What is the silliest unsolicited advice you were ever given?

awanderer

I often hear mums complain that everybody seem to feel entitled to give them advices on how to take care of their babies. I don't have children but I feel that since I adopted my dog I can empathize.

Since I have my dog I have been told so many times that 4 walks a day is "too much" (to which I usually reply " Do you believe that 2 walks a day each is detrimental to my partner or myself or that 4 walks a day is harmful for a less than 4 year old labrador)? Generally people realise that 4 walks a day is more than they are able to give but not hurting anyone.

I have also been told by a co-worker that I should hit my dog between his ribs with 2 fingers when I want to get his attention (she also told my buy Cesar Milan books:o) : even if I wasn't against that kind of method in itself, I don't see how it would work as indoor my dog seems to react to every word I say, every thought I have or every move I make. It is only by the sea or in the fields that he ignores me and at those times his ribs are totally out of reach:D.

But the silliest advice I was ever given was to tie my dog to a lobster pot so he could still move around the garden but would be unable to jump over the wall or the fence :eek:! The girl who gave me that advise thought that I was in denial when I insisted that my dog never escaped as there is another dog very slightly resembling mine that roams in the neighbourhood during the day. My dog has never been out alone for more than 3 minutes (unless we give him a frozen kong in which case he lasts 15 minutes). Not our choice, he just doesn't see the purpose of being outside without one of his humans:rolleyes:.

Have you also been given advices that left you wondering if you should laugh or get angry?

shaymus27

I've been recommended to buy products by vets which were unnecessary and didn't buy them, but it is annoying when vets try to push unnecessary products.

People are usually trying to help but sometimes are wrong and sometimes they just aren't intelligent, knowledgeable people so what they tell you will lack intelligence and knowledge and be high on nonsense. Don't take such advice seriously and just humour the person giving it. They mean well so no need to be angry.

Vel

'Get rid of that dog. It will eventually turn on you or you kids one day'

Said by a co-worker who based it on the fact that his brother had a racing greyhound who he ran over with a tractor one day. The dog was seriously injured and the man tried to try to retrieve him from under the tractor and the dog went to bite him as he was obviously in a huge amount of pain.

'Sure he was only trying to help him and the dog went for him'

And on that basis, my co-worker concluded that all greyhounds were vicious and not to be trusted!

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Posy

'Get rid of your brother. He'll run over you or your kids with a tractor one day'

is what I would have replied.


I haven't had any ridiculous advice from people since I got my dog, yet, but I'll watch this space after reading those!!

tk123

God where to begin

Don't let them on on the couch/bed/feed them before you or they'll think they're above you

Don't feed raw meat or they'll get a taste for blood

Don't operate on Bailey's legs because the surgery will be too difficult and recovery too much hassle - ignoring this one is the best thing I ever did because my dog is still alive 4 years later and didn't get PTS or develop arthritis(!)

Put these chemicals on/in them evey 3 months that they don't actually need

Your dog is sh1ting himself because he's so happy and excited would be another gem from an "expert"

shaymus27

tk123 wrote: »

"Put these chemicals on/in them every 3 months that they don't actually need"

I completely agree. When needed fair enough,but regularly putting toxic chemicals that you are warned never to touch with your own hands on the back of a dog if the dog doesn't need them can't do the dog any good. You need to be good at judging your own dog and knowing when to administer on a needed basis or even occasional "just in case" basis but regularly "just in case" to me is more of a risk than not administering so frequently. I knew my dogs well but maybe others won't.

Magenta

"No you're not supposed to get them neutered til they've had a litter or it's cruel!".

I have a coworker who is pregnant and is fit to explode at the next person who asks her when she is "getting rid" of her cats. Apparently they suck the air out of babies :rolleyes:

ShaShaBear

I've been told to get rid of Opie a few times as he will get wicked and turn on the baby. Also that he wouldn't attack sheep because it's bred out of him so why do I have him on a lead?

