Big Dog, Small Person
September 18, 2014 10:34 AM Subscribe
One of the photographers likes to photograph kids riding dogs like stallions.
It's kind of his thing.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 10:41 AM on September 18, 2014
It's kind of his thing.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 10:41 AM on September 18, 2014
Needs more greyhounds.
posted by smammy at 10:41 AM on September 18, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by smammy at 10:41 AM on September 18, 2014 [3 favorites]
I love how so many of the dogs look so protective of the kids. I'm sure that most of the dogs preceded the kids, but it's like the kid was born, and the dog decided that it was his/her responsibility to make sure s/he was safe.
posted by lunasol at 10:48 AM on September 18, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by lunasol at 10:48 AM on September 18, 2014 [4 favorites]
I'm sure that most of the dogs preceded the kids, but it's like the kid was born, and the dog decided that it was his/her responsibility to make sure s/he was safe.
From pics I've seen on FB of people who had dogs before kids, this seems to be the case. They are like THANK YOU FOR THIS IMPORTANT JOB I WILL WATCH TINY PERSON FOR ALWAYS.
posted by sweetkid at 10:53 AM on September 18, 2014 [33 favorites]
From pics I've seen on FB of people who had dogs before kids, this seems to be the case. They are like THANK YOU FOR THIS IMPORTANT JOB I WILL WATCH TINY PERSON FOR ALWAYS.
posted by sweetkid at 10:53 AM on September 18, 2014 [33 favorites]
Twenty four fantastic pictures of little kids with big dogs horses.
posted by Fizz at 10:55 AM on September 18, 2014
posted by Fizz at 10:55 AM on September 18, 2014
My cats didn't become protective of the tiny person until he was bigger. It's like they needed to make sure he was okay first.
posted by annekate at 10:56 AM on September 18, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by annekate at 10:56 AM on September 18, 2014 [5 favorites]
Pretending to ride a dog but not hurting it just pretending: 24,607 likes
posted by NoraReed at 10:58 AM on September 18, 2014 [9 favorites]
posted by NoraReed at 10:58 AM on September 18, 2014 [9 favorites]
Big dogs are the best dogs. We are looking at adopting our first furry kid in the spring and I'm trying to convince my wife and two regular kids of this, but they all want something small. Well I'm making my stand now and sending this link to them at home.
"No dogs in my house unless they would be able to do a job on a ranch. My house is a ranch dog only zone."
posted by WinnipegDragon at 10:59 AM on September 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
"No dogs in my house unless they would be able to do a job on a ranch. My house is a ranch dog only zone."
posted by WinnipegDragon at 10:59 AM on September 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
I'm sure that most of the dogs preceded the kids, but it's like the kid was born, and the dog decided that it was his/her responsibility to make sure s/he was safe.
Oh gosh who was it. Was it EyebrowsMcGee? Someone? Shared a story a while back about how when they were a kid the family cat chose them and was their protector. That was a great story.
posted by phunniemee at 11:16 AM on September 18, 2014
Oh gosh who was it. Was it EyebrowsMcGee? Someone? Shared a story a while back about how when they were a kid the family cat chose them and was their protector. That was a great story.
posted by phunniemee at 11:16 AM on September 18, 2014
My dogs are medium-sized (24 and 43 pounds respectively, for a total of 67 pounds of crazy). However, I regularly dogsit for some friends who keep two Shiloh Shepherds. The female, at 110 pounds, is a little smaller than her brother who weighs 125. Neither dog is even slightly overweight. Here's the male, named Legend, lying on a king-sized bed.
posted by workerant at 11:21 AM on September 18, 2014 [10 favorites]
posted by workerant at 11:21 AM on September 18, 2014 [10 favorites]
Never has a bean bag that slobbers seemed so appealing.
posted by Kabanos at 11:25 AM on September 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Kabanos at 11:25 AM on September 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
However, I regularly dogsit for some friends who keep two Shiloh Shepherds
WANT.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 11:26 AM on September 18, 2014
WANT.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 11:26 AM on September 18, 2014
In my experience most dogs really like tiny people. Maybe because they're more doglike - they emit a fascinating variety of smells and they drool too.
I was walking my blackmouth cur mix Josie when a neighbor's kid, just barely old enough to walk, saw her from across the street and yelled "DHAAAAAAAAA!" Kid's dad had to snag him before he ran into the road. I crossed over and asked if his boy would like to pet Josie, and he said yes.
Josie sat down in front of the child, which still made her taller than him, and gently licked his face while he giggled and patted her.
Five minutes later on the walk she leapt straight up four feet in the air and headbutted me in the back trying to get her gentle leader off. Dogs know kids, man. They love them.
posted by cmyk at 11:30 AM on September 18, 2014 [4 favorites]
I was walking my blackmouth cur mix Josie when a neighbor's kid, just barely old enough to walk, saw her from across the street and yelled "DHAAAAAAAAA!" Kid's dad had to snag him before he ran into the road. I crossed over and asked if his boy would like to pet Josie, and he said yes.
