The biggest tragedy of pet ownership is that they just don’t live long enough. Thankfully scientists are working on that, with a new cancer vaccine for dogs that almost doubles their survival rates in the face of certain types of the disease.
The biggest tragedy of pet ownership is that they just don’t live long enough.
This is true, but there is no ‘long enough’ unless it is ‘from the moment you get it until you die.’ The pain of losing a dog is just an unfortunate part of having a dog and they just will never live long enough for you to not feel that pain.
My sister lost her dog this weekend in a freak accident and everyone in the family - not just her husband and kids - are devastated. He was such an essential part of every gathering.
I believe this is a part of what a dog does to help teach us about life. Giving us joy and companionship while also teaching us about grief and loss in the end.
I am so sorry for both you and your sister and her family. Thankfully, all of my dogs have lived a full life and when they end came, it wasn’t a surprise. It is so much sadder when it’s unexpected.
I’m sorry. I know your heart is broken and nothing but time can ease it. I lost my cat in January at 15 years old from hyperthyroid related kidney failure. We met when she was a feral kitten and ran out from under a food truck and tried to take me down by the ankle. We bonded instantly. It has me at a heightened state of awareness of the mortality of my two dogs and remaining cat. It hurts like hell and I’m so sorry you lost your friend.
Maybe this is being too cold-hearted, but we tend to choose pets that live a fraction of a human’s life. There are many animals which could make good pets except they live as long as humans (if not a lot longer).
I think what this article was something like,
The biggest tragedy of pet ownership is that sometimes those pets die far too soon due to illness.
That has nothing to do with a genetic bond with humans.
From your linked article:
More likely, domestication happened slowly, in fits and starts. “This symbiotic or commensal relationship,” says Robert Quinlan, professor of anthropology at Washington State University, “probably initially happened accidentally."
Dogs and humans have a symbiotic bond, as the OP from your original reply said. We did not bond our genes with them, like that episode of Fullmetal Alchemist (I hope).
Sorry to be a “acktually”-type pedant about this, but terminology is important when discussing genetics, otherwise people get confused and end up like the ones that think we can’t be genetically related to chimps because they exist at the same time as we do.
I feel like messing with animals’ lifespans is playing God too much. Then again, we made the Chihuahua, and if anything was an affront to God it’d be that.
I know what you are saying, but I don’t agree. I’d take one more year with my dog over no more years any day. Breeding all kinds of crazy types of dogs, but never for a longer life is nuts.
Yes, it would have been better. A longer healthier life for a dog, who says you have to get to that point? Maybe we will bring a whole new meaning to the word family dog, passed down generations.
Would it be long enough? I doubt it. At least I know that no matter how many years any of my dogs lived, even if it was 50 years, if I outlived, them it wouldn’t be long enough.
It’s not about how much is enough, that is a weird way to think about it. Would I have liked to have another year with him? Absolutely, he died too early.
That’s literally what the article said, so blame the article. It says, “The biggest tragedy of pet ownership is that they just don’t live long enough.” It’s right there at the top of the post. That’s what I was commenting on.
Yep. I can remember this past October when we lost our dog of 15 years, telling myself and my girlfriend that we were never going to avoid this happening to him/us. There was no magic formula or pill or procedure that was going to give him to us forever.
And while it didn’t necessarily make us feel better about it, it made enough sense that it helped us cope with the loss with better understanding.
This is true, but there is no ‘long enough’ unless it is ‘from the moment you get it until you die.’ The pain of losing a dog is just an unfortunate part of having a dog and they just will never live long enough for you to not feel that pain.
My sister lost her dog this weekend in a freak accident and everyone in the family - not just her husband and kids - are devastated. He was such an essential part of every gathering.
He wasn’t just a dog, he was my friend.
I’m sorry for your loss. My dog is getting older and I don’t know what my family will do without her when she passes away.
There’s no good way to spin it, it simply sucks to lose a pet. Dogs are the best and they become such a strong force in your life.
I believe this is a part of what a dog does to help teach us about life. Giving us joy and companionship while also teaching us about grief and loss in the end.
I am so sorry for both you and your sister and her family. Thankfully, all of my dogs have lived a full life and when they end came, it wasn’t a surprise. It is so much sadder when it’s unexpected.
I’m sorry. I know your heart is broken and nothing but time can ease it. I lost my cat in January at 15 years old from hyperthyroid related kidney failure. We met when she was a feral kitten and ran out from under a food truck and tried to take me down by the ankle. We bonded instantly. It has me at a heightened state of awareness of the mortality of my two dogs and remaining cat. It hurts like hell and I’m so sorry you lost your friend.
Maybe this is being too cold-hearted, but we tend to choose pets that live a fraction of a human’s life. There are many animals which could make good pets except they live as long as humans (if not a lot longer).
I think what this article was something like,
I don’t know that many of them can have the symbiotic relationship we have with dogs.
Parrots.
I have parrots and I love them more than life itself but it’s not quite the same relationship that I have with my dog. Dogs are truly special.
I cannot with parrots.
Maybe with corvids? But their love is conditional, unlike a dog or cat.
We literally have a genetic bond with dogs. Nothing on earth is quite like it.
I think your family tree looks a little bit different than mine! Lol
Um, we don’t have a “genetic bond” with dogs unless you’re talking about LUCA…or a dog has learned how to comment on Lemmy…
https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/dogs-have-co-evolved-with-humans-like-no-other-species
a dog is literally a wolf bread to be a perfect human companion.
That has nothing to do with a genetic bond with humans.
From your linked article:
Dogs and humans have a symbiotic bond, as the OP from your original reply said. We did not bond our genes with them, like that episode of Fullmetal Alchemist (I hope).
Sorry to be a “acktually”-type pedant about this, but terminology is important when discussing genetics, otherwise people get confused and end up like the ones that think we can’t be genetically related to chimps because they exist at the same time as we do.
I feel like messing with animals’ lifespans is playing God too much. Then again, we made the Chihuahua, and if anything was an affront to God it’d be that.
I know what you are saying, but I don’t agree. I’d take one more year with my dog over no more years any day. Breeding all kinds of crazy types of dogs, but never for a longer life is nuts.
Would one more year really have been long enough though?
Longer would be better, sure, but would you have ever gotten to a point where you would have been okay to lose that dog?
Yes, it would have been better. A longer healthier life for a dog, who says you have to get to that point? Maybe we will bring a whole new meaning to the word family dog, passed down generations.
I didn’t ask if it would be better.
Of course it would be better.
Would it be long enough? I doubt it. At least I know that no matter how many years any of my dogs lived, even if it was 50 years, if I outlived, them it wouldn’t be long enough.
Long enough means you would be okay if they died.
It’s not about how much is enough, that is a weird way to think about it. Would I have liked to have another year with him? Absolutely, he died too early.
That’s literally what the article said, so blame the article. It says, “The biggest tragedy of pet ownership is that they just don’t live long enough.” It’s right there at the top of the post. That’s what I was commenting on.
Life is short. There’s never enough time to be with your loved ones.
Yep. I can remember this past October when we lost our dog of 15 years, telling myself and my girlfriend that we were never going to avoid this happening to him/us. There was no magic formula or pill or procedure that was going to give him to us forever.
And while it didn’t necessarily make us feel better about it, it made enough sense that it helped us cope with the loss with better understanding.
I’m watching my dog get gray in the muzzle and struggling with this myself. Thank you.
Hope it helps.
Well, you can have a dog in your senior years.
Sure, but you will have lost all the others before that. Unless that is your first dog.