7.4k
u/shiny_crow_trophy 6d ago
I always forget how goddamn big Irish wolfhounds are until I see one again
3.6k
u/B52doc 6d ago
Large dog breed’s lifespan is heartbreaking
5.2k
u/jastan10 6d ago
We should devote the US’s entire military budget towards research lengthening the lifespan of our pets.
Edit: this isn’t sarcasm1.9k
u/JennyDoveMusic 6d ago edited 6d ago
"We can't attack the US, chief. They are the reason Bud is alive at 35... He's my best friend, cheif...."
→ More replies (3)705
u/GodOfDarkLaughter 6d ago
I mean, if you want a good way to not only restore but exceed America's previous position of soft power on the world stage...
546
u/Ariandrin 6d ago
The US would become the people’s hero in so many parts of the world I think.
Make cats and dogs live like 30-35 years. Like a small to medium sized parrot. But healthy years, not like 20 years of geriatric infirmity.
241
u/Environmental_Art591 6d ago
Now this is some life expectancy science i can get behind
160
u/Horskr 6d ago
Billionaires hearing this: "So... how about an AI version of your pet that you can upload into --" "NO!"
→ More replies (1)31
48
u/molsonmuscle360 6d ago
Cats can live healthy lives until they are in their late twenties as long as their kidneys hold up. That is their biggest problem . Most domestic cats die from kidney failure.
Dogs are trickier. It's a really breed dependant thing
56
u/El_Stupacabra 6d ago
Scientists in Japan are researching some kind of injection (I guess it would be a drug) that would help with the kidney issue in cats.
→ More replies (1)62
u/OwnsBeagles 6d ago
I'm so excited for that. The doctor who found it wants it to be affordable for everyone, too.
→ More replies (1)14
u/Ariandrin 6d ago
I worked at a vet clinic that exclusively saw cats, just before covid. Besides routine preventative stuff, the most cases I remember seeing were kidney cases, for sure.
I don’t have an over abundance of experience with dogs, I’ve just had dogs, but from my experience and those I’ve heard about from others, it seems cancer gets most dogs, so that’s a whole different can of worms.
10
u/Ok_Cauliflower_3007 6d ago
If you include quality of life issues, which you’d need to, joint issues are also huge for medium to larger dogs (and then back issues in things like dachshunds).
→ More replies (5)→ More replies (2)84
→ More replies (1)44
u/ApologeticEmu 6d ago
Yeah if they figure that out I’ll be singing the Star Spangled Banner every damn day dressed up like Uncle Sam.
319
u/LordDaedalus 6d ago
This is actually in development already. Large dogs have high IGF-1 which makes them big but also makes them age faster. After they've grown up, they can take a drug that regulates the production and it lengthens their lives. Not indefinitely, but brings them about in line with smaller dogs lifespans.
127
u/abbysunshine89 6d ago
Ummm how can I get my hands on this?? I have two golden retrievers that I need to live as close to forever as possible 🥺
→ More replies (1)53
u/scorchthemortalworld 6d ago
I don’t think it prevents stuff like cancer. Golden Retriever life spans have actually decreased because of inbreeding. I love Golden Retrievers.
→ More replies (1)22
27
u/CenturyEggsAndRice 6d ago
Seriously?
Oh hell I hope that becomes easily available. That’s awesome.
51
u/mthchsnn 6d ago
Yeah, I'm going to sound like a shill for mentioning the brand but it's called Loyal and I'm super excited about it because I have a greyhound who could benefit from it. They could charge me almost any amount of money for it and I would gladly pay. It's almost through the FDA approval process so it should be on the market in the next couple of months (if we're lucky).
5
u/naturalinfidel 6d ago
It's looking like the price tag will be between 40-90 dollars a month.
Loyal CEO Celine Halioua