Josie sat down in front of the child, which still made her taller than him, and gently licked his face while he giggled and patted her.
Five minutes later on the walk she leapt straight up four feet in the air and headbutted me in the back trying to get her gentle leader off. Dogs know kids, man. They love them.
posted by cmyk at 11:30 AM on September 18, 2014 [4 favorites]
Aw, little kids and dogs. Needed this today.
Dogs know kids, man. And kids know dogs! I used to walk our adorable dog near a house where a group of 9-10 year old boys always hung out. As a group, they always would be as nonchalant as possible about the dog, and would say things (in as deep a voice as they could muster) like "hey cool dog," or "Hey man can I pet your dog," give her a quick pat and go off. Or ignore us completely. They just had to be so cooool about it.
One day, however, one of the boys was out by himself. The minute he saw the dog he threw himself at her at full speed, while shouting with absolute glee, "DOGGIE!"
posted by barchan at 11:48 AM on September 18, 2014 [10 favorites]
Dogs know kids, man. And kids know dogs! I used to walk our adorable dog near a house where a group of 9-10 year old boys always hung out. As a group, they always would be as nonchalant as possible about the dog, and would say things (in as deep a voice as they could muster) like "hey cool dog," or "Hey man can I pet your dog," give her a quick pat and go off. Or ignore us completely. They just had to be so cooool about it.
One day, however, one of the boys was out by himself. The minute he saw the dog he threw himself at her at full speed, while shouting with absolute glee, "DOGGIE!"
posted by barchan at 11:48 AM on September 18, 2014 [10 favorites]
My parents' dog, Inigo, is terrified of small children and we can't quite figure out why. He is a little black lab border collie mix, super low key, generally. But if he's out on a walk and they run across a kid under the age of about 10, he hides behind my mom with his tail tucked down. The kids in the neighborhood know to let him be - one of our neighbors' kids told her friend to "leave alone the scaredy dog who carries the big sticks!" (He likes to travel with two or three branches in his mouth and bring them home to a special place where no children will contaminate them.)
posted by ChuraChura at 11:57 AM on September 18, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by ChuraChura at 11:57 AM on September 18, 2014 [3 favorites]
It's like they needed to make sure he was okay first.
OR possibly that he passed the threshold from "easily edible" to "too much work".
posted by poffin boffin at 12:02 PM on September 18, 2014
OR possibly that he passed the threshold from "easily edible" to "too much work".
posted by poffin boffin at 12:02 PM on September 18, 2014
OOZAGOODAWWWW
posted by Drexen at 12:09 PM on September 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Drexen at 12:09 PM on September 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
I grew up with Great Danes. After I was born, Gretchen moved in under my crib and never left. I learned to walk by pulling myself up her leg and then dangling from her collar as she slowly walked forward. And my mom likes to tell the story of coming across me and her mid goldfish game with cards slotted in her paws, mom tried to scold me and Gretchen growled and backed her out of the room.
Great Danes are AWESOME.
posted by FunkyHelix at 1:12 PM on September 18, 2014 [14 favorites]
Great Danes are AWESOME.
posted by FunkyHelix at 1:12 PM on September 18, 2014 [14 favorites]
My one year old absolutely loses his mind over dogs. He loves them all, big dogs, little dogs, fat dogs, doggy dogs. We have a cat and he loves the cat too (it isn't mutual), but when we see a dog on the street he points and screams and tries to jump out of the stroller. Dog owners for the most part seem to find it really gratifying, and the dogs themselves are like "HAAAAAAAAAYYYY!"
I tell him that we can't get a dog until he's old enough to walk it himself, though.
posted by lollymccatburglar at 1:14 PM on September 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
I tell him that we can't get a dog until he's old enough to walk it himself, though.
posted by lollymccatburglar at 1:14 PM on September 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
Just this morning I took a picture of my husband lifting our Giant Schnauzer puppy. It was a shock to see how big she has gotten and she is still only 5 and half months old. We are totally in love with the Big Dog experience; there is something so majestic about a really huge dog.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 1:30 PM on September 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 1:30 PM on September 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
To save you the effort of finding it again, the third to last photo is from this: How To Hug A Baby. (previously, 2007)
posted by intermod at 1:45 PM on September 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by intermod at 1:45 PM on September 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
One of my sisters used to have a big dog: Toby was something like 145 pounds of mostly-Rottweiler, with some other unidentifiable Very Big Dog thrown in there. Very protective of the kids: if he thought there was a threat approaching the house, he'd stand with his front paws on the windowsill (which would place his head about six feet off the floor) and give out with this basso-profundo WOOF! It's an area that gets massive numbers of missionaries and Jehovah's Witnesses and door-to-door salesmen in general, and Sister said that in all the years Toby guarded the house, she never had a single one come all the way up her sidewalk --- they'd see him at his window guardpost, and just turn around.
