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Post by billhammond on Mar 14, 2024 12:55:55 GMT -5
I'm editing a piece about a Twin Cities dog trainer, which contained this gem:
“Alpha is kind of an old-fashioned term,” Madrinich said. Multiple dogs living in the same house usually figure out among themselves who’s the boss. It’s not necessarily the oldest or biggest. Female dogs often tend to be take charge, natural leaders.
“Girls love you, but boys love to love you,” she said. When someone wants to buy a dog, she recommends males, because they’re more eager to please. With two dogs, one of each sex is the best combination. Two males are OK, but two females are less easy. With two female dogs, both want to be the leader. “We call them bitches for a reason.”
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Post by Marshall on Mar 14, 2024 15:29:16 GMT -5
Amen !
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Post by millring on Mar 14, 2024 18:04:28 GMT -5
I've mentioned this before, but Breeze and Ariel went everywhere with us. We had the big Econoline pottery van and every time Dar and I would step out of it, Breeze and Ariel would take our seats. And it was always the same thing: Breeze would be in the driver's seat and Ariel would be in the passenger seat. Every time.
It became a regular bit of parking lot conversation -- people would notice the two dogs sitting there like they had just pulled the van up and parked there. It looked funny.
But people would also regularly anthropomorphize the situation -- attributing meaning to Breeze "being in the driver's seat" like he was in charge. But the funny thing is that Breeze was never in charge. Ariel was. And she always had first choice of seats and she always took the one without the annoying steering wheel in the way.
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Post by John B on Mar 14, 2024 18:14:31 GMT -5
I don't like the term, at least the way it's often used. I've even been known to drop my "ironic/sarcastic" facade to let people know that no, I do not appreciate someone else being called a bitch and yes, I'm serious.
It's interesting that the qualities that tend to make female dogs what was called "alpha" - being a leader, ability to take charge of a situation, etc. - somehow become a pejorative/negative when women evidence those same qualities.
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Post by billhammond on Mar 14, 2024 18:25:28 GMT -5
I don't like the term, at least the way it's often used. I've even been known to drop my "ironic/sarcastic" facade to let people know that no, I do not appreciate someone else being called a bitch and yes, I'm serious. It's interesting that the qualities that tend to make female dogs what was called "alpha" - being a leader, ability to take charge of a situation, etc. - somehow become a pejorative/negative when women evidence those same qualities. My view was that the trainer was referring to two female dogs being in the same household, only that. I wouldn't read more into it.
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Post by John B on Mar 14, 2024 19:45:07 GMT -5
I don't like the term, at least the way it's often used. I've even been known to drop my "ironic/sarcastic" facade to let people know that no, I do not appreciate someone else being called a bitch and yes, I'm serious. It's interesting that the qualities that tend to make female dogs what was called "alpha" - being a leader, ability to take charge of a situation, etc. - somehow become a pejorative/negative when women evidence those same qualities. My view was that the trainer was referring to two female dogs being in the same household, only that. I wouldn't read more into it. Oh, I know I have some little hangups here and there, and it's probably just me. I wasn't trying to cast aspersions on anyone else here.
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Post by TKennedy on Mar 14, 2024 20:25:05 GMT -5
Millring that reminds me of something our kids did in high school. We had a Golden Retriever and they would put him in the drivers seat and drive around town with the guy in the passenger seat steering end a guy on the floor working the accelerator and brakes. As usual I heard about it many years later.
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Post by Marshall on Mar 14, 2024 20:32:00 GMT -5
I don't like the term, at least the way it's often used. I've even been known to drop my "ironic/sarcastic" facade to let people know that no, I do not appreciate someone else being called a bitch and yes, I'm serious. It's interesting that the qualities that tend to make female dogs what was called "alpha" - being a leader, ability to take charge of a situation, etc. - somehow become a pejorative/negative when women evidence those same qualities. My view was that the trainer was referring to two female dogs being in the same household, only that. I wouldn't read more into it. It would not be a joke without the implied double meaning.
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Dub
Administrator
I'm gettin' so the past is the only thing I can remember.
Posts: 20,324
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Post by Dub on Mar 14, 2024 20:57:07 GMT -5
My view was that the trainer was referring to two female dogs being in the same household, only that. I wouldn't read more into it. Oh, I know I have some little hangups here and there, and it's probably just me. I wasn't trying to cast aspersions on anyone else here. Well that's just great! Now I'm all covered with aspersions and need to find a clean towel.
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Post by John B on Mar 15, 2024 9:54:28 GMT -5
Oh, I know I have some little hangups here and there, and it's probably just me. I wasn't trying to cast aspersions on anyone else here. Well that's just great! Now I'm all covered with aspersions and need to find a clean towel. Oh dear. I will attempt to get my aspersions all in a row, much like ducklings, before September.
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Post by PaulKay on Mar 15, 2024 10:49:38 GMT -5
That's absolutely true in our experience. We have always had two dogs and were always one male, one female.
Eva is the boss, Rocky yields to her. She drinks first after a walk and he waits patiently until she's done. But he is also deaf (and at the moment also pretty blind), so he uses her to figure out what's going on. So he has no problem with her being the leader. Rocky is the more affectionate one. For Eva it is on her terms.
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Post by epaul on Mar 15, 2024 13:11:40 GMT -5
I have no problem letting my wife lead and I depend on her to figure out what's going on. I love it that way. Frees my mind up for the really important stuff, like which comic book to read before naptime.
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