"It really is terrible to live with a dog.... You just can't live and work in a house that has a dog. 'Cause the trouble is: I have too much empathy...."
He says he goes on vacation to get away from his house — which is a burden — and his dog — who is always needy and who is his prisoner. "Every moment I'm not playing with her, she's in jail."
"It's horrible having a dog. I so don't recommend it."
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54 comments:
Strange coming from a man with, reportedly, an IQ of 186
John LGBTQ+ Henry
I don't know why, but I never would've suspected Scott was a 'dog guy'.
He always struck me as an emotional support alligator type dude.
People who feel and understand this have cats. Dogs are wonderful - they do truly really love you, and the cats are just transactional. Then they are really emotionally needy if THAT'S YOUR DOG and they just don't live very long. Losing them is harder. Cats are just easier.
If I was a better person, I'd live with my dog. Instead, I live with my cat.
My brother realized this and got a couple kittens. They are just now starting to bring him mice. Soon, he will be able to leave on trips and not worry about his pets getting depressed in his absence.
We've had kids and grandkids. That's enough companion and emotional support animals for us. We did have a gecko once. The wife changed the type of sand and the lizard died of bowel impaction. I still can't say the gecko's name for fear of bringing the wife to tears.
people KEEP telling gilbar to get a dog. i ask them what i would be supposed to do with it,
i'm gone for about a week a month, out fishing. They say: "Oh you could get someone to stop in and feed it.. And i say, i don't hate dogs enough to do that.
Dogs love being petted
Dogs love going for walks
Dogs love playing
What does YOUR dog do, for the other 20 hours a day?
Just wait till the dog gets really old.
Pets are addicted to dopamine the same way humans are.
They go through the same cycles humans do. Eventually they get to the point where even constant exposure to the stimulant does not produce dopamine.
Throwing the tennis ball for your dog can become the same thing as sugar or alcohol or cocaine.
Scott Adams doesn't have empathy for his dog. Notice that all of the problems the dog causes are for him. Playing with the dog is his sacrifice. But he turned this into some sort of noble effort on his part.
This is standard Jesus complex.
The dog is not the one that needs to become more self aware in this instance.
I had a similar discussion with my wife. Having had a dog (and other pets), and knowing her, I was fairly sure that she liked the *idea* of having a dog much more than actually having (i.e. being responsible for) a dog.
We got a dog anyway.
Man with too much empathy goes on vacation to get away from others. I was pretty sure Adams didn't have children, but I had to check if he was even married. He's been married twice, but not for long.
I love dogs, but don't have one and won't get one for exactly the reason explained by Adams. The idea that Adams has a Jesus complex because he plays with his dog out of obligation rather than preference is risible.
I love dogs so much that I couldn’t have one. I spent a few quality hours with my grand dog last night, and it was tough to leave. I took about ten pictures of her and started looking at them first thing this morning. And she ate almost half of my grilled salmon. lol
Be down wit OPD.
Jeez. Clearly had no children if he thinks a dog is too much. I notice that it is the childless who tend to over empathize with pets.
I lay it all out here on a regular basis. You can do your living room psychological study on me and our dog. But it is what it is.
I get where Scott Adams is coming from. We love our dog and she's a great dog. A Lucas Terrier. Look them up if you need. We hadn't heard of them. She kinda fell into our lap. No one knows much about them. What they knew 13 years ago was wrong. We read that they don't bark much. Hell, our dog is always talking and barks at anything outside. The neighbors (all 5 of them) love her and have her over regularly. But of course, we have to bring her over there. She's taken to getting up at 5:30 am, which is fine if you work on Althouse's schedule, but I don't. I'd be fine with 6:30, but that 1 hour difference leaves me in a fog every day.
Then there's my work. It's hard to write, research, or do much of anything when the dog is at my side talking to me, making noises, and generally blowing my concentration until I take her out for her 6th or 7th walk or sniff session around the yard or cul-de-sac. Then there's the Holy Hell excitement of the UPS guy coming up the walk who, by the way, she has trained to leave a dog snack with the package. She even got invited up into the UPS guy's truck on day. She's never forgotten it. And don't ask me how I know. You can see her reaction when she sees the truck.
