isn't for punishment its for protection).
I have never found a cause to hit or shock my dogs. When I leave the gate open and tell the dog to wait it does so because it wants to please me - not because its afraid of punishment.

I only wish more people would apply these principles (including Colin's) to raising their kids!
 
A tired dog is a happy dog.

That's true. If my dog has too much energy and I can't keep up, a trip to the dog park usually exhausts her pretty well and she spends the rest of the evening napping with a giant grin on her face.
 
Do wish people would stop with the alpha dog bunk. It's been proven to be rubbish in wolves never mind domestic dogs. Cesar Milan has a lot to answer for in promoting this mentally abusive way of training dogs.
My dog is allowed on the sofa, even on the bed, whenever she wants, eats at her meal times, not after me, and is never ignored when I get home. Guess what - she is one of the best behaved dogs you will ever meet. She has no separation issues - in fact is positively independent which is remarkable for a poodle, has a reliable recall, wont approach another dog or person on a walk unless invited, stays put when I tell her to stay, walks to heel beautifully, toilets (outside) on command, knows around 30 tricks which she'll perform with or without food, and never chews or destroys anything but her own toys.

Train your dog through behaviour modification not through principles of pack theory nonsense.
 
Cesar Milan is a...................

The pack theory means a lower ranked dog can and will challenge the alpha male for dominance of the pack, I sure as heck dont want my pit-bull challenging me.
 

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