Annoying Things People Do To/With Your Pet(s)

[Spotted.Newt]

Urarghuraghragh.
So, I have a black lab. She is 6 years old, and lives with my aunt at the moment because my apartment doesn't allow pets. Actually, she has lived with my aunt for three years now. We see them a lot, so it isn't too much of a problem. Plus, my parents work and I have school so she would be left alone all day. My aunt is home all the time, so it is overall better in that sense for her.

But my aunt doesn't know anything about training, or rewards.

I trained my dog when she was young, and I continue to train her to do new tricks, etc. Training stimulates the brain, is enjoyable for the dog, is a way for the owner and dog to bond, and is overall healthy for the dog. My aunt doesn't understand training at all. I'll be training my dog, and I make her actually work for her treats. If I'm working on 'stay' (which she is particularly bad at) I make her wait until I give a release command. Then I have her come over to me, and I reward her. If she gets up before I release her, she has to try again.
"Aww, don't make her wait so long. That's so mean to her."
Yes, making her wait 30 seconds is mean (not).
"Why doesn't she get a great? She tried."
No, if she moves before I release, NO TREAT. This teaches bad behavior, and is the exact opposite of teaching her to stay.
Or I will be working on what I call 'army crawl' where she crawls across the ground on her belly.
"Doesn't that hurt her belly?!? You shouldn't make her do that!"
No, it doesn't hurt her belly. She's crawling on grass, for Pete's sake! It's not like she's crawling across sharp rocks.
Or I will have just started my training session, and my aunt will say something like "don't make her work for too long! She will get tired! And don't feed her too much!"
She has more energy than any dog I've ever seen. I always keep training session 10 min or less. I don't think that's a problem. Are you seriously worried about ME giving her too many treats? Let me tell you what my aunt does:
After breakfast: three treats
Before meds: treat
Meds: in a treat
After meds: treat
(Meds are given to her twice a day)
After lunch: three treat
After dinner: three treats
After going out to use the bathroom: treat
After a walk: treat
Before bed: treat

Are you kidding me?!? The dog doesn't need that many treats!!! My aunt's excuse is that her elderly dog gets treats at all these times (except her dog doesn't take meds) so my dog needs them to. Because it has to be equal. Her dog often doesn't eat much, so the treats are a necessary incentive. Well, i dont consider them necessary, but the dog does tend to finish her meal if there is a treat after. My dog will eat anything, anytime, anywhere. She's a LABRADOR RETRIEVER. It's what they do.
Now, my Aunts dog died last year. But the treats continue. Why? Because "I can't just stop giving her treats! It's what I've done for the past two years!"
My aunt also thinks that since my dog gets fruits/veggies for treats, its ok to give her a million of them. Because they are 'healthy.'
My aunt just doesn't know enough about dogs... And when I try to explain or ask her to do something different, she gets really mad and defensive.

[Starwood in Aspen]

When people tell the dogs "No" But don't enforce it... Like saying "No" To jumping on your lap, then 20 minutes later letting the dog up on his lap. or with my pett chickens, asking why I keep chickens as pets... Um hello, they are pets who also give you breakfast with eggs.

[Kalrine]

My ball pythons, Cleo and Bee, are my favorite pets of the house (right next to my little dog, who is totally cool with the snakes). I've owned snakes since I was in 2nd grade, and the never-ending crazy questions keep coming.

I like to bring either Cleo or Bee with me whenever I can, anywhere I can (of course, not before, on, or after feeding days; winter is also not included). Visits to Petco for supplies, I bring them. The bank, Safeway, Walgreens, I'll bring them; by now, most people at those stores know both of my snakes and are fine with me bringing them (except McDonald's, I'm not allowed there ._. ).

But there are still those people.

When holding either:
"Isn't she poisonous?!"
"Ewwww, aren't they slimy?"
" Won't he strangle you?!" (They ask this even when I'm holding Bee, who is current TINY (200 grams, he can fit in the palm of your hand easy).)
"Will she bite me?!"

No, lady, I'm pretty sure nobody in their right mind would take a poisonous, aggressive, killer snake to the post office.

Then there was this one person who said, "Oh my god, does it eat rats? My daughter used to have one of those things and she kept feeding it rats; I kept telling her the snake shouldn't eat that, but she kept feeding it rats!"

Really. WHY.