There's the food obsession. I've never seen a dog so obsessed with food as our dog is. There's only about 90 or so Lucas Terriers in the US, and they have a small organization that has occasional zoom meetings with other owners. I found out in the last meeting that all of them have huge appetites. They're not big dogs. She's not huge- 18-19 lbs. But she eats like a linebacker. Seemingly always hungry, even though very well fed. She's at my side now, as I am eating a bowl of cereal. She's awaiting the bottom of the bowl milk. Which, I confess, I started giving her for some reason. Maybe she insisted? Maybe I thought I heard her ask for it? Like Scott Adams, I/we have too much empathy for this dog and her time, her health, etc.
Anyway...she's a healthy 13 years old. Our vet cannot believe how energetic and well muscled she is. I suggest that we would all be that way if we could sleep when we want, have a bountiful social life, get plenty of exercise, and eat well. But with her in our lives, we don't do much of any of that. When we go out, we have to be mindful of how long we're away (for pee purposes). When we go on a trip...Dog Sitter or have someone stay at our house with her. Expensive stuff.
I love her, but I'm exhausted from our dog. She's a hoot much of the time, but I'll tell you- when the time comes for her to lay down, I think we're done with pets. And frankly, I'm beginning to think she'll outlive me anyway. I hope she finds another person as zeroed in on her daily routines as I have been. But honestly, I think any of our 5 neighbors or the UPS guy would be fine taking her on when I drop.
I have a dog, a golden retriever. He's great. I walk him every day, rain or shine. All the neighbors love him. I also work from home, so he gets a lot of attention.
The only thing that sucks is vacations. I have to board him at a kennel, and he always develops some nervous tick while I'm away, like licking a spot too much.
But the positives far outweigh any negatives.
We have two small dogs. I love them both and the companionship they provide is immeasurable. But I constantly tell my wife that when they finally pass away I will enjoy NOT having a dog. She finds that heartless. I find it practical.
Get a second dog. They play with each other and keep each other company. Adams has a mini Aussie. Aussies love other Aussies.
"I go on vacation to escape my possessions."
Kinda true. Why it's so hard to pack light.
My cat is laying on my feet right now trying to get attention. She is going to lay down somewhere, might as well be where she gets some pets right?
She got some pets. I am going for a run. She will be on the couch when I get back.
I have cats. I have more freedom than dog owners do. I love dogs, I just don't relish taking them out to pee in snowstorms, or in the pouring rain.
Mike Petrik said...
I love dogs, but don't have one and won't get one for exactly the reason explained by Adams. The idea that Adams has a Jesus complex because he plays with his dog out of obligation rather than preference is risible
I love dogs too and second this. If your lifestyle isn’t built for a dog’s routine and compulsive nature they can get so miserable. Also, look how quickly and casually people infer an equivalence of children and dogs. I suppose your lifestyle is best for a dog when you also have young kids in the house, but the comparison is just weird and bit creepy…
We've done that thing of befriending neighbor's dogs, then taking them for extra walks, etc.
But I know if we had our own dog, it would transform my behavior around the house. I would become a person who talks to the dog all the time, narrating pointlessly, asking phony questions that the dog won't answer. I would feel responsible to it all the time. If it's bored, it's my obligation. If it's needy, I must sympathize and problem-solve. The selfish reward is: you have a companion that will always completely and unquestionably love you. I would be taking that at the expense of the real creature, and I would feel endlessly obligated.
Dogs are a responsibility--if you travel a lot or are aren't interested in taking care of them, you shouldn't get one. But this is a bit over the top. Your dog doesn't need you to be playing with it all the time. Sometimes, yes. But most of the time, it's happy to simply be in the same room with you.
"... you have a companion that will always completely and unquestionably love you. I would be taking that...."
The thing taken has different value for different people. I'm sure, for many people, "a companion that will always completely and unquestionably love you" sound immensely valuable. I don't see it that way. I put a high value on freedom and interestingness. A person — the right person! — is independent and interesting.
Chest Rockwell said...I have a dog, a golden retriever. He's great. [snip] The only thing that sucks is vacations. I have to board him at a kennel, and he always develops some nervous tick while I'm away, like licking a spot too much.
Chances are, you can board him at someone's house. When you find the person you like and trust and you use them multiple times, it becomes the dog's home away from home. We're fortunate that we board our dog with a friend of my daughter. He gets excited when we come home, but really, while we're gone, I don't think he misses us at all. He loves it there.
