Have you ever seriously considered a dog a friend?

[rhino56]

dogs are better friends then most people

 

[Coquito]

I considered it, but she's going senile & it gets harder & harder to pet her without getting bit.

 

[datalink7]

"We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare
and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all.
It's the best deal man has ever made"
- M. Facklam

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: Auryg
Yeah. Knowing that they'd give their life for you does a whole lot, even when they do puke on the floor

waht about knowing they will eat your remains should you croak in the kitchen and they get hungry?

I just hope I'm tasty.

 

[PeeluckyDuckee]

I had a bunny (Lulu) and as low of an intelligence as there were, there was a bond that existed there. A deal of sorts. She knows that if I massaged her body with my feet she would in return lick my toes (to clean them I think - something as a return favour?). She did bite me at times when I blocked her way. It's her way of saying "get the fack out of my way biatch!"

A fella has a dog and every time I visit he'd go hyper and then slowly calm down and then sit on my lap. When you play with him, he wouldn't bite. He knows you're no enemy or dog food. Though being animals, they can be irrational at times and bite you or go off in a rage.

(Some) kids and animals are fun to be around because they are so pure/innocent with their thoughts and actions.

And to answer your question, yes. But I do wonder if the answer is even more apparent with the more socially isolated people?

 

[sao123]

my dog is my best friend.

 

[shimsham]

Originally posted by: Looney

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: Looney

might be because i do not shat in the yard

Where else are they going to go?
BTW, my dog is potty trained to go into a litter box in the bathroom. If there was a way to make it a flush, i'm sure i could teach her how to use that as well.

? still not pulling down some pants and crapping in a toilet.

lick my own balls

They're cleaning themselves...

and i take showers.

eat cat/dog turds

If it was good once, it could be good a second time.

how many humans do you know that eat sh!t?

hump whatever i can mount, etc...etc...

I guess masturbating to a picture on a piece of paper is so much more logical.

where the hell does logic come into this?

im sure if my dog could jerk off to dog porn he would. but he cant, because hes a dog. or maybe not. hes a dog, and im a human, so i cant speak to his masturbatory habits, other than he will hump anything(or did before we chopped his nuts off).

you can pick it apart all you want, but the fact remains that dogs and people are different do not lead the same life. so, if theyre on the same level, dont you think they have figured that out by now?

Why do people need to live the same life to be on the same level?

On the one hand you say they're too dumb to go beyond their instincts so they'll eat their owners... then you say that they are intelligent enough to know the difference between humans and animals, so they'll eat a human. So which is it?

whats so confusing? im not saying if you dont feed them one day, theyre going to try and eat you the next.

they are animals. no matter how smart and sweet they are, if they get hungry enough they will take the path of least resistance to stay alive. if that means eating their dead owner, then they will. thats instinct. that in no way contradicts the fact that they are smart enough to tell difference between dogs and people.

 

[MrDudeMan]

i find that people who think dogs are incapable of friendship have more deep rooted problems than just dislike for animals. they are usually not very good friends to other people and exhibit most of the behaviors they find annoying in animals. dogs are the most trustworthy friends you can ever have. the inability of the human race to think outside of their own mind for just a second to try to understand why animals act like they do is our ultimate social downfall. we think because we are so smart compared to a dog that our opinion is more valid and surely we are more worthy beings. however, dogs have saved peoples lives when humans couldnt get the job done. what is your response to this?

if you cant be friends with an animal, it reveals a lot about your character. the only good excuse is allergies.

 

[shimsham]

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE

guess that means that LeBron James can no longer be friends with those he grew up with since they dont live the same life style.

uh, yeah. that makes sense in the context we are talking about....:roll:

 

[MrDudeMan]

Originally posted by: shimsham

whats so confusing? im not saying if you dont feed them one day, theyre going to try and eat you the next.

they are animals. no matter how smart and sweet they are, if they get hungry enough they will take the path of least resistance to stay alive. if that means eating their dead owner, then they will. thats instinct. that in no way contradicts the fact that they are smart enough to tell difference between dogs and people.

not once in my life have i heard of a domesticated dog eating a human. im sure it has happened, but people eat people sometimes too. this is an issue someone with no other good reasons to dislike dogs would bring up. its a pretty stupid arguement...if you could stop for a second and think about it you may realize that.

