There's a documentary called Fast Cheap and Out of Control that features, among others, a guy who studies naked mole rats. It's pretty interesting. And weird.
Two of my roommates (It's 4 people total) want to adopt this Australian Shepherd from across the building. It's 5 months old, spayed, but it's been abused. They say that they actually saw the owners PUNCH the dog in the face. And while I feel for the dog, they tell me that it doesn't have the best training. I'm not sure if I want to go along with this since I've never owned a dog before and I haven't had the best experience with them either, so I wouldn't know what to do. I'm also concerned about my 360 because we do have a lot of expensive stuff near the TV that is open and rather easy for a dog to chew or urinate on. Not to mention, it feels like they are doing it out of impulse.
Just curious if this is the right decision, if you guys have any thing we should know about in taking care of an abused dog.
You must be incredibly patient, expect it to pee/poop on a lot of things until it realizes it can ask you to take it outside, and deal with shyness of the pet for the rest of its life. Unless it has people aggression, in which case most places recommend you have it put down because it will always be an unsafe pet. Aussies are a very high energy breed, so you would need to have a plan to give it something to do. It's going to go crazy if it has nothing to do but sit around all day.
Think of how much care it takes to deal with, say, having a girlfriend who has been sexually abused. Now pretend she can't speak or understand English. That's what you're up against. It can be done, but it is a LOT of work.
Emotionally damaged pets are more work, but taking care of them and rehabilitating them can also be very rewarding. Your Aussie (I love this breed BTW) might be very submissive and distrustful of people, especially in the beginning. There is a lot of help available from vets and shelters when it comes to information on training rescue animals, so seek that out and you will probably be on your way. I will not lie that it will be a large task, but I think it might also be a good one.
Edit: Also! Do what people with chewing rabbits do: Put a little barrier around all the wires and game consoles and stuff. There are little fences you can buy to prevent pets from bothering computers, etc.
My two dogs only chew stuff if they are left alone for a long period of time. I have had a 360 controller nibbled, but it only damaged one of the tops of the left analog stick, so it still works just fine. We also use bitter spray to stop from chewing, but Malcolm has a bit of separation anxiety so sometimes he can ignore the bitter. If you are going to get a dog, everyone needs to be all in on the training. This means walking the dog at all hours, having everyone using the same commands and rewards, cleaning up the occasional (or frequent, depending on the dog) mess, chipping in on vet bills, dog food bills, etc.
Shepards are also high-energy dogs and a working dog, so you guys will need to give it activities. They won't be like our two little balls of fuzz who play like mad for twenty minutes and then curl up and sleep for three hours after sleeping eight hours at night.
Just curious if this is the right decision, if you guys have any thing we should know about in taking care of an abused dog.
Do you have a yard for the dog to run in and be active? If not, it's better to just get it out of the house where it's abused. There are organizations in the USA for that, right?
Just curious if this is the right decision, if you guys have any thing we should know about in taking care of an abused dog.
Do you have a yard for the dog to run in and be active? If not, it's better to just get it out of the house where it's abused. There are organizations in the USA for that, right?
If you don't have a yard, you guys can commit to taking it the park and/or taking it for long walks and runs. The biggest issue here is that those in the house that want the dog are willing to take on the responsibilities and that those that aren't willing are okay with any possible damage the dog might do.
If you don't have a yard, you guys can commit to taking it the park and/or taking it for long walks and runs. The biggest issue here is that those in the house that want the dog are willing to take on the responsibilities and that those that aren't willing are okay with any possible damage the dog might do.
And the possible damage to the dog's health. Larger dogs need a lot of exercise to stay healthy, a yard does a lot.
And the possible damage to the dog's health. Larger dogs need a lot of exercise to stay healthy, a yard does a lot.
