Althouse: Where's the line between pet costume...

October 31, 2011

Where's the line between pet costume...

... and tormenting an animal?

35 comments:

Petunia said...: The dog doesn't look too upset, but I'm wondering why the person walking him looks so miserable.

I have a miniature dachshund. I was going to try to come up with something clever for him but have decided to accept the inevitable and dress him as a hot dog.; 10/31/11, 1:41 PM
Scott M said...: Tank Chihuaha - proof that short-man's syndrome exists in the animal kingdom. As far as the atrocity of it all, I think th burden of proof falls on those that claim the dog DOESN'T want to look awesome.; 10/31/11, 1:42 PM
Robert said...: If you were wearing what that chick is wearing and were figuring out that you were being filmed and it was going to go viral, you would be miserable, too.; 10/31/11, 1:43 PM
Robert said...: Hot dog is way too simple. Dachshunds have a body quite amenable to simple construction of a costume making them look like a spermatozoon.; 10/31/11, 1:44 PM
Anonymous said...: You should warn people that goes to an Andrew Sullivan link. He's dropped so far off my radar I didn't even know (or remember) that he's at the wretched Daily Beast now, not The Atlantic.

As to the topic of this post, the same question could be asked regarding infants and toddlers.; 10/31/11, 1:48 PM
Chip S. said...: The "costume" is nothing unless the toy cannon can fire a couple of rounds.; 10/31/11, 1:54 PM
Robert said...: At least Sully now has a topic that better suits his intellect.

Is it possible to create Down syndrome afterbirth costume, I wonder.; 10/31/11, 1:58 PM
Joaquin said...: The 'Yo quiero Taco Bell' pooch doesn't seem that upset. I'll never get why people do that to their dogs. I mean, why???; 10/31/11, 1:58 PM
bagoh20 said...: Eisenhower warned us this would happen.; 10/31/11, 2:01 PM
Chip S. said...: The chick should've dressed like Patton.; 10/31/11, 2:04 PM
Chip S. said...: Eisenhower warned us this would happen.

Is it the dog or the woman who's got a military-industrial complex?; 10/31/11, 2:05 PM
ooonaughtykitty said...: Aw.. he looks cute. I saw that a few days ago.

I dressed my pup as 'Predator' one year. Hilarious!; 10/31/11, 2:07 PM
Beta Rube said...: They could both use a sandwich.; 10/31/11, 2:13 PM
David said...: The runner up dog was certainly tormented. Humiliation is torment. Bite 'em, doggie, when they take the bridle off.; 10/31/11, 2:20 PM
Sal said...: The dog was surely humiliated, but being occasionally humiliated by your "mom" is normal and doesn't reach the cruelty threshold.; 10/31/11, 2:21 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: It's an awesome pet costume. Hope it's only for a minute.; 10/31/11, 2:30 PM
edutcher said...: I don't think embarrassment counts.; 10/31/11, 2:44 PM
Zachary Sire said...: Just flagged the video as "violent or repulsive content > animal abuse." Disgusting and cruel, and I hope that tweeked out bitch in the video goes to prison.; 10/31/11, 3:06 PM
ndspinelli said...: I don't like Sully. The dog owner looks like an anorexic, needy girlfriend in had in college. I love dogs, but that's a rat. All that said, the dog looks just fine and I'm sure he's well taken care of..probably overindulged.; 10/31/11, 3:07 PM
CachorroQuente said...: No, it's not animal cruelty or canine "tormentation." What it is is getting a dog to do something for a human's entertainment that a dog would not normally do. It's no different from normal obedience training or otherwise teaching a dog simple tricks. It's not any more tormenting than is showing a dog for either conformation or obedience.

Now, there are those who, for one reason or another, believe that subjugating pets to the will of their owners is always some sort of cruelty, but those people are idiots and there is no reason for normal people to show them any regard.; 10/31/11, 3:10 PM
Toad Trend said...: Apparently there are plenty of people that don't know where the line is.

Funny.; 10/31/11, 3:12 PM
Anonymous said...: There is no line.

Ask me in person, and I may hem and haw to spare your feelings, but it is my anonymous internet opinion that dressing up your pet is an asshole thing to do.; 10/31/11, 3:16 PM
Kurt said...: For me there was a moment of torment when I realized I had clicked over to an Andrew Sullivan link.

Although I suppose there are some dogs that don't mind wearing costumes, I hate the whole idea of costumes for pets quite a bit. Costumes for infants and babies aren't any better in my book.

wv: inisianc--for a minute there I thought it said "insaniac"; 10/31/11, 3:32 PM
CachorroQuente said...: The question is not whether it is an asshole thing to do; the question is whether the dog is being tormented or whether this is abuse.

The dog has no idea that it is being dressed-up. Nor does the dog feel humiliated. All the dog understands is that it is doing something that its owner asks it, and encourages it, to do. There may be cruelty or tormenting involved in that encouragement, but it's not evident in the video.

Here's a site with photos of Great Pyrenees dogs pulling a cart. Is this abuse? Are these dogs being tormented? From a dog's perspective, what's the difference between pulling a cart for the entertainment of the dogs' owners or being paraded around dressed as a tank?

The difference is not that Pyrenees dogs have been bred for cart pulling, because that's not true. They were bred for loyalty, trainability, and courage (and also for targeted aggressiveness) -- their ability to be trained to pull carts is just a side affect.; 10/31/11, 3:39 PM
Anonymous said...: The question is not whether it is an asshole thing to do; the question is whether the dog is being tormented or whether this is abuse.

Oh, I don't pretend that's not the question. Still: asshole thing to do.; 10/31/11, 3:59 PM
Audie Murphys Mom said...: "Where's the line between pet costume and tormenting an animal?"

I don't know where the line is but Mitro=Alli's avatar is over that line.; 10/31/11, 4:03 PM
Moose said...: Sully obsesses about dogs due to his lack of human children. Makes these pictures predictable...; 10/31/11, 4:50 PM
KCFleming said...: It's only torment because this is the same costume as last year and she had promised promised promised he would be a Jed-I and he already told all his friends but noooo it's the stupid tank again which can only be awesome once.; 10/31/11, 5:06 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "Sully obsesses about dogs due to his lack of human children."

He doesn't raise the question whether the animal is abused, so I wouldn't count him as "obsessing" about dogs.; 10/31/11, 5:50 PM
Anonymous said...: When the animal is wimpering or exhibits signs of stress. Neither of which appears in subject dog.; 10/31/11, 6:02 PM
Jason (the commenter) said...: At least the dog isn't being carried around in a purse, then given away when its owner becomes bored.; 10/31/11, 6:15 PM
Joe said...: Having a dog at all is torment enough.; 10/31/11, 6:21 PM
Hoosier Daddy said...: Just flagged the video as "violent or repulsive content > animal abuse." Disgusting and cruel, and I hope that tweeked out bitch in the video goes to prison.

There is something wrong with you.

Seriously.; 10/31/11, 7:02 PM
Anonymous said...: Trooper York aka Audie's Mom, what a sore loser you are, still mad that Athouse deleted all those comments of yours almost a month ago?

You haven't been back here as Trooper York since.Now you show up as Audie's Mom. LOL, what a pathetic coward. So funny that Chip S called you Trooper on your blog Audie's Mom, man that was good for a laugh, thanks.; 11/1/11, 1:13 AM
michaele said...: Dogs are tough...even (sometimes especially) little ones. This doesn't set off alarm bells.; 11/1/11, 8:23 AM