Make America Great Again
https://poets.org/poem/power-dog
We’ve sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we’ve kept ’em, the more do we grieve:
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long—
So why in—Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?
I recently had to watch a dog for a week. I love dogs. It was fine and not a problem.
For a week.
We have had two dogs in succession of the same breed.
Both smart and sweet and empathetic...fine examples of their species.
But the current dog is 11-ish, and when she goes to the big backyard in the sky, I won't want another.
First, I'm not going to find a better dog...she has been great.
Second, I am at the age where I want to travel without worrying about her (I won't put her in a kennel).
Picking up dog crap for 25 years is enough...
I will watch friends' dogs.
I don't get the desire to have a dog, or any other animal, as a pet and never have. Just before I started graduate school, my mother bought her first house dog, and my two youngest sisters got their first dogs just about a year later. Of course, it was my father who ended up feeding, bathing, and taking the dogs out to do their business pretty much 100% of the time. My elderly mother has dropped hints over the last few years that she would like another lap dog, but I have ignored the hints. When the present cat is gone, I won't be replacing it either since I am the one who cares for the present one.
My brother - now 66 years of age - told his wife a year ago that their dog at that time would have to be the last, as he was tired of spending thousands on vet bills. When he told me about this, I told him I’d believe it when I saw it.
They had to put that dog down 7 months later. When I saw the inevitable pic of a rescue dog on their social media, I immediately phoned him and cursed him out for his weakness.
We have two, rescues that we picked up very early at 5 weeks. Littermates and mostly Aussie shepherd. Very smart, lots of energy. They live for the walks through the woods, which thankfully are at our back door. They're a joy to have, but it must be recognized as a lifetime commitment up front, or you shouldn't do it. Sounds like Scott Adams shouldn't have done it, or maybe he's just slipped into his 'witty & droll' schtick, which nobody else thinks is either one. I haven't listened to him in a long time, because I couldn't stand hearing 5 minutes of great insightful content jammed into a one-hour-plus sack of drivel.
To love is to be bound. To be independent is to be unloved.
dogs - cats - opinion
Disclaimer:
I've had dogs my entire life, probably ten or so in all (several times it was multiples). My favorite time was with three at my farm.
Life spans:
dog - avg 10-13yr;
My last 95lb dog lived 17, my current is 10 and still an idiot teen Jack Russel (up to 20).
cat - avg 12-15yr
I've had cats but they don't seem capable of understanding "yard" and so typically got run down. This goes hand in hand with cats' inabilities to understand commands. Or give a damn about them.
That's in the city. My spouse insisted on cats at the farm but they simply became coyote snacks. That dream eventually dropped.
Almost all my dogs were capable of this understanding and only one got hit. None at the farm as they always hung out together and my big one actually enjoyed fighting coyotes.
Total love and attention given to owner:
dog - avg 10-13yr
A dog will lay at the side of its dead owner and grieve.
cat - lucky for 2
A cat will play with the toe tag.
Both animals are intelligent and emotional with the dogs more inclined to be like us. They normally don't care for each other but will on occasion become friends and cooperate.
When we had parties, we'd lock my spouse's cat and my 95lb dog in a back room. They would always escape.
We finally found out that Sam (dog) would mouth the round doorknob and turn it while Malonie pulled the door inward at the bottom.
After that, they were simply allowed at the parties.
This post was delivered at request of my dog. Unlike Snoopy, he doesn't type worth a shit.
You have to treat dogs like dogs. Not fur babies. Our twins from another father had crate syndrome and began fighting. A dominance had to be enforced, because that's how it goes in pack world. It goes against how we feel about them, and each other, but we are all animals. Luckily, it's interesting to train smart dogs. Luckily, we have land. Unluckily, we have one full and one night-on-the-town-half cattledog, so they're very obsessive, even trained. One singles out a tree for destruction and will hang from it every day until he rips each branch down. Just hangs from his teeth. I've seriously considered using them to till the garden like oxen. They love to drag heavy logs together. And I know the big guy would take a bullet for me and keep on killing anyone dumb enough to break in. That's important here.
I don't know if Scott Adams is capable of dominating his dog, but it makes life easier for everyone. I found I needed to become less civilized. That's something the dogs and the land showed me. It doesn't mean less intelligent or less polite.
Scott Adams is an easy man to me to hate. But I also like him.