Tranceypoo

tk123 wrote: »

Put these chemicals on/in them evey 3 months that they don't actually need
"

Is that worming or flea treatments you're talking about?

awanderer

Tranceypoo wrote: »

Is that worming or flea treatments you're talking about?

I am wondering the same thing. I use a tick and flea treatment for my dog during the spring/summer. Is it unnecessary? (this is a solicited advice ) .

I do agree about vets pushing lots of unnecessary sales. A month after we got our dog we brought him to the vet as recommended by the rescue we got him from. The vet's receptionist persuaded us, among other thing, to buy a very expensive tin of food as otherwise our dog wouldn't eat his pills. Almost 2 years later, we know that our dog (like it seems most labs) would devour anything that vaguely resembles food, including pills.

shaymus27

awanderer wrote:

"The vet's receptionist persuaded us, among other thing, to buy a very expensive tin of food as otherwise our dog wouldn't eat his pills".

You've just reminded me of one of the dumbest pieces of advice I got. I often got it from vets. They would tell you to put pills and other things in my dog's food when they themselves recommended dry food. Pills and other things will be sniffed out and left.

Why on earth do so few vets give intelligent advice as to how to get dogs to consume pills???

Put the pill in chicken, cheese, mash or something but dry food???

Obviously if your dog is allergic to any of the above foods you can't do that.

tk123

Tranceypoo wrote: »

Is that worming or flea treatments you're talking about?

Both for my two! I do use verm-x every month though because they both eat grass sometimes.

hardCopy

My mother is thinking of getting a dog. Someone told her to get two sisters, I would have thought this a good idea myself until I recently read about littermate problems.

I told her it would be unwise and better to get them a year apart. She said this back to her friends and was told "sure small dogs train themselves".

awanderer

hardCopy wrote: »

My mother is thinking of getting a dog. Someone told her to get two sisters, I would have thought this a good idea myself until I recently read about littermate problems.

I told her it would be unwise and better to get them a year apart. She said this back to her friends and was told "sure small dogs train themselves".

A lot of dog lovers have never heard about littermate syndrom so it is understandable that someone might instinctively believe that 2 brothers or sisters would keep each other company but surely a person believing that "small dogs train themselves" has never owned a dog or spoken with someone owning a dog!

Two contradictory advises I was given (one of them a couple of hours ago):

- My partner's brother and mother : "don't let your dog out in the rain and don't let him swim in the sea or he'll get arthritis".
- A local farmer met today while walking my dog (wet after having gone for a swim) "never let your dog fall asleep by the fire or he'll get arthritis".

It looks like I can't win and my dog WILL get arthritis: we live by the sea, There is a fireplace in the living room and a stove in the dining room (and even if his beds are away from them, he loves to sleep there) and if we stop bringing him for walks on rainy days (on the west coast of Ireland) he will very soon be obese (known aggravating factor for arthritis)

tk123

awanderer wrote: »

- A local farmer met today while walking my dog (wet after having gone for a swim) "never let your dog fall asleep by the fire or he'll get arthritis".

It looks like I can't win and my dog WILL get arthritis: we live by the sea, There is a fireplace in the living room and a stove in the dining room (and even if his beds are away from them, he loves to sleep there) and if we stop bringing him for walks on rainy days (on the west coast of Ireland) he will very soon be obese (known aggravating factor for arthritis)

Is that not just an old wives tail?! I remember my mum saying her granny used the say the same thing ...about humans not dogs lol :pac:

whupdedo

Never beat a horse in a stable, if you have to beat him , bring him out and leather the st1t out of him , if you beat him in the stable he'll never forget it and will get you back someday. wtf

Mod note: just want to clarify that this is the rather shocking advice given to whupdedo, not whupdedo giving advice to beat horses. I don't think whupdedo is advocating beating horses anywhere. Sadly, in the horse world at least, such treatment is still all too common.
The mind boggles.
Thanks,
DBB

awanderer

tk123 wrote: »

Is that not just an old wives tail?! I remember my mum saying her granny used the say the same thing ...about humans not dogs lol :pac:

I am quite sure it is. As far as I know, the rain, the sea or the fire are not known causes of arthritis. But, on the other hand, I never knew that new shoes on a table or umbrellas opened indoor brought bad luck:p. I wonder how I managed to survive that long.