[renki]

I would have to say people who ask for my advice but never follow through with it.
Example I was at a friends house and the mother-in-law let out her poms and a sheet of plywood fell right on top of the dog. Well the mother-in-law picked up the screaming pom and the border collie tried jumping up and snapping at the dog. Prey drive, hello! Well, with no collars being on the dogs I had no real way to grab the dog but to grab its hind legs to keep it from biting the mother-in-law or the screaming dog in her arms. In turn the dog flipped and tried to bite me, which turned out very bad for the dog. As everyone who knows me, I dont handle attempts to bite very well. Needless to say they had asked me what to do about it, if they should give the dog away. They have two border collies and I have tried to help them countless times on how to live with a border collie. They say the two dont do well together but I have dog sat for them before and they worked really well with each other. When I first got there the way to let them out back was quickly turn the knob and let go before the slammed into the door to be released. If you didnt let go fast enough you would end up almost falling and have your feet trampled. I was able to train them and the golden retriever together at once to sit, wait until the door is all the way open, let me step back and give the release word before going out the door. They claimed they did it, but those dogs had no manners when I walked in. There have been a few out breaks in dog fights and one got so bad that one of them bit someone. Their idea of fixing things is just re-home one of the dogs, when a simple things like collars and talking them for a bike ride or walk would do.

[kierran.]

When people treat my guinea pig like a dog -_- She does not play rough like your dog does, if you ruffle her face like that she will bite you.

[косатка]

My ball pythons, Cleo and Bee, are my favorite pets of the house (right next to my little dog, who is totally cool with the snakes). I've owned snakes since I was in 2nd grade, and the never-ending crazy questions keep coming.

I like to bring either Cleo or Bee with me whenever I can, anywhere I can (of course, not before, on, or after feeding days; winter is also not included). Visits to Petco for supplies, I bring them. The bank, Safeway, Walgreens, I'll bring them; by now, most people at those stores know both of my snakes and are fine with me bringing them (except McDonald's, I'm not allowed there ._. ).

But there are still those people.

When holding either:
"Isn't she poisonous?!"
"Ewwww, aren't they slimy?"
" Won't he strangle you?!" (They ask this even when I'm holding Bee, who is current TINY (200 grams, he can fit in the palm of your hand easy).)
"Will she bite me?!"

No, lady, I'm pretty sure nobody in their right mind would take a poisonous, aggressive, killer snake to the post office.

Then there was this one person who said, "Oh my god, does it eat rats? My daughter used to have one of those things and she kept feeding it rats; I kept telling her the snake shouldn't eat that, but she kept feeding it rats!"

Really. WHY.

i have had my snake for only about 3 months now and i am already getting stupid questions like that!
my mom doesn't like me bringing my ball python anywhere because she is worried that some crazy may think he's evil or something and try to kill him. i've already told a few people about him and one said something like this... "if i saw that thing around me, i'd shoot it." well let me tell ya... if he ever did kill my precious baby, it wouldn't turn out so great for him. but i did get to bring my python somewhere once. i brought him to petco and a convenience store. the two ladies at the convenience store screamed and ran immediately when they saw him... they were freaking out or nothing... NOTHING! but petco was much better. some guy wanted to hold him and called him pretty. (he really is gorgeous. he is a white diamond aka super russo/russo leucistic, which is completely white except for the yellow line down his back.)

oh and another thing that bothers me... "is is poisonous?" SNAKES AREN'T POISONOUS! THEY ARE VENOMOUS! and no. pythons aren't venomous. i mean i knew pythons weren't venomous when i was in 1st grade! and at that time i had no interest i snakes! -_-

[scuttlefish]

I've pet a corn snake- a person brought him to school to show us. Most people didn't scream, but I bet many people in they're minds were freaking out.

[Grimace]

For having 20 snakes, I somehow have never encountered those kind of people. I think I choose friends well or something.

Everyone does seem to immediately assume the anaconda is illegal though for some reason.

[косатка]

For having 20 snakes, I somehow have never encountered those kind of people. I think I choose friends well or something.

Everyone does seem to immediately assume the anaconda is illegal though for some reason.

the person i got my ball python from had two green anacondas, but i've heard that the yellow anaconda is on the lacy act along with burmese and rock pythons...?
i've never heard of any animal that is completely illegal. just some that require a license or something.
and apparently, some kid at my school has a neighbor that has a zebra...

[косатка]

We have a baby a baby ball python named Lucy in our AP Bio class. I took her out to hold her and then other people got to and so on. Then there was this one girl, who is obviously afraid of snakes, who wanted to hold her for a picture. I handed Lucy to her and her arms were shaking so much that Lucy was literally bouncing. When the photo was done the girl said "okay take her away from me now" in a shaky voice and practically threw Lucy at me. If you are so afraid of an animal then why are you holding it? And if you're so worried you're going to get bit then maybe you shouldn't toss her like she's a toy.

well, that is a good way for her to try and get over her fear of snakes. i have a fear of wasp and i flip out whenever i see one even though i know they probably won't bother me. so i find that it is good she got to hold her. i don't like that she threw her at you though....

when i first held a snake, i was also trembling... and i wasn't actually afraid of snakes. i don't even know why i was freaking out. held the snake for like ten second then immediately gave the snake back to the owner. but i got to hold more and eventually i began to enjoy handling them.