So to conclude: Scott Adams is both hateable and likeable. Just like the rest of us.
We currently have three dogs, after having had 4 for many years prior. They are all wonderful. I have had a dog all my life, except for college. I wouldn't have it any other way. Dogs are the best companions a person can have, other than someone who loves you, and even then, people are not as consistent as a dog. It is always heartbreaking when they pass, but my wife and I have never been dogless for long; we just love having them around.
Cats? There's an old saying: "Dogs have owners. Cats have staff."
Don't be surprised if somebody rescues the dog instead of you. I know I would.
I remember Scott Adams - who was our Science &Technology VP’s Chief of Staff - when a colleague and I sat with him and the VP back in 1991 to discuss progress on an RFP we had sent out to the vendor community. The VP began telling us about his daughter and her love for a certain Bunny Fru Fru character. Looks were exchanged and the long-suffering look on Adams’s face was unmistakable.
Most dogs are happiest with constant companionship, and most people can't directly supply that. My usual advice to people who are serious about getting a dog is to get two dogs (or more). If two dogs sound like too much, then I usually suggest not getting a dog at all.
Dogs are great but show me a person who can own a dog and still use the study floor to store folders of top secret documents.
We got our dog in 2019, and she saved our sanity during lockdown isolation. She has raised the quality of our life.
He has too much empathy? I’m a bit skeptical when people claim to have too much of a virtue.
1. Scott Adams talks way too slow.
2. I used to listen to him daily. What happened to Christine, the godless-like love of his life?
The veterinarian gave us tramadol for Blu yesterday. While not the sharpest knife I know that is for one reason. I'm getting him down to Gulf Shores this weekend and sticking him in the ocean all damned day long and I'm gonna repeat that until he can't go anymore. The only reason I'm alive is because of a cat, a dog and high school baseball. I owe him everything, and what he wants is the beach.
What Chris said @ 11:46.
Those who've never experienced the love of a dog will never know.
m
“1. Scott Adams talks way too slow.”
Listen on double speed.
“2. I used to listen to him daily. What happened to Christine, the godless-like love of his life?”
Divorced. He won’t disclose why but he’s said that she’s now happily pregnant and not by him.
We have two dogs and always have had two dogs since we’ve been married, 34 years now. Two works well except when they decide to frolic and roll like tumbleweeds through the house. They’re each about 80 pounds.
I used to have dogs but now I have blogs. The Althouse Labrador is well behaved but needs to go out early in the morning. The Scott Adams Terrier is friendly, excitable and rough on the furniture. The Blaska bulldog bites the mailman. I don't know who leaves the yellow spots on my lawn.
I grew up with dogs and I have not had one as an adult because they require a lot of attention or you are giving them a bad life. If you are leaving the house to work all day, you shouldn't have one.
Hey Roy: go screw yourself.
So I'm in the afterlife, and I have a reunion with my dog, Scout. "Scout dog! It is so good to see you!" And my dog licks me and he's wagging his tail and we're so happy. And so Scout and I are walking around in the afterlife, and we come to a door. And there's a guy in front of the door.
"Where does this door go?" I ask.
"Heaven," the guy says.
So I'm happy, I'm about to go into heaven. So Scout and I start to walk through the door, and the guy says, "No dogs allowed."
"What?"
"No dogs allowed. You can't bring your dog into heaven."
"Well, that sucks," I say. "That really sucks."'
And I'm walking around, unhappy. My dog is happy, but I'm not happy. Stupid dog.
After we walk some more, we come across another door. And a guy is in front of this door, too. "Where does this door go?" I ask.
"Heaven," the guy says.
"I thought that other door went to heaven."
"Oh no. That's hell. That's where you go when you abandon your dog."
Actually, Christine publicly said she liked Scott, a lot, but that the age difference turned out to be too much for them to continue to be a pair.
Scott did not, as far as I know, ever contest that version of events.
It is a good thing, when young, to be average - but as you get older, you realize that average people do not like other average people all that much, unless they have A LOT in common. As one gets older, the advantages of being average fade away quickly. This is why we need, all of us, to try and be better, and different, people as we grow older.
@TinaTrent,
Unfortunately, I am not that well endowed.
Typical Scott Adams. He's tortured by being so smart and good.
Looks like his ex left him with "Snickers".
She left after her dx. I bet she has a different take on Scott's level of empathy.
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