Justin1982

I literally have to walk around in stealth mode in pet shops when looking for bags of dog food. Some complete eegit always comes over and starts ranting rubbish about dog food like they have a degree in dog digestion but the best advice I got was from a vet when my dog had some sort of skin condition. He started telling me that dog was allergic to meat, that most dogs get an allergy to protein because they are fed too much protein, they get allergic to beef first, then chicken is second most common, then you have to move on to salmon/fish and then lamb until they run out of proteins they can eat as they are allergic to them all. So his solution was for me to buy this 80 euro bag of dog food that has "special" protein thats broken up so small that it doesnt set off the allergy.....and on and on and on and on.....

Anyway, the dog recovered after it took a severe immediate allergic reaction to the antibiotics that the vet prescribed for dog (that was perfectly fine apart from loosing a bit of hair). Took a few months for her to recover from the real allergic reaction and now, about a year later, she eats every type of meat you put in front of her in copious amounts, loves it, is in fine health and never had a single problem since.

The dog probably wasnt allergic to anything. She may have been a bit run down I suspect as she was on adult dog nuts which I have since found with other young dogs is not a good idea. Not sure their digestive system or their immune system have fully developed (same as young children really) until they are about a year old and they dont seem to get enough nutrition from the food as they do when they are adults. Thats the only thing I can really think of.

Irish Stones

My elder cat has had a very serious problem in her nose and, after the treatments needed to cure this problem, she has an almost constantly running nostril.
She needs frequent attention during the day, like washing her nostril by pushing 1 ml of saline solution up her nose with a needleless syringe, wiping her nose and when necessary give her an application with the nebulizer.
Until last year this cat also needed two visits a year in a specialized clinic. When one of the vets heard what I have to do daily for her, she adviced me to put my cat to sleep, because it's a too stressful life for a pet.
As a matter of fact my cat is living a great life and she appreciates the treatments a give her to improve her breathing.

So, this is the silliest advice I have been given so far, not by a simple person, by a vet!

tk123

Pepper on a bitch in heat

me0w

"It's cruel to keep a cat inside, they are 'wild' animals". Actually they are domesticated. :mad:

This seems to be the common mentality here in Ireland and the UK. It irritates me so much having to explain all the hazards of letting your cat outside in the city. Your cat will most likely get into fights with other cats over territory, or run over by a car, or abused/poisoned by cat haters if left outside unsupervised .Indoor cats live so much longer, and you save a lot of money on vet bills. My cats have an outdoor run so they can explore the outdoors, in safety.

Pumpkinseeds

My mother used to go nuts when I'd let the cats sleep on my bed when I was a kid/teenager. Her reasoning was 'you'll breathe in the fur and it'll get trapped in your lungs and form a fur ball.' Strange things my mother came out with over the years but that has to be in the top 10 weirdest ones.:D

Bebo stunnah

tk123 wrote: »

Don't feed raw meat or they'll get a taste for blood

This. Over and over again. My parents told me this for years, obviously from advice they got from someone else down the line. I was feeding my guy for months before I told them and the look of disgust from them! I was suggesting them to feed their dog raw too, as I had enough for them to try it out and got fed that line back "She'll get a taste for blood, start chasing sheep" etc...
About 6 months ago I booked her into the vet and my mum came back shocked. Her dog was prescribed raw food and exercise! (she was too fat), and they haven't looked back!

Another one I hear is that Rottweilers are agressive; I have yet to meet an unfriendly one! Hear the same about GSDs too.

Mountainsandh

When I had just got my dog and he was a puppy, I was told to cut off his tail otherwise he would become a biter :eek:
How on earth do people come up with that stuff ?

I was also told not to let him walk ahead of me on the lead because he'd think he's boss.
Is that a well known theory or something ?

He's such a submissive little dog you'd think we beat him or something, it's embarrassing sometimes, but he loves sauntering about ahead of me on the long lead on my very very quiet country road (I can see and hear cars coming ages before they're onto us so he's well "reeled" back to me by the time they pass ).

