Dogs Rule!

May 2, 2011 9:53 AM

Sometimes this shoulder is a bit sore. Sometimes age starts to creep up on me. Sometimes I make excuses like "Naw, I'm not going walking, it's too cold/hot/steep/wet/dry/tiring." Sometimes I want people to feel sorry for me. But then, I'm not a dog.
posted by tomswift (12 comments total)

She's so cute! And determined too. Puts my feeble attempt at exercising to shame.
posted by Solomon at 10:08 AM on May 2, 2011

I'm going to put on my running shoes and drag myself over to the trail right now!
posted by Tullyogallaghan at 10:15 AM on May 2, 2011

i actually had to stop watching that because it was too cute. that doesn't happen to often.
posted by facetious at 10:46 AM on May 2, 2011

I spent all day Saturday volunteering at a pet adoption fair, where over 50 organizations brought hundreds of dogs and cats who needed a "forever" home. About 80 four-legged friends found some two-legged friends to take them home. There was a grossly overweight bulldog named Lady Gaga, a blind chihuahua, a half-bald 12-year-old Pomeranian, a couple 3-legged cuties - if I could, I would have taken them all home. One terrier mutt looked like Tori - she was adorable! But even she had all four legs and didn't find a home.

Please adopt a pet.
posted by HeyAllie at 11:00 AM on May 2, 2011 [14 favorites]

Let me second HeyAllie's remark, and add this:

When you feel compelled to buy a pedigreed dog, bear in mind that breeding often results in genetic weakness. We had a wonderful dachshund whose hindquarters became increasingly weak with age; at the end she was nearly paralyzed and it was heartbreaking to watch. This would probably not have occurred had she not been purebred.

Mixed breeds are tougher for multiple reasons. Adopt a mutt today!!!!
posted by kinnakeet at 11:09 AM on May 2, 2011 [3 favorites]

I'm always amazed at how dogs just deal. A person in a similar circumstance would no doubt spend a lot of time feeling bad for themselves rather than getting back out there.
posted by Gilbert at 12:12 PM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

There are many documented cases of people who lose a big part of their mind, but they don't and can't know that they did. All memories of ever having been different are lost, sometimes even the concept of the lost thing disappears. Oliver Sacks' books are full of stuff like this, people who suddenly lose their sight, or the use of their legs, or even the concept of "left side", and they don't know it and son't suffer because of the loss.

Dogs seems to be always like that. I've seen dogs 8 hours after they got a leg amputated chasing down squirrels, happier than ever.

If I ever lose any of my faculties or abilities, I hope I am able to take it like a dog.

Also, adopt a dog, don't support puppy mills. The best dogs in my family have always been dogs adopted straight from the street.

Last fall my sister picked up a little puppy that wandered to her doorstep in southern Mexico, covered in parasites. She tied her up to a tree while she went to go buy some flea powder and worm pills. When she came back the puppy was sitting very very still. It was covered in tiny black ants, who were carrying away all the parasites to their nest. It was a good omen, the dog is smart, loving, healthy and eager to train, and now lives happily in rural Italy.
posted by Dr. Curare at 12:26 PM on May 2, 2011 [10 favorites]

Non-shortened link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upkk4erwn00
posted by inigo2 at 12:50 PM on May 2, 2011

Dr. Curare, you have just made me cry.
posted by cyndigo at 1:46 PM on May 2, 2011

Maybe it's the day, or maybe I'm just weird, but that video made me cry. On preview: Looks like I'm not the only one.
posted by S'Tella Fabula at 1:48 PM on May 2, 2011

My dog Basil is an 11 year old Corgi whose back legs have stopped cooperating with him. Pops built him a "weenie wagon" similar to the device in this video. After only a couple of hours of getting used to it, he's back to form, chasing birds and herding the other dogs at the dog park.

Heartbreaking? He wouldn't want to be seen as such.
posted by ShutterBun at 5:04 PM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

Seconding kinnakeet. Not only are mutts less likely to be genetically weak, they are far less likely to bite.
posted by IAmBroom at 7:43 PM on May 2, 2011