What some pet owners see as "Amazing" in their pets.

I ran into a neighbor this morning walking his dog. He was telling me how "amazing" his dog was that they could leave it all day while they worked and the dog never pooped or peed in the apartment.
Now to me that isn't "amazing", that's just typical house breaking of a dog.
What I see as amazing is a dog my parents had. A Kerry blue terrier who would sit on the hill overlooking the lake that we lived on while they left sailing for the day and when they returned anywhere from 6 - 8 hours later the dog was sittin in the exact spot as when they left.
Or when they took a day trip to chicago , left at 8am(about a 3 1/2 hour trip) and planned on returning late in the evening, but were unable to return do to a sudden snowstorm that left them stranded in chicago until the next day ( this was over 50 years ago before doppler radar and such). And when they returned home expected to see quite alot to clean up and never had to clean up anything. Now THAT is what I call an amazing dog.
But to say a dog (not a puppy). Is left alone during the day without pooping and peeing to me isn't what I think of amazing.
Just my opinion. Just wondering what all of you have heard from pet owners that in your minds were "less" then amazing...

I agree, house breaking a dog isn't "amazing". My friend has a service animal - now THAT dog is amazing.

Not too many of my friends have pets though, so I don't have stories. I live in a city and most people I know don't have the time/money for a dog.

I have seen dogs on the Discovery Channel that can sniff out cancer or predict seizures. That seems truly amazing! But I guess it is only amazing to humans, because we can't even begin to comprehend the sensory abilities of dogs or other animals. Maybe if I was a dog, it wouldn't seem so amazing!

What is amazing, is that I didn't beat the crap out of my dog when he ate my ham/lunch meat, and then latter pulled the trash can down. Now that is amazing.

mike17l said:

What is amazing, is that I didn't beat the crap out of my dog when he ate my ham/lunch meat, and then latter pulled the trash can down. Now that is amazing.

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LMAO.. Yes that IS amazing you didn't beat him to within a inch of his life.

Kathy, I have also heard of animals who can "smell" people who have cancer. THAT I find amazing.

I also have another resident who owns a rottie that goes to the hospital every week as a therapy dog. THAT I find amazing. But to poop and pee outdoors when their suppose to ISN'T amazing to me.

I knew a dog that the owners would leave home when they went on vacation, and she would only need one visit a day to go out, and she was loose in the house. That was a little amazing.

Some people tell me that it's amazing Bella carries her backpack around. Well, what else is she supposed to do? Complain?

Nanci said:

Some people tell me that it's amazing Bella carries her backpack around. Well, what else is she supposed to do? Complain?

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Thanks for the good Laugh Nanci. It is amazing what people find to be amazing that pets will do.

I have to add this about my own dog. When my kids were young she would stay out to see them off to school. As soon as they got on the bus(which picked them up in front of the house), She'd go in the back of the house and start howling for about 15 minutes. Then she would seem to know what time of day it was and no matter where she was, in the house or outside, she'd sit in front of the house when the kids were do home and greet them getting off the bus.
My sister inlaw use to look at her and say "what lassie?, is Timmy in the well?
She was by far the best dog I ever had, and I'd have her cloned in a heartbeat if I had 50 grand laying around... LOL

I had a crow that would meet me at the bus stop in the afternoon. And I had a pigeon who would fly down to the end of the driveway when I got home from work in the morning (think super-long country driveway) and either land on the windshield or fly in the window.

We have two blue heelers on the farm, back home in north Louisiana. They are not particularly trained to do anything but "have manners". But several years ago I watched a blue heeler at a rural cattle show/expo affair---by himself, put five heifers, on a two acre marked-off grass lot with a trailer in the center, all in the trailer. Of course they have been bred to have those traits, but that from one signal from the owner, outside the fenced-in area, the dog could complete such a task is a little amazing to me.

But I guess for me the most impressive and touching thing I've seen, was similar to Kathy's story. On cable I watched a nursing home dog who could tell who was soon to die, and he would go to them, get in the bed, and snuggle with them until they'd passed. Now that is more human/humane than most humans.

Note : I've had plenty of dogs who would not have quietly agreed to wear a backpack. So I think Bella is pretty amazing. I mean, mobile pockets for the remote, cold beer, etc. How amazingly convenient.

vetusvates said:

But I guess for me the most impressive and touching thing I've seen, was similar to Kathy's story. On cable I watched a nursing home dog who could tell who was soon to die, and he would go to them, get in the bed, and snuggle with them until they'd passed. Now that is more human/humane than most humans.

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God that must be scary for the residents.... I mean, you would not want that dog coming near you...

snakewispera snr said:

God that must be scary for the residents.... I mean, you would not want that dog coming near you...

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LOL. You have a point. But on the show, at least, it seemed that most of the folks had one foot in the grave, so to speak already. Unconscious, semiconscious, etc. I really really would like to know what cues the dog. Fear/dread? Sudden disappearance of fear/dread? Change in brain electrical activity?

snakewispera snr said:

God that must be scary for the residents.... I mean, you would not want that dog coming near you...

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Even more so if you were a staff member and he jumped on your lap!

I saw the story about the "death watch" dog too!

That really was amazing - I have never seen another story like it!

And yes, it would be horrifying to be a visitor or staff member and be "singled out" by the dog - EEK!

kathylove said:

I have seen dogs on the Discovery Channel that can sniff out cancer or predict seizures. That seems truly amazing! But I guess it is only amazing to humans, because we can't even begin to comprehend the sensory abilities of dogs or other animals. Maybe if I was a dog, it wouldn't seem so amazing!

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Our first Collie could do that actually. In my mom's daycare there was a girl who had seizures, and Lacie (dog) would find her and lay down next to her right before it happened. So my mom always had warning.

Not as amazing as some of the cancer dogs but ... We had an Australian Shepherd that was my daughter's babysitter. His name was Caleb. When we got him my daughter was 2 years old. She used to be afraid of everything. My wife or I would have to go to bed upstairs with her because she would not go alone. Neither of us liked going up at 7:30pm and spending an hour getting her to sleep. One evening when we were flipping the proverbial coin, tongue in cheek I said what if Caleb goes with you? She was all excited (they were pals). Being lazy I said 'Caleb go to bed with Sydney'. He immediately got up and followed her upstairs like he had been trained and been doing it for years. My wife and I both looked at each other in awe that he understood what we asked of him.

After that we started saying 'babysit Sydney' and he would follow her everywhere in the house. We noticed one day that when people came to the house and he was in babysitting mode that he would automatically position himself betweem her and anyone else. He never growled or was in anyway agressive, rather very passive.

Caleb passed of cancer 3 years ago after 14 years with us. I know this is cliche' but he was the best dog I have ever been around and I have never lived without a dog in 43 years.

I also saw the story about the dog that sensed death..That was very amazing...

One thing I find truely amazing is how some of these abused cats and dogs can just forgive people and many of them never lose their love for and trust in humans..that to me is amazing...

P.s. My dog is amazing...cause he's my dog

I also saw the story about the dog that sensed death..That was very amazing...

One thing I find truely amazing is how some of these abused cats and dogs can just forgive people and many of them never lose their love for and trust in humans..that to me is amazing...

P.s. My dog is amazing...cause he's my dog

DYK.... I've been thinking about that poor dog.... Christ, that dog's probably never seen anyone slap their laps and shout...'Here boy'... LMAO