I should never watch movies about dogs

[One Tin Soldier]

They are always sad and I can't take it. I don't know why I feel the need to say this, maybe it's a form of therapy, so I'm going to tell you random internet people.

There is nothing I can think of in this world that will bring even a single tear to my eye with one exception, sad stuff about dogs. It gets to me every time. If I hear about terrible human suffering I might feel sorry for them and depressed but it doesn't have a heavy impact on me. If I watch a sad movie about a dog I actually cry.

It's a lot worse since my last dog died. We were together for 15 years. Because I live and work on a farm/ranch we were together almost 24/7. The major exception was that I eventually started locking him in the house when I was doing field work because he would follow me through the fields for hours which was pointless and dangerous.

I've had dogs my entire life and I loved them all but that last one was special. He was, without doubt, the smartest dog I've ever had. He was also fanatically loyal to me. We had little adventures together tromping around. Whatever I was doing (other than field work) he was right there with me. I really miss him.

He died in 2020. My hand was on him when he gasped his last breath. Four plus years later I watched a movie about some dog in Australia and it made me think about my old dog and I cried again after four years. There is probably something abnormal about me, I don't know.

I will probably regret posting this. I will most likely feel silly and embarrassed later but whatever.

[Ciderpress]

I completely understand, I get irrationally attached to pets too. Just remember it's irrational- they are just animals and more specifically carnivores. My cute poocho or cat buddy would gladly eat my dead body if I died in my sleep and they didn't get their kibble in the morning. Always remember this cold reality when anthropomorphizing cute animals.

But yes, I get it. Homeward bound wrecked me and that has a happy ending. Don't even get me started on the fox and the hound, which is a f*ckin cartoon no less, but it's way sadder a story than any stupid human tragedy ever I don't even care fight me.

[Ciderpress]

Where the red fern grows? Harrrrd nope. Can't do it.

[loramin]

I'll just leave this here.

2bldupcptbE

[Duik]

Dogs are literally selectively bred neotenous versions of wolves remember.
Translation: I like babies but I cant emotionally afford to admit it, even to random internet people.

Also, the boggle eyed cross breed Pug Russell or Jack Puggle sits quietly on my lap twitching as if in a doggy dream. Stritches sometimes wake it temporarily, it looks up with her reverse crosseyed stare, blinks and slips back to sleep and the awww moment is done.

I didnt get a wave of the feelz, you did.

Stupid random internet human elliciting emotional responses from me!

Looking up the word for reverse crosseyedness...
Strabismus is just eyes that dont work well together, be it inward or outward.

[loramin]

Dogs are literally selectively bred neotenous versions of wolves remember.
Translation: I like babies but I cant emotionally afford to admit it, even to random internet people.



They've done studies about it, eg. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/animal-welfare/article/that-brachycephalic-look-infantlike-facial-appearance-in-shortmuzzled-dog-breeds/EC095C299EA847D2A6BB49373044B1D8

Brachycephalic dog breeds are highly popular, yet their conformation-related disorders represent a major welfare concern. It has been suggested that the current popularity of such breeds can be explained by their cute, infant-like facial appearances. The concept of ‘kindchenschema’ refers to the observation that certain physical features of infant humans and other animals can automatically stimulate positive and nurturant feelings in adult observers. But the proposal that brachycephalic dogs possess heightened ‘kindchenschema’ facial features, even into adulthood, has never been formally investigated. Here, we hypothesised that relative muzzle shortening across a range of breeds would be associated with known ‘kindchenschema’ facial features, including a relatively larger forehead, larger eyes and smaller nose. Relative fronto-facial feature sizes in exemplar photographs of adult dogs from 42 popular breeds were measured and associated with existing data on the relative muzzle length and height-at-withers of the same breeds. Our results show that, in adulthood, shorter-muzzled breeds have relatively larger (taller) foreheads and relatively larger eyes (i.e. area of exposed eyeball relative to overall face area) than longer-muzzled breeds, and that this effect is independent of breed size. In sum, brachycephalic dog breeds do show exaggeration of some, but not all, known fronto-facial ‘kindchenschema’ features, and this may well contribute to their apparently cute appearance and to their current popularity as companion animals. We conclude that the challenge of addressing conformation-related disorders in companion dogs needs to take account of the cute, ‘kindchenschema’ looks that many owners are likely to be attracted to.