Thus I recommended taking them on daily walks and runs if you don't have a yard. Also, what a dog needs (exercise wise) is really dependent on the breed, not necessarily the size. While all dogs should be regularly exercised, some breeds require far more exercise than other based on penchant for obesity and energy level. Jack Russells are tiny dogs, but they need a lot of physical activity. Burmese Mountain dogs are calmer dogs with lower energy levels, while they should get daily exercise (like all breeds) they don't need hours and hours of running a day (like a Husky or a Jack Russell).
Aussies pretty much require a job or some other form of very regular and reliable activity. They also need a lot of attention, and they need it almost constantly.
If you and your roommates are all full-time students or have full-time jobs, and you don't have a yard or some other large space for the puppy, do not adopt it. You'll cause it more distress. I would call the Humane Society or some other local animal authority and get them to remove it. Contact a local animal rescue and see what they recommend.
It's a noble idea to take the puppy out of its horrible environment, but doing so while being unable to provide a suitable environment is more distressing to the dog than leaving it where it is now. Again, I would heavily advise against adopting the puppy.
Aussies pretty much require a job or some other form of very regular and reliable activity. They also needa lotof attention, and they need it almost constantly.
Yeah, I should probably get a job (if possible) during my extended stay in the U.S. Some attention would be nice, too.
Aussies pretty much require a job or some other form of very regular and reliable activity. They also needa lotof attention, and they need it almost constantly.
Echo that.
Crocodiiles are not horrible! They are awesome! It's not their fault people are stupid enough to encroach on their habitat!
Trust me - They are horrible, soulless killing machines. But they're still awesome.
Thinking on it more, I'm really going to try and convince my roommates to NOT get the dog because while I wasn't really for it, I don't think the others are really prepared for this. My main roommate who wanted to get it, said that he wanted to get the puppy ASAP and buy all the equipment for it on the same day...
Yeah, this is really out of impulse and should try to convince them to not do it. Or at least buy some time to prep the house because once the dog is in, I know stuff will happen. (We already have a smoked detector with a dead battery that's beeping periodically, that affects everyone)
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You know, on second thought, baby gerbil isn't that bad.
Two of my roommates (It's 4 people total) want to adopt this Australian Shepherd from across the building. It's 5 months old, spayed, but it's been abused. They say that they actually saw the owners PUNCH the dog in the face. And while I feel for the dog, they tell me that it doesn't have the best training. I'm not sure if I want to go along with this since I've never owned a dog before and I haven't had the best experience with them either, so I wouldn't know what to do. I'm also concerned about my 360 because we do have a lot of expensive stuff near the TV that is open and rather easy for a dog to chew or urinate on. Not to mention, it feels like they are doing it out of impulse.
Just curious if this is the right decision, if you guys have any thing we should know about in taking care of an abused dog.
Think of how much care it takes to deal with, say, having a girlfriend who has been sexually abused. Now pretend she can't speak or understand English. That's what you're up against. It can be done, but it is a LOT of work.
Edit: Also! Do what people with chewing rabbits do: Put a little barrier around all the wires and game consoles and stuff. There are little fences you can buy to prevent pets from bothering computers, etc.
Shepards are also high-energy dogs and a working dog, so you guys will need to give it activities. They won't be like our two little balls of fuzz who play like mad for twenty minutes and then curl up and sleep for three hours after sleeping eight hours at night.
If you and your roommates are all full-time students or have full-time jobs, and you don't have a yard or some other large space for the puppy, do not adopt it. You'll cause it more distress. I would call the Humane Society or some other local animal authority and get them to remove it. Contact a local animal rescue and see what they recommend.
It's a noble idea to take the puppy out of its horrible environment, but doing so while being unable to provide a suitable environment is more distressing to the dog than leaving it where it is now. Again, I would heavily advise against adopting the puppy.
Yeah, this is really out of impulse and should try to convince them to not do it. Or at least buy some time to prep the house because once the dog is in, I know stuff will happen. (We already have a smoked detector with a dead battery that's beeping periodically, that affects everyone)
Fuck yes platypi!