sounds like my childhood

This article might trigger some. It is about emotional abuse of an animal. Although, seeing how this dog has been treated, and the fact that it really IS abuse, may validate some of you who struggle with the question, "Was it really abuse?"

http://www.belladogmagazine.com/huma...ittle-rich-dog

Very sad article and true for many animals who are bought without it being thought through properly....

Yea, so sad.

and unlike us, when we grow-- we can move away and have dreams of and work towards living a proper life... a dog doesn't get to do that..... and they never get to talk about the abuse and neglect and ask for what they need.
poor, poor animals... just breaks my heart.

emotional abuse can be so damaging for any "social" creature..... I hope the culture will accept and learn to see just how so so important it is for ones mental health.

thank you for sharing this.

fins

So damaging....and the RELUCTANCE of those 'owners' is DESPICABLE and sickening. I want a warrent, and I want in to save that poor negleted dog. Those people-the retched 'daughter', if you can call IT that-was purely dreadful!

That dog is like a child! A CHILD! And has every right to be treated as one too! Such irresponsability is absolutely ASTOUNDING to me!

How could they do that? How can you not even take the time to understand the pros and cons of having a pet? Not even TRAINED? no guidelines? No natural order? Then COMPLAINING about it?!
I can not BELIEVE this utter ignorance.
This is sickening to me.

It's really sad, but sometimes I think we project too many human attributes onto animals. I know lots of working dogs who spend time outside and I don't think they're abused or neglected.

Something like this would be a million times worse for a person.

I do think animals have emotions and ideally they should have more time spent with them, but the reality is the animal isn't being starved of maltreated physically and sometimes that is WAY better than many other animals. I guess I don't understand the outrage.

roseleigh, working dogs who spend time outside and are valued for the service they provide, and receive training to do the tasks they are meant to do, and learn that they matter and can contribute in some way, are NOT abused or neglected. Not at all.

This dog, Ernie, is just kept inside. He has learned these lessons:
- I am bad. No matter what I do, it is bad.
- Nothing I do is worth anything to anyone - I am worthless.
- No other dogs want to be around me. No humans want to be around me. So, something is wrong with me.

This is different than a work dog who is kept outside who gets exercise and learns:
- I have a job to do. I am worth something.
- Other dogs want to be around me. Nothing is wrong with me.

Something is wrong when a dog loses his soul. A dog can feel worthless. No, they don't need love and attention all the time -- they need to know that what they do, MEANS something to someone. They need to know that they are HELPFUL and that they can do things right. Dogs are social creatures who care a LOT about things like this.

It's the same way that a child in Haiti can grow up with NOTHING, can be subjected to traumatic experiences like parents' deaths, malnutrition, etc -- and can grow up to be happy and confident, if he/she learns a task or trade and feels confident that he/she can contribute to society, and is not constantly ridiculed or violated in other ways. But a child who grows up with everything, two parents and a white picket fence and all material possessions in the world, can grow up to have very low self-esteem if he/she is given the message, "You are worthless."

Whatever makes a dog lose confidence in himself, is the worst kind of abuse IMO.

I'm not freaking out with anger about this but I just relate to it so much. My parents weren't physically abusive toward me, but they were toward my brother, and they were neglectful and emotionally abusive. Dogs have souls that deserve tender care. Dogs are a LOT like people in that they need to know that they are worth something, or they will become neurotic and hopeless.

Like me.

I guess I don't see it the same way. I am not saying it's right, but there are so many more animals than good, worthy owners that I'm afraid that dogs like this would just be put to sleep. Maybe death is the lesser of the two evils? I don't know.

There aren't any solutions. I know you're equating this to what you went through and that's sad. I guess I'm focusing on the dog. I am not sure about the soul thing either. I am not sure what dogs think. I do believe they feel things. I have had many pets in my life, my whole life. I've spent time around hundreds of animals.

I guess I'm not sure what should be done. Should dogs be taken away for something like this? What would happen to them? I don't know. It's not illegal I guess. Not much hope I guess.

For some it will be the story of their life...very regretably