So yeah, the similarity to baby faces (and our own evolutionary hard-wiring to like baby faces) is a part of why we like dogs ... but I think the connection people have with their dogs goes far beyond just that one aspect of their appearance.

[Duik]

Four plus years later I watched a movie about some dog in Australia and it made me think about my old dog and

On netflix is a show calles Muster dogs. Kelpies learning and working. No sad ending just farmers and their dogs competing and cooperating.

Just skim read your post loramin agree wholeheartedly, especially that last sentence. Its never that simple. Im no scientist but i did (on simpler level) work that out for myself.

OP. You are not weird mate i have tears in my eyes right now, albiet from when i accidentally rubbed my eyeball with a disinfectant coated cloth wipe trying to treat the bridge of my nose.

[Duik]

Our results show that, in adulthood, shorter-muzzled breeds have relatively larger (taller) foreheads and relatively larger eyes (i.e. area of exposed eyeball relative to overall face area) than longer-muzzled breeds, and that this effect is independent of breed size

That perfectly describes the lil pug russell we have right now. Hilariously comic, like a cross between a boggle eyed goldfish and a small dog.

I joke with the kids that her eyes have their own gravitational effect.

[magnetaress]

I cried watching ghost busters movie. Probably the estrogen.

Keep on tldr ing on tho. It's good for you.

Dog movies are super sad. Torture etc... triggering...

[magnetaress]

If it makes you feel anybetter. I gave this thread 5 stars.

[Duik]

And you dumb bitches now got me goin off.
I love me a guitar video. Dave groll was performing *somewhere* and a kid is brought to the stage about 8 -10ys old is offered a guitar and says to groll do you know any metallica songs I know lots and preceeds to play enter sandman.
Now I know it was set the fuck up but when that kid busts out the riff and groll smashes the lyrics it fucking ripped me a new one. Just remembering it tears me up.
So fuck off, there is dust.
Five stars indeed magnet.

[Reiwa]

I completely understand, I get irrationally attached to pets too. Just remember it's irrational- they are just animals and more specifically carnivores. My cute poocho or cat buddy would gladly eat my dead body if I died in my sleep and they didn't get their kibble in the morning. Always remember this cold reality when anthropomorphizing cute animals.

But yes, I get it. Homeward bound wrecked me and that has a happy ending. Don't even get me started on the fox and the hound, which is a f*ckin cartoon no less, but it's way sadder a story than any stupid human tragedy ever I don't even care fight me.

nl8o9PsJPAQ

[One Tin Soldier]

As I predicted I started feeling foolish about an hour after posting that. Oh well.

To respond to some of the stuff in this thread:

I don't believe people like dogs just because of the way they look. Yes, that is part of it. Personally, I believe that it wasn't just people selecting dogs for traits we liked. I believe that our relationship with dogs also had an evolutionary effect on us.

Think how long dogs have been with us. Native Americans had dogs before Europeans arrived which means they brought them to the Americas. Conservatively that happened at least 12,000 years ago.

Having dogs around gave humans some major advantages. Which means that groups of humans who liked dogs and were good with dogs did better than groups of humans who didn't like them. Which means the selective pressures went both ways. We shaped dogs but they also shaped us. At least to some degree.

As a side note I don't like the fact that people deliberately breed defects into dogs. I feel it's wrong. It also bothers me some that most dogs now are not selected for positive traits but rather are selected purely for some arbitrary standard of morphology and coloration. For the way they look and nothing else.

[Ciderpress]

You shouldn't feel foolish at all. To be clear I was trying to offer some kind of cold rational exit ramp for this kind of grief, cause I fully relate to how hard it can be. I have a cat, and he's awesome and I know he's gonna die eventually, and when he does I'll be inconsolable for... probably a year? Maybe two. It sucks.

[Evia]

i saw a trailer for a mark wahlberg movie where he's like some kind of marathon runner and finds a dog and even the trailer had me teary eyed.

so yeah op i get it.

[Duik]

Nice one cider.
Never feel foolish for showing your humanity.

[Elizondo]

Man's best friend

There is no shame

[Toxigen]

I didn't watch the movie, but the book is fantastic.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

[Duik]

So if he wins does that make him the raining champion?

[magnetaress]

Don't feel foolish for making a halfway decent thread.