 

[shimsham]

Originally posted by: Bigsm00th
i find that people who think dogs are incapable of friendship have more deep rooted problems than just dislike for animals. they are usually not very good friends to other people and exhibit most of the behaviors they find annoying in animals. dogs are the most trustworthy friends you can ever have. the inability of the human race to think outside of their own mind for just a second to try to understand why animals act like they do is our ultimate social downfall. we think because we are so smart compared to a dog that our opinion is more valid and surely we are more worthy beings. however, dogs have saved peoples lives when humans couldnt get the job done. what is your response to this?

if you cant be friends with an animal, it reveals a lot about your character. the only good excuse is allergies.

i never said dogs and people couldnt be friends. i love my dogs, and consider hercules my friend. but hes not on the same level as a real human friend.

lets put it this way:

one day you go temporarily insane. you go after your dog and try to rip its throat out. what will the dog do? lay down and just let you do it, or will instinct kick in and he will defend himself by biting and clawing you?

same way with people. i love my mother, but if she tried to kill me, i would defend myself, killing her if need be. its just the instinct to survive.

dogs are awesome. loving, smart, loyal; the best domesticated animal ive ever come into contact with in any meaningful way. but, at the end of the day it is still an animal, with an instinct to survive. that has nothing to do with thinking outside of my own mind or any of that fluff. its just fact.

people that dont realize that and think "oh, my dog wouldnt hurt a soul" are the ones that dont really understand.

 

[shimsham]

Originally posted by: Bigsm00th

Originally posted by: shimsham

whats so confusing? im not saying if you dont feed them one day, theyre going to try and eat you the next.

they are animals. no matter how smart and sweet they are, if they get hungry enough they will take the path of least resistance to stay alive. if that means eating their dead owner, then they will. thats instinct. that in no way contradicts the fact that they are smart enough to tell difference between dogs and people.

not once in my life have i heard of a domesticated dog eating a human. im sure it has happened, but people eat people sometimes too. this is an issue someone with no other good reasons to dislike dogs would bring up. its a pretty stupid arguement...if you could stop for a second and think about it you may realize that.

did you even read anything ive posted? i have two dogs, love dogs, think theyre the greatest pets ever.

im not arguing "dogs will eat you!". just saying theyre dogs and will follow thier instinct to survive no matter how much they may be your bestest buddy ever...

edit: and that means that yes, i think my dog would eat my dead ass if he was hungry enough no matter how much he loves me. which is why in my first post in this thread i said "desperate enough", meaning instinct would kick in should they reach that point. ie: eat my dead body before starving to death, attacking back if i tried to kill him, etc.

 

[MrDudeMan]

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: Bigsm00th
i find that people who think dogs are incapable of friendship have more deep rooted problems than just dislike for animals. they are usually not very good friends to other people and exhibit most of the behaviors they find annoying in animals. dogs are the most trustworthy friends you can ever have. the inability of the human race to think outside of their own mind for just a second to try to understand why animals act like they do is our ultimate social downfall. we think because we are so smart compared to a dog that our opinion is more valid and surely we are more worthy beings. however, dogs have saved peoples lives when humans couldnt get the job done. what is your response to this?

if you cant be friends with an animal, it reveals a lot about your character. the only good excuse is allergies.

i never said dogs and people couldnt be friends. i love my dogs, and consider hercules my friend. but hes not on the same level as a real human friend.

lets put it this way:

one day you go temporarily insane. you go after your dog and try to rip its throat out. what will the dog do? lay down and just let you do it, or will instinct kick in and he will defend himself by biting and clawing you?

same way with people. i love my mother, but if she tried to kill me, i would defend myself, killing her if need be. its just the instinct to survive.

dogs are awesome. loving, smart, loyal; the best domesticated animal ive ever come into contact with in any meaningful way. but, at the end of the day it is still an animal, with an instinct to survive. that has nothing to do with thinking outside of my own mind or any of that fluff. its just fact.

people that dont realize that and think "oh, my dog wouldnt hurt a soul" are the ones that dont really understand.

you are preaching to the wrong guy. my dog bit my face and i needed plastic surgery and over 70 stitches. i still love him though. he was freaked out and didnt know what was going on when he bit me, and as soon as he realized it was me he let go and laid down at my feet wimpering. i scared the sh!t out of him when he was asleep, so it was my fault. i fully realize how dangerous their instincts can be.

while i agree with you that animals will revert to instincts in some situations, i do not agree that most domesticatd dogs will eat their owners. dogs are capable of feelings and that much should be obvious. some dogs starve themselves when their owners are gone or hurt because they miss them or are scared. i dont even think i know any people that love people that much.

basically what im saying is i see your point and i understand where you are taking your arguement but i just dont agree it is even in the realm of possibility with most dogs. they are mans best friend and, with the exception of the rotten few (every species has them, no way to avoid it), they live up the the hype.

