Animal abuse is generally defined as a violent act against an animal, causing visible injuries. We are talking about an unquestionably deliberate assault.
Yet, it is important to be aware that the welfare and wellbeing of an animal is not only affected when it is outwardly assaulted, but this can also occur when its internal physical condition or its mental health gets jeopardised without any obvious, outward signs.
The following video has gone viral on Facebook, and is claimed to be really adorable:
But it is vital to ask why a dog is sitting in the same posture as the human. There are some major differences in the anatomy of the dog and this kind of posture can lead to some health issues in the long run.
You can teach your own dog to sit like this, or to perform any other trick, when it gets positive reinforcement and also some treats. An obedient dog will do what it is taught to do, even if it harms its own health.
Moreover, it is absolutely inexplicable why a dog is eating crisps. First of all, it is definitely not a proper nutrition for a dog, and not only because of all the additives. Dogs chew differently than humans, and the sharp shards can injure its palate or even the gullet.
In addition, based on the bone structure of the skull, the head of the dog can easily get stuck in the bag.
Stress is not solely the misery of humankind. The biological side effects of stress can be detected even in animals. Moreover, we now know that even psychosomatic illnesses—those based on and caused by the effect of negative emotional states—can also develop.
Regarding stressful situations, it is important not to force the dog into long-term situation where it feels itself to be trapped and mentally unable to cope with the situation. These constant, frustrating conditions can seriously harm any animals, even irreversibly.
Besides not knowing enough about the exact biological needs of dogs, we very often know even less about the behaviour, mental needs and how to read the communicational signs of dogs.
The video below of a pup, flower and a butterfly made thousands of us smile:
Anyone who is capable of reading the body language of a dog, can clearly see that this dog is not smiling because there is a butterfly on its nose.
On the contrary: this dog is frightened and facing a stressful situation.
The dog pulls back its ears, its eyes are narrowed, almost paralysed with tension, and it is snarling the whole time.
This is how a dog looks when it feels under threat and is ready to break free, or even attack, when it gets to the point when it cannot cope with the stress any longer.
The majority of dog attacks happen in domestic environments and mostly against children.
Regarding both videos, you could say why worry about it and spoil the fun, as these are not permanent situations, and meanwhile these dogs really put a smile on our faces.
Presenting dogs with a totally false and un-doggy image can set a really harmful example to those who are inexperienced pet owners. And there are a lot of them! Spoiled dogs, unhealthy dogs, and abandoned dogs all originate from the ignorance of humans.
Knowledge about the real needs of dogs, their behaviour, and how to read the communication signs of dogs is absolutely vital if we are going to give them a happy life.
Furthermore, a recent study reveals that the behaviour of dogs is completely misunderstood in most cases.
If these viral videos are going to be the examples of how to keep a dog and what makes a dog happy, then sooner rather than later, we are going to face serious animal welfare and wellbeing consequences.
It is also worth to check the reactions on these videos. About 90% of the commenters consider them funny, cute or adorable. The opinions of the few dissenters are rejected, thus they also get attacked for ruining everyone’s fun.
This proportion sadly presents how few people are aware of what dogs really need and whether dogs are really happy.
We basically react based on our own emotions and point of view. If you considers a situation funny from your position, then it is automatically thought that it is funny for the dog as well.
Simply because it makes us smile or laugh doesn’t mean it is going to be funny for the dog for even one second. A dog is funny, happy and complete when its own mental and physical needs are satisfied.
We have been using animals for human amusement for a while. And don’t think that creating funny and cute animal videos does not involve some financial aspect either. If you do it well, it can be even a good amount.
As the protests against using animals by the old-school entertainers such as circuses have been rising, a new trend has been developing unnoticed.
We do not recognise that in more and more cases we force dogs into totally unnatural or unhealthy situations, just purely because these are amusing in the eyes of us humans.
We are laughing at them while we strengthen a completely false picture and harmful attitude, going viral thanks to the Internet.
And all because we are unaware of the real needs of our four-legged friends. If this is allowed to continue, it is just going to be worse and we will be the new abusers of performing animals.
Image: Dreamstime
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