He's the smartest little thing, but he's a shih tzu cross, has a mind of his own, and does recall only when he pleases, so I'm too nervous to ever leave him off the lead when I'm out and about with him (especially in places where there might be buddies).
People keep telling me to let him off the lead. Maybe that's good advice, I don't know, I'd love to see him running freely at the beach, but in my guts I just feel like I shouldn't follow that one.
What do you think, am I over protective ? (I'm very much so with my kids too )
Is this advice I should follow ? Don't want to hijack the thread, but I'd love a sneaky opinion or two.

DBB

Mountainsandh wrote: »

When I had just got my dog and he was a puppy, I was told to cut off his tail otherwise he would become a biter :eek:

Pfffttt... everyone knows that the tooth-engine is stored in the tail :pac:

I was also told not to let him walk ahead of me on the lead because he'd think he's boss.
Is that a well known theory or something ?

Ah yes. That'd be dominance theory, pack-leader stuff.

Quick tip on the walkies... have you ever tried sticking a harness and a long, long (10-20m) rope on him? When I get a new and unknown dog in, I walk them with this set-up, eventually letting the rope go altogether, but ready to go jump on the end of it if I have to. It just lets you build up a bit of confidence in the dog's tendency to return to you, whilst simultaneously giving the dog a fair bit of freedom.
Back this up with lots of practise of serious treats and praise when he comes back, again with a new dog I act like a right weirdo when they come back, you can see the look of complete delight on their faces that they've caused such a reaction!
I have a Shih Tsu x too... right little characters they are!:pac:

awanderer

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

My mother used to go nuts when I'd let the cats sleep on my bed when I was a kid/teenager. Her reasoning was 'you'll breathe in the fur and it'll get trapped in your lungs and form a fur ball.' Strange things my mother came out with over the years but that has to be in the top 10 weirdest ones.:D

It must be an international thing as my grand-mother (who never traveled, let alone left France) had the same obsession about cats' fur balls getting stuck in our lungs!






no idea why the quote came incomplete

whupdedo

whupdedo wrote: »

Never beat a horse in a stable, if you have to beat him , bring him out and leather the st1t out of him , if you beat him in the stable he'll never forget it and will get you back someday. wtf

Mod note: just want to clarify that this is the rather shocking advice given to whupdedo, not whupdedo giving advice to beat horses. I don't think whupdedo is advocating beating horses anywhere. Sadly, in the horse world at least, such treatment is still all too common.
The mind boggles.
Thanks,
DBB

Hi I have just realised the way I have written my previous post looks like I was giving advice , this was actual advice given to me by an elderly neighbour , I apologise for any misunderstanding and can see how my (badly written ) post could be taken up wrong

mymo

My dog is afraid of water, someone who breeds and shows dogs told me to hold him under water with just his head above it until he stops fighting it.
Apparently that's how they "cured" their dog, I was furious, needless to say I don't ever speak to them now, but I discovered these type of methods are why their dogs are so obedient.

I was also told cats smother babies, my daughter still sleeps with the kitten we got when she was a toddler, he's 14 now, and he didn't smother her yet!

Irish Stones

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

My mother used to go nuts when I'd let the cats sleep on my bed when I was a kid/teenager. Her reasoning was 'you'll breathe in the fur and it'll get trapped in your lungs and form a fur ball.' Strange things my mother came out with over the years but that has to be in the top 10 weirdest ones.:D

When I was a kid some relatives told me to never sleep with a cat because it would have stuck its nose to mine and would have stolen my breath.
They also warned me about purring, that vibrating sound, they told me, is the sign that something is wrong with the cat, it coukd have be very ill, probably pneumonia!!! :eek:

YurOK2

I think everyone in the world has heard the "if you feed them raw meat they'll turn into rabid dogs who'll try to eat the postman" :rolleyes:
Another one I've had is "raw meat gives them worms".
I think everyone has also heard the "rub their nose in it" BS too :pac: