I’ll grant this is as much for me as it is for you all, but I imagine I’m not the only one who could use a good laugh around now. You may have seen this already, and you may have mixed feelings about putting animals in the place of humans . . . but, oh, oh, did I laugh at this video!
Anyone know much about it? Meanwhile, enjoy! (I tried to upload the video itself, but the file is too big, so I’m stuck with just providing a link… (although on preview the video played directly, hope you can see it!)
It does bring up an interesting issue which we’ve been discussing in my UW class: that of putting animals in the place of humans for the sake of humor (or making ourselves feel superior?). I’m normally not a fan of such practices, it just doesn’t make me laugh at best, and sometimes it is offensive (sunglasses on Orca whales for example), but the video above had me in stitches.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm. We had a typical March snow a few days ago, the kind I always enjoy because they are so pretty and melt fast. The weather has warmed up a lot since then, and it’s beginning to seem possible that there really might be such a thing as spring. Hard to imagine right now.
Willie is beginning week 4 of life in the crate or on a leash. I won’t belabor it, but it’s no fun for anyone. Hardest on me and Jim, besides feeling heart sick that we can’t explain to him why his life has become so boring, is trying to avoid any movement that might stress his shoulder. Those of you who have been there understand. Some dogs are easier to restrain than others, and I’m afraid Willie is about as hard as a dog can get. But we have our UW appt in a week and a half, all paws crossed, and our house sitter is a vet student, super reliable and dedicated. Whew.
Jim and I get a break, lucky us, we’re going to New York City for a few days. Whee! I have a few meetings, but mostly we’ll be acting like tourists with some good friends. Then it’s back to Chicago for Clicker Expo, which I’m truly looking forward to. I’m speaking Saturday night after the banquet and giving the closing talk Sunday afternoon. On Saturday I talk about Canine Cognition, and on Sunday I’ll be talking about emotional, and why we love dogs so much . I’ll have to get out my own hanky, cuz I’m feeling pretty gooey about Willie right now.
Here’s a photo of the snow from a few days ago:
Pictures of Cardinals in the snow are so trite, but if you’ve been living in black and white for 5 months, I can’t tell you how gorgeous they look!
Susan Mann says
I love this video, love the combo of dog and human. It also shows (imho) a level of training and trust between these particular dogs and humans to be able to pull this off!
jan says
When I watch these it’s easy to forget what I’m really seeing because they are so well done. And the dogs seem to thoroughly enjoy themselves.
Barb says
My sympathies to you, Jim, and Willie on crate and leash restrictions. Had a 6 month old puppy that needed hip replacements and had OCD. So been where you are. Not fun at all. But doable and as the surgeon said, after these few months, he’ll have the rest of his life to run and play.
Anyway, sending positive energies for all of you.
And I’ll see you in Chicago! Going for my first ever Clicker Expo with my girl! Can’t wait! Safe travels!
Kat says
Isn’t humor a funny thing. The one you posted was, to me, just mildly cute but this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWIokbNyIDw really made me laugh and yet the concept behind both videos is the same. There was another one I found one day and unfortunately didn’t save the address but it had the dog/human frosting cookies. That one made me laugh too. Humor is rather inexplicable when you come right down to it.
Poor Willie, and poor Trisha and Jim. Just keep telling yourselves, this too shall pass. Meanwhile, we’ll keep all paws crossed that a cause can be found and easily treated.
Karla Wilson says
Can’t have too much laughter or too many cardinal photos…or too many finger foods on the menu!
Cynthia says
A while back I saw something similar to this video. My initial thought then, and now, is “Wow. What a fantastic ‘leave it.’ We’ve got work to do.” And I think those dogs are being mega rewarded for their leave its! I have a particular disdain for dogs, or any animal, dressed up in clothes or the god awful sunglasses. My dogs have always run naked. But something about this video doesn’t make me cringe. I look at it and think it’s a great trick.
Christina K says
Very funny video! You’re right – I needed a laugh and that was the right touch. See you at Clicker Expo next week – can’t wait.
Joan Cleveland says
Funny video! I have a border collie who would like to eat at the table!Patience with William, my older BC had “knee” surgery last year, 12 weeks in the Xpen and always on-leash was a challenge! Recommended your book (not THE OTHER END OF THE LEASH but the earlier one about training with positve feedback) just last week to friends who are fostering a nippy sheltie; I think they will get the book and apply what they learn.
Lucia :) says
It is a funny video 🙂 and it is a very interesting subject: animals and humour.
I have the feeling this specific video is not actually too disturbing because in some ways it is making fun of humans more than dogs.
I like this aspect.
Both dogs are very good at “interpreting” their part, they seem relaxed so… so the video can become humorous in some way.
And i guess most humorous jokes involving animals are disturbing, at least to me, because we, the audience, know the “actor”, who is an animal, is not aware of the humour she/he is generating; this lack of awareness becomes degrading for the animal who just seems abused.
Most of the jokes involving animals seem mainly grotesque and offensive.
I apologise for any slip of.. keyboard and “thought”, English is not my first language.
Paws crossed for Willie here too.
GDE -California says
LOVE your photos!
Mary says
I think that we often see ourselves in our dogs – or see the things we love (or wish we could love about humans) in our dogs. So seeing them acting like humans like in this video gives us a kind of “A-ha!” sense of confirmation that they can seem so much like us. (Or else, this is just an “explanatory fiction”, my favorite new term!)
Can’t wait to see you at ClickerExpo. I just changed my registration today so that I’ll be attending your talk at Saturday’s dinner. 🙂
Annie R says
I didn’t find this particularly hilarious, just amusing. But I didn’t find it objectionable, either, probably because to me, the funniest part was that the humans, who couldn’t see what the dogs were doing, kept doing really silly things with their hands as they guessed their way through trying to control what the dogs were doing. It seems to me that it was almost poking fun at the genre itself — it’s funny because it’s a goofy example of trying to make a video where dogs have hands, and not quite pulling it off realistically.
Some of the things William Wegman has done are much more amusing and amazing — like the one where the Weimaraner is in a pond, fishing, in a red plaid shirt. The hands, the sequence of what the dog does, etc. are much more realistic than this video, and therefore it’s more fun.
Love the cardinal, by the way — the real beauty of nature is never trite!
Joanne says
Canine olfactory senses with restrained body vs. human opposable thumbs? Looks like the opposable thumbs have it in this round. I’d love to see the same video made again with two hounds turned into the shelter for hyperactivity at 10 months old with no previous training. Now that might actually make me laugh so hard I urinate in the house.
Marcy says
I laughed out loud. Fantastic training, but even then you could tell they had to work a little to keep the bigger dog’s nose out of the plate. I’ve always trained my dogs to eat off of forks or spoons. I was told how silly that was, but sometimes it makes treating a lot easier.
Gretchen Dietz says
I imagine Willie’s life these days feels black and white in many respects. Hope the breath-taking gasp of a red barn and a red bird are in his future soon.
Michy says
I must admit I giggled a few times watching this. I would imagine I could probably get a couple of our dogs to that point if I tried, but I’ll settle for them having a good Leave It (and they aren’t doing too bad) when something hits the floor, and for dogs that calmly lay under the table while we eat.
I feel for poor Willie, and I hope that it will be reasonably easy to fix, as it were. I wish I had all sorts of cool ideas to help you, but you’re probably way ahead of me at that game. Heh. It would be really nice if we could figure out how to tell them these kinds of things, wouldn’t it?
Love the cardinal, I haven’t seen the one that hangs around our yard lately. I hope he/she comes back. I’ve been keeping the bird feeder stocked. Have a wonderful time in NYC!
Jana Rade says
LOL great job, very funny 🙂
Kim says
Can’t wait to see you at ClickerExpo! It’s what made me decide to come, actually!
em says
So sorry about Willie being ‘benched’ for the season. Leash restriction can really be the pits. Here’s hoping he makes a speedy recovery! Lovely photos, as always.
I hate to be the party pooper, but while I can admire the training that went into that video, I have to say that I found it sort of irritating to watch. Both of those dogs are obviously very patient, with a good bond with their humans, and neither seemed stressed, but all I could think was, “get your hands out of that poor dog’s face.” I can’t for the life of me explain why I found it so irksome…I touch Otis’ face, after all. But, then, I don’t shove or tap or pull on it, and I definitely don’t do it when I can’t actually see him. I don’t mean to be accusatory, the people in the video seemed gentle, and the dogs seemed fine, but rather than being funny to me, it just struck me as an example of people pestering dogs for their own amusement.
jackie says
I did find it funny and the dogs look relaxed. I don’t think it’s really much different to some of the impulse control and handling games I play with my dog – it’s just dressed up to look amusing instead of like dog training.
My dog makes us laugh a lot. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It’s one of the reasons we put up with him!
Heidi Meinzer says
I love the high level of restraint these dogs showed with food sitting in front of them! Our poor lab Boomer would not have lasted two seconds, I’m afraid!
If you like that video, there is a famous Golden Retriever named Ginger starring in many similar videos. You can check out some of them here: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ginger+the+Golden+Retriever&aq=f
Best of luck to you and Willie, and have a great time at the Clicker Expo!
trisha says
Lucia & Annie: You make such a good point that somehow the video is making as much of humans as it is of dogs.. I think you found the reason I liked it so much.
Mary & Kim: Come up and say hi at Clicker Expo!
Gus says
Am new to your website, NOT to your books. Love them. Sorry about Willie. I hope all goes well for all of you. Hey–if you DO come up w/some great non-active (recovery) activities to do w/Willie, I’d love for you to share them. I’ll keep checking back. My own lab mix just had a CCL surgery and is recovering. Thanks for the laughs and all the great info!!!
Carolyn Tremblay says
Thought this video could make an interesting blog post http://www.youtube.com/user/foodplot
Classic example of humans assuming the dog feels guilty. He probably just knows he is trouble for something. The other disturbing part at the end is he punishes the dog by sending him to his kennel. Crate as punishment?
The lab’s facial expressions really are funny though. My golden used to smirk when she was frightened or worried. Made me think of poor timid little Twinkie.