I hate it when I see things like this.

[BirdWorld]

I was online a little while ago and came across this. IMO, it seems to be suggesting that someone who doesn’t have the time to take care of a dog should still have one. It just bothers me how these dogs are described. “Only needing basic training”? “Easy to handle couch potatoes”? Seriously?

What do you all think about stuff like this?

 

[AussieBird]

Nooooo, chihuahuas needs a large amount of training, and if they don't get it they can be quite unpleasant dogs. If your a busy person I don't see how you can properly train a dog, you're just asking for trouble.

 

[Love My Zons]

All dogs need interaction with People. If you can't spend time with them, don't get a dog!

 

[Zara]

Interesting they call greyhounds ¨couch potatoes¨... don´t they enjoy running?

Also, here the Spanish Mastiff are very common working dogs. They are extremely good at their work on farms, and their size (up to100kilo!) makes for a good guard dog.

If you want a couch potato, get a cat.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

Interesting they call greyhounds ¨couch potatoes¨... don´t they enjoy running?

Also, here the Spanish Mastiff are very common working dogs. They are extremely good at their work on farms, and their size (up to100kilo!) makes for a good guard dog.

If you want a couch potato, get a cat.

I have greyhounds (I made a whole thread about them here on AA), and they ARE lazy couch potatoes. Great at conserving energy. They’re good to run for very short bursts and then they want to sleep another 12 hours. They actually do sleep something like 18-20 hours a day.

They’re super easy dogs, especially compared to other breeds. They are low-energy and tend to have gentle, laid back temperaments. They literally are like a mix between a dog and a cat - friendly oversized cats. They love interacting with their people, but they do not need hours of running or intense exercise. You’d be dragging them if you tried, lol. One of mine refuses to go more than a couple blocks before trying to drag me home.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

I was online a little while ago and came across this. IMO, it seems to be suggesting that someone who doesn’t have the time to take care of a dog should still have one. It just bothers me how these dogs are described. “Only needing basic training”? “Easy to handle couch potatoes”? Seriously?
View attachment 363104
What do you all think about stuff like this?

I think their point was for people who don’t have the energy or time to do 5 hour runs with huskies every day, or 3 hours of grooming every other day. It’s a fact that there is a huge variance in exercise and grooming requirements depending on breed and that lifestyle fit is important. It’s okay to want a greyhound over a husky because you and the greyhound are a better match.

And greyhounds are known for being “45 mile an hour couch potatoes” - if you guys really knew anything about them. They are lazy as anything to the point that it’s hilarious. I have to drag my dogs out of bed sometimes! There are a lot of misconceptions about greyhounds, and that they are “high energy” is the biggest one.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

Our couch isn’t even ours anymore. It’s a running joke with greyhound people - “Get a greyhound, lose a couch.”

 

[fashionfobie]

Our couch isn’t even ours anymore. It’s a running joke with greyhound people - “Get a greyhound, lose a couch.”

I would call it a couch upgrade! Look at all those loves


@BirdWorld I agree that is misleading. There are vaste différences between breeds, but all dogs require structure and time. I have a chihuahua. I tell you what he is 100% a dog. It drives me nuts when people treat small dogs like toys, it is an insult to their amazing capabilities and dignity. My little dude is a member of an obedience club and he is trained for management in large crowds, as I am a member of a historical animal husbandry group that teaches the public about animal histories. He plays the turnspit dog. Though the festival this year, which would have been his first, was cancelled because of covid.

 

[tka]

There are lower maintenance dogs. All dogs need a certain basic level of care and attention. But there's a massive difference between a greyhound (short burst of energy then sleeps for the rest of the day) vs a working border collie (needs hours of physical and mental stimulation otherwise they'll get bored and unhappy) or a husky (literally bred to run for hours and hours each day).

When I worked in a boarding kennels, I found small dogs were the worst trained. People think they can get away without training their small dog because they can just drag it at the end of the lead, they can pick it up and if the dog jumps up, its too small to knock anyone over. Lack of training combined with terrier temperaments made for dogs that I personally would find very hard to live with. Small dogs still need mental and physical stimulation - terriers, for example, are working breeds and really do need things to keep their minds and bodies active. They're often independently-minded and tenacious which makes it even important to have the boundaries and communication that training develops.

Giant breeds, on the other hand, are often impeccably trained. Someone with a Great Dane or Irish Wolfhound knows that their cute puppy will grow up to be 6 foot tall when standing on their hind legs, so a sensible person doesn't allow their puppy to develop bad habits in the first place.

This graphic comes from The Spruce which is basically content farm peddling mediocre to actively misleading information. They are a poor source of information.

 

[Miss Annamarie]

Our couch isn’t even ours anymore. It’s a running joke with greyhound people - “Get a greyhound, lose a couch.”

View attachment 363183

the little iggy in the back!!!

 

[fluffypoptarts]

I would call it a couch upgrade! Look at all those loves

I agree! We have zero complaints, and they’re quite all right with us scooting under them or between them, lol.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

the little iggy in the back!!!

He just squeezes in wherever and they don’t really pay much mind to his little toes poking them as he climbs around, lol.

 

[Zara]

That´s a lovely big sofa you have bought for them They´re all so beautiful

 

[fluffypoptarts]

That´s a lovely big sofa you have bought for them They´re all so beautiful

You know what’s funny is that I had no clue I was going to end up with a pack of greyhounds! I was like, “Why did we get such a big sofa? We hardly even have people over!” But this couch ended up being perfect for them. Destiny!

Aww, thank you, they really are. Wish you could meet them in person.

 

[tka]

Ah yes, I've heard the saying that greyhounds are excellent at getting you off the sofa...

Not for exercise, but because they're sprawled over the entire thing.

 

[jh81]

But thats not all.. those are also the people that want to get kids!! Thinking they’ll just raise themselves!

 

[Destiny]

My Anatolian Shepherd, Bear, is also a bit of a couch potato.





But Bear is definitely not suitable for apartment living. Not only does he practically take up the entire couch by himself, but when he gets going, he has surprising reserves of energy.

But you wouldn't know it to look at him most days.



Anatolians are livestock guardian dogs, like Great Pyrenees. They sleep a lot during the day, but they tend to be very active at night, roaming around and barking to ward off potential threats. Very intelligent but also very stubborn, independent-minded, and challenging to train. They can also be aggressive to strange dogs or unfamilar people, due to their strong guard instincts. Early socialization is very important, considering how huge they get.

On a related note, we got a Roomba a few months ago. This is what happened when it encounter our sleeping Bear in the living room.

Apparently, he did not deem it a threat

 

[Mark & Da Boyz]

Forget all the fancy breeds. Best dog we ever had was a "Mutt" Fossy and she was a sweet as could be with us kids, 8 and 10 plus all the kids that came over. Never bit anyone but was there if any of us were crying she was right there then! Been 45 years ago she passed and I still think of her.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

Ah yes, I've heard the saying that greyhounds are excellent at getting you off the sofa...

Not for exercise, but because they're sprawled over the entire thing.

Well it is totally true, and they will even try to lure you off the couch to steal your spot! They do it to my wife, actually, not to me. (They will stand at the back door and cry, and then the second you get up, bam, right in your spot!) Scoundrels.

 

[Zara]

Awww I love Bear so much! He's gorgeous!

Here was Jacob as a pup being a couch potato..

He still sleeps a lot as he has dysplasia and is pretty inactive, but he prefers the floor because it's cooler.