Doggy Appetites

Earlier this week I spoke with my parents who told me a story about our dog, Cooper. Apparently, he got into a pan of brownies left out on the counter. He was completely fine and didn't get sick (chocolate is poisonous to dogs), but the story got me thinking about doggy appetites. 

It seems that all the dogs my family's had are chow hounds. They are always looking for little snacks to steal whether it be from our kitchen or where they're dog kibble is kept. Just reading the ingredients on dog food, I can see why they would be so hungry. Iams dog food's ingredients read like a gourmet selection: with beef, lamb, fish, even sweet potatoes and rice! That's more than my mom cooks when I come home from school!

I have to be honest, when I was a little girl I was tempted to eat dog food, and in fact, I did. Well, I only had a small piece of kibble and I thought it was disgusting, but with ingredients like those, it's no wonder dogs are always wanting to eat more. And with such adorable faces it's even easier to give into temptation and feed them treats all day.

But a note of caution, while most dog breeds are active and have metabolisms that keep them in relatively good shape, it's very easy to overfeed your dog and cause it serious harm.

Cooper, my dog I mentioned earlier, had an accident when he was a puppy. We noticed that his belly looked distended and he seemed lethargic and a little out of it. So we rushed him to an emergency vet clinic, anxious to find out what was wrong with him. Well it turned out his bloated belly was fully of kibble. Five times more than what he should have eaten. We figured that he got into our ferret's food. 

Although we were obviously relieved he wasn't seriously injured, the vet ended up pumping his stomach because she said that stretching out the stomach too far could tear it or push into other organs. 

But an even bigger concern with giving in to your pooch's tummy growls is the weight concern. Dogs may whine and act like they aren't hungry, but they will be absolutely fine. If you're not sure how much is too much, ask your vet what is the appropriate amount of food given your dog's breed and weight.

For example, we feed Cooper twice a day. However, our previous dog, we gave him a larger portion of food in the morning and he would nibble on it throughout the day. Each dog is different but it's best to stick with a regiment so you have a healthy and happy companion!

Caption: This picture was taken at the Furry Skurry in Dayton, Ohio. You can read more about it from my previous post!

Q&A with Professor Virginia Hall

The following is part of an interview with Ohio University professor Virginia Hall. She teaches a society and animals course that explores the relationship between humans and animals.

So, in your own words, what is your definition of anthropomorphism?

Well anthropomorphism was developed as one way to characterize how people describe animals. If you are accused of 'anthropomorphizing,' this means you've given human traits or characteristics to an animal. For example, if I said 'Gosh my dog is so bored today' that would be an example of anthropomorphizing because being bored is a human emotion.

So you can describe any animal without anthropomorphizing?

It can be a fine line. But saying something like "my dog is hot" may not be anthropomorphizing because it's been proven that when dogs pant, it's a way for them to cool down. But again, people who take a very strict or narrow definition of it would still say that's anthropomorphizing. 

We seem to be talking about dogs a lot. Is that usually the animal that is anthropomorphized?

Not necessarily, anybody can describe any animal as having human emotions, but pets, especially dogs seem to be anthropomorphized the most.

Why is that?

Well, they are our campions. Dogs, or wolves, have been with us for hundreds of year. It's easy to describe an animal like a human if it's been a companion for that long.

What are other ways dogs can be anthropomorphized? Like dressing them up?

That's one example. Anthropomorphism goes beyond just describing a dog like a human. You can also treat it like a human by dressing it up in human outfits, feeding it people food, and overall treating it like a little furry person.

This seems like a new trend. I mean, I don't remember things like doggy daycares or crazy pet outfits until the last few years.

Well yes, doggy daycares are a new thing, but people, ladies especially, have been dressing dogs up way back in the 1800s. Their dogs had their own handkerchiefs and even little boots to wear.

What was the point of all that?

It was another status symbol of the aristocracy. It showed you had so much money to spare that you could even afford fashionable outfits for your dog.

The rest of professor Hall's comments about the consequences of anthropomorphism are in an earlier post. Check it out!

Photo Caption: Bo, the Obama's family dog is seen playing with a ball outside the white house. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)