On the other hand, I once watched Toby as he was laying on the living room floor 'having his hair styled' by a three-year-old..... he lay there as long as he could stand it, then heaved a giant doggy sigh, went into a bedroom and shoved the door closed behind him. Smart dog.
posted by easily confused at 2:09 PM on September 18, 2014 [5 favorites]
On the other hand, I once watched Toby as he was laying on the living room floor 'having his hair styled' by a three-year-old..... he lay there as long as he could stand it, then heaved a giant doggy sigh, went into a bedroom and shoved the door closed behind him. Smart dog.
posted by easily confused at 2:09 PM on September 18, 2014 [5 favorites]
(here is the scaredy dog and his stick)
posted by ChuraChura at 2:34 PM on September 18, 2014 [15 favorites]
posted by ChuraChura at 2:34 PM on September 18, 2014 [15 favorites]
However, I regularly dogsit for some friends who keep two Shiloh Shepherds.
OH THE BEAUTIES!
posted by Squeak Attack at 3:35 PM on September 18, 2014
OH THE BEAUTIES!
posted by Squeak Attack at 3:35 PM on September 18, 2014
Oh, a Giant Schnauzer! Lucky you! I saw one last year at my university's "Hug the dogs during Finals Week." Therapy dogs and helper dogs put on the event a couple of times a year, and the lovely Giant captured my heart.
posted by feste at 3:41 PM on September 18, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by feste at 3:41 PM on September 18, 2014 [3 favorites]
They (the Giant Schnauzers) are surprisingly rare, which is a shame because they are lovely dogs, smart, strong, goofy and non-shedding. We had to go out of state to get ours and I've only met 4 Giants in Raleigh-- all of them from out of state breeders.
Overall I think the trend is towards very small breeds because they require less food, less exercise, less space and they have longer life spans. Plus it is fun to pick up tiny dogs and carry them around, but there is a stillness, a calmness to huge breeds that makes them so easy to live with.
Here is the picture I took this morning. Note that my husband is 6'1".
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:51 PM on September 18, 2014 [5 favorites]
Overall I think the trend is towards very small breeds because they require less food, less exercise, less space and they have longer life spans. Plus it is fun to pick up tiny dogs and carry them around, but there is a stillness, a calmness to huge breeds that makes them so easy to live with.
Here is the picture I took this morning. Note that my husband is 6'1".
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:51 PM on September 18, 2014 [5 favorites]
I liked this girl and big dog so much I did a painting of it.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/capitali/33671568/in/faves-41894177255@N01/
posted by surplus at 5:53 PM on September 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
https://www.flickr.com/photos/capitali/33671568/in/faves-41894177255@N01/
posted by surplus at 5:53 PM on September 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
The cuteness is large.
(However, above a certain size both the food and poop quantities get a bit absurd.)
posted by Dip Flash at 6:40 PM on September 18, 2014
(However, above a certain size both the food and poop quantities get a bit absurd.)
posted by Dip Flash at 6:40 PM on September 18, 2014
only 22 pics? i would like more evidence!
posted by cristinacristinacristina at 7:05 PM on September 18, 2014
posted by cristinacristinacristina at 7:05 PM on September 18, 2014
I think that whatever it is that makes most people automatically think that puppies are cute, dogs also get the same thing about baby people.
posted by strangely stunted trees at 8:01 PM on September 18, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by strangely stunted trees at 8:01 PM on September 18, 2014 [6 favorites]
When we lived in NYC, our goofy, adoring old female Chow, Bella, loved to do this with all the strollers we encountered on our daily walks. We always assured the parents she was a sweetheart, but in retrospect, I'm amazed so many of them believed us and let her do it.
posted by GrammarMoses at 5:21 AM on September 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by GrammarMoses at 5:21 AM on September 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
(here is the scaredy dog and his stick)
Be scaredy, and carry a big stick.
posted by Kabanos at 9:28 AM on September 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
Be scaredy, and carry a big stick.
posted by Kabanos at 9:28 AM on September 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
These are adorable, but one of those baby's straight-up took a dump before their picture was taken. I think you can figure out which one.
posted by Doublewhiskeycokenoice at 9:42 AM on September 19, 2014
posted by Doublewhiskeycokenoice at 9:42 AM on September 19, 2014
Obligatory contrarian links:
Mefi: Man bites dog
Parents, don't let your babies get "magnetized" to dogs
I don't know, besides the AWWWWW SO CUUUUUUTE objectifying fun for the parents and internet viewers, is there any real reason to throw dogs and babies together like this? It just seems like an interaction that has such huge potential for downside-- if not with this dog (who, like all the other fatally-attacking dogs I've ever read about, is doubtless just such a softie and would never ever ever do anything to hurt Junior), then with the next less-well-socialized dog that the child gloms onto onto because it's learned that dogs are toys-- and so little obvious upside, beyond the happy feels that the parents get when they put two cute things in the same photo frame.