 

[Zanix]

Originally posted by: shimsham

i never said dogs and people couldnt be friends. i love my dogs, and consider hercules my friend. but hes not on the same level as a real human friend.

lets put it this way:

one day you go temporarily insane. you go after your dog and try to rip its throat out. what will the dog do? lay down and just let you do it, or will instinct kick in and he will defend himself by biting and clawing you?

same way with people. i love my mother, but if she tried to kill me, i would defend myself, killing her if need be. its just the instinct to survive.

dogs are awesome. loving, smart, loyal; the best domesticated animal ive ever come into contact with in any meaningful way. but, at the end of the day it is still an animal, with an instinct to survive. that has nothing to do with thinking outside of my own mind or any of that fluff. its just fact.

people that dont realize that and think "oh, my dog wouldnt hurt a soul" are the ones that dont really understand.

I still don't see the difference you're making between the friendship a person has with another person and the friendship a person has with a dog. A dog would defend itself to the death, as you would against your own mother. Just as a dog would eat you if it had to, as people would do if they had to. (Remember the movie "Alive")

I'm not sure dogs have as wide a range of emotions as humans do, but I don't see how that would nesassarily mean our friendships with them are on "lower" levels. I actually doubt people build that many bonds with other people that are stronger than that human/dog bond. I don't know...

Please explain what you mean.

 

[Ronstang]

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: George P Burdell
When it comes to loyalty, I'd put a dog ahead of many humans I know personally.

let those humans depend on you for food, and your opinion may change.

Not hardly. I guess you missed the whole thing in New Orleans which was a perfect example of the failure of the liberal policy of handing people everything. Dogs are superior to people in a lot of ways.

 

[shimsham]

Originally posted by: Zanix

Originally posted by: shimsham

i never said dogs and people couldnt be friends. i love my dogs, and consider hercules my friend. but hes not on the same level as a real human friend.

lets put it this way:

one day you go temporarily insane. you go after your dog and try to rip its throat out. what will the dog do? lay down and just let you do it, or will instinct kick in and he will defend himself by biting and clawing you?

same way with people. i love my mother, but if she tried to kill me, i would defend myself, killing her if need be. its just the instinct to survive.

dogs are awesome. loving, smart, loyal; the best domesticated animal ive ever come into contact with in any meaningful way. but, at the end of the day it is still an animal, with an instinct to survive. that has nothing to do with thinking outside of my own mind or any of that fluff. its just fact.

people that dont realize that and think "oh, my dog wouldnt hurt a soul" are the ones that dont really understand.

I still don't see the difference you're making between the friendship a person has with another person and the friendship a person has with a dog. A dog would defend itself to the death, as you would against your own mother. Just as a dog would eat you if it had to, as people would do if they had to. (Remember the movie "Alive")

I'm not sure dogs have as wide a range of emotions as humans do, but I don't see how that would nesassarily mean our friendships with them are on "lower" levels. I actually doubt people build that many bonds with other people that are stronger than that human/dog bond. I don't know...

Please explain what you mean.

i said it in my first post. "as much as two different species can be friends". meaning 2 dogs have a different level of friendship than 2 humans.

me and my buddies sit around and talk about the universe. 2 dogs lick each others butts. i cant sit and have a conversation with my dog about the universe. well, i have actually, but he didnt have much to say on the matter.

the instinct and eating stuff came about from me making the comment about my dog eating or attacking me. others said a dog wouldnt do that, so i used those lame examples to show try and explain what i was saying. yes, i would eat a corpse if that was the only way i could survive, just as my dog would. but that speaks to instinct more than friendship.

 

[Zanix]

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: Zanix

Originally posted by: shimsham

i never said dogs and people couldnt be friends. i love my dogs, and consider hercules my friend. but hes not on the same level as a real human friend.

lets put it this way:

one day you go temporarily insane. you go after your dog and try to rip its throat out. what will the dog do? lay down and just let you do it, or will instinct kick in and he will defend himself by biting and clawing you?

same way with people. i love my mother, but if she tried to kill me, i would defend myself, killing her if need be. its just the instinct to survive.

dogs are awesome. loving, smart, loyal; the best domesticated animal ive ever come into contact with in any meaningful way. but, at the end of the day it is still an animal, with an instinct to survive. that has nothing to do with thinking outside of my own mind or any of that fluff. its just fact.

people that dont realize that and think "oh, my dog wouldnt hurt a soul" are the ones that dont really understand.

I still don't see the difference you're making between the friendship a person has with another person and the friendship a person has with a dog. A dog would defend itself to the death, as you would against your own mother. Just as a dog would eat you if it had to, as people would do if they had to. (Remember the movie "Alive")

I'm not sure dogs have as wide a range of emotions as humans do, but I don't see how that would nesassarily mean our friendships with them are on "lower" levels. I actually doubt people build that many bonds with other people that are stronger than that human/dog bond. I don't know...