I wouldn't laugh at pictures of cats playing with parakeets or dogs eating chocolate cake because their owners think it's just sooooo adorable. I really don't get photosets like this.
posted by Bardolph at 10:21 AM on September 19, 2014
Mefi: Man bites dog
Parents, don't let your babies get "magnetized" to dogs
I don't know, besides the AWWWWW SO CUUUUUUTE objectifying fun for the parents and internet viewers, is there any real reason to throw dogs and babies together like this? It just seems like an interaction that has such huge potential for downside-- if not with this dog (who, like all the other fatally-attacking dogs I've ever read about, is doubtless just such a softie and would never ever ever do anything to hurt Junior), then with the next less-well-socialized dog that the child gloms onto onto because it's learned that dogs are toys-- and so little obvious upside, beyond the happy feels that the parents get when they put two cute things in the same photo frame.
I wouldn't laugh at pictures of cats playing with parakeets or dogs eating chocolate cake because their owners think it's just sooooo adorable. I really don't get photosets like this.
posted by Bardolph at 10:21 AM on September 19, 2014
I don't think anyone's throwing the dogs and babies together. It's just what dogs and babies do, the snuggly bondy thing, and then they are photographed, like dogs and babies often are.
posted by sweetkid at 10:50 AM on September 19, 2014
posted by sweetkid at 10:50 AM on September 19, 2014
Daww! So many of them have gently gray muzzles that it makes my heart hurt in other ways too!!
posted by kimberussell at 11:38 AM on September 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by kimberussell at 11:38 AM on September 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
is there any real reason to throw dogs and babies together like this? It just seems like an interaction that has such huge potential for downside--
It's only when you throw Dads into the mix that things get totally out of control.
posted by Kabanos at 12:01 PM on September 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's only when you throw Dads into the mix that things get totally out of control.
posted by Kabanos at 12:01 PM on September 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I didn't want to be all Debbie Downer, but some of these pictures show some seriously bad ideas. Most are just kids hanging around with dogs and some adult who took the picture, so good! The one with the kid using the stethoscope just kills me. But...
Kid riding a dog? Oh, that's a bad idea.
Putting a baby on a sleeping dog? Bad idea.
That one where the baby is lifting the dog's lip while the dog looks pretty freaked out? Spectacularly bad idea.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:16 PM on September 19, 2014
Kid riding a dog? Oh, that's a bad idea.
Putting a baby on a sleeping dog? Bad idea.
That one where the baby is lifting the dog's lip while the dog looks pretty freaked out? Spectacularly bad idea.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:16 PM on September 19, 2014
That might be a bad idea in general but that doesn't mean it's a bad idea for that kid and that dog. It's pretty common advice (I got it from at least three different places) to take some time while your dog is a puppy to feel around their body, play with their feet and their mouth so that they get used to that happening when their older. My own dog is pretty tolerant of me messing around with her mouth and lips but that doesn't hold a candle to what she'll let toddlers do to her. I can't even imagine what she could let a toddler that she lived with do without complaint.
So no, if I had a baby I wouldn't let them play with the average dog's lips like that but I really do know my dog and I wouldn't worry at all about my baby playing with her lips, especially while I was there supervising.
posted by VTX at 3:07 PM on September 19, 2014
So no, if I had a baby I wouldn't let them play with the average dog's lips like that but I really do know my dog and I wouldn't worry at all about my baby playing with her lips, especially while I was there supervising.
posted by VTX at 3:07 PM on September 19, 2014
That one where the baby is lifting the dog's lip while the dog looks pretty freaked out? Spectacularly bad idea.
I'm not the Dog Whisperer so maybe I'm misinterpreting the dog's body language, but to me it doesn't look freaked out, more like "Ok people, there's a rug rat poking at my jowls, are you really going to take a photograph right now?" More the kind of look that goes before a big sigh and flopping its head onto its paws.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:20 PM on September 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm not the Dog Whisperer so maybe I'm misinterpreting the dog's body language, but to me it doesn't look freaked out, more like "Ok people, there's a rug rat poking at my jowls, are you really going to take a photograph right now?" More the kind of look that goes before a big sigh and flopping its head onto its paws.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:20 PM on September 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Pretending to ride a dog but not hurting it just pretending: 24,607 likes
Wait. Wait. Wait. This page is magix.
posted by sweetkid at 1:12 PM on September 22, 2014
Wait. Wait. Wait. This page is magix.
posted by sweetkid at 1:12 PM on September 22, 2014
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posted by maryr at 10:37 AM on September 18, 2014