Please explain what you mean.

i said it in my first post. "as much as two different species can be friends". meaning 2 dogs have a different level of friendship than 2 humans.

me and my buddies sit around and talk about the universe. 2 dogs lick each others butts. i cant sit and have a conversation with my dog about the universe. well, i have actually, but he didnt have much to say on the matter.

the instinct and eating stuff came about from me making the comment about my dog eating or attacking me. others said a dog wouldnt do that, so i used those lame examples to show try and explain what i was saying. yes, i would eat a corpse if that was the only way i could survive, just as my dog would. but that speaks to instinct more than friendship.

So you're saying it's the depth of communication that makes the human/human friendship more than the human/dog?

You can't deeply empathize with a dog, or vice versa. Is that it?

 

[Brutuskend]

My dog Brutus is my best friend.

But then I'm a asshole so....

 

[shimsham]

Originally posted by: Zanix

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: Zanix

Originally posted by: shimsham

i never said dogs and people couldnt be friends. i love my dogs, and consider hercules my friend. but hes not on the same level as a real human friend.

lets put it this way:

one day you go temporarily insane. you go after your dog and try to rip its throat out. what will the dog do? lay down and just let you do it, or will instinct kick in and he will defend himself by biting and clawing you?

same way with people. i love my mother, but if she tried to kill me, i would defend myself, killing her if need be. its just the instinct to survive.

dogs are awesome. loving, smart, loyal; the best domesticated animal ive ever come into contact with in any meaningful way. but, at the end of the day it is still an animal, with an instinct to survive. that has nothing to do with thinking outside of my own mind or any of that fluff. its just fact.

people that dont realize that and think "oh, my dog wouldnt hurt a soul" are the ones that dont really understand.

I still don't see the difference you're making between the friendship a person has with another person and the friendship a person has with a dog. A dog would defend itself to the death, as you would against your own mother. Just as a dog would eat you if it had to, as people would do if they had to. (Remember the movie "Alive")

I'm not sure dogs have as wide a range of emotions as humans do, but I don't see how that would nesassarily mean our friendships with them are on "lower" levels. I actually doubt people build that many bonds with other people that are stronger than that human/dog bond. I don't know...

Please explain what you mean.

i said it in my first post. "as much as two different species can be friends". meaning 2 dogs have a different level of friendship than 2 humans.

me and my buddies sit around and talk about the universe. 2 dogs lick each others butts. i cant sit and have a conversation with my dog about the universe. well, i have actually, but he didnt have much to say on the matter.

the instinct and eating stuff came about from me making the comment about my dog eating or attacking me. others said a dog wouldnt do that, so i used those lame examples to show try and explain what i was saying. yes, i would eat a corpse if that was the only way i could survive, just as my dog would. but that speaks to instinct more than friendship.

So you're saying it's the depth of communication that makes the human/human friendship more than the human/dog?

You can't deeply empathize with a dog, or vice versa. Is that it?

yeah pretty much. if i lose my job and hit skid row, my buddies can empathize by giving me support and help. my dog would notice something is wrong and try to comfort me, but still wouldnt understand the situation or know why.

 

[shimsham]

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
My dog Brutus is my best friend.

But then I'm a asshole so....

i refuse to believe that.

 

[NFS4]

My dog Buttons is my "sister."

When I call home, my mom will say "Brother is on the phone" and she goes crazy!

 

[meltdown75]

my dog Toby was a friend of mine.

RIP buddy

 

[Al Neri]

fred's considered my brother in the family

here's some proof

 

[MrDudeMan]

Originally posted by: shimsham

yeah pretty much. if i lose my job and hit skid row, my buddies can empathize by giving me support and help. my dog would notice something is wrong and try to comfort me, but still wouldnt understand the situation or know why.

so what you are saying is only people that can offer you things are considered a true friend? the dog is comforting you to the best of its ability. that is what friends do. they do the best they can to help you out.

do you think you really understand what your friends are going through when you comfort them and support them after an event? no, you dont. your worldview is much different than theirs, and guess what stems from worldview? values, and from values comes institutions (such as family, friends, etc.) and from institutions comes behavior. so if you claim you understand exactly what someone else is going through so much that you are now truely friends and can totally relate, you are wrong. your dog has a worldview just like you and me, but his is more simple. the only thing in his worldview is food, safety, and love. dogs act out of love and it clearly shows.

if i had to pick a dog over a random person for a companion to shoot the breeze with, i would have to consider the dog. it doesnt matter if they can talk about non-linear amplifiers and silicon doping. they can still exhibit behaviors similar to humans in times of need, happiness, sadness, or whatever else since they have the ability to sense tone and emotion. a dog knows when you are happy or sad, yelling or quiet and will respond accordingly.

no, i dont put dogs on the same level as humans in terms of importance, but saying they are less of friends just because they arent human is flat out wrong. if your dog could speak english, would that change anything? your dog would never stab you in the back to gain personal satisfaction, but i see humans do that all the time.

 

[acemcmac]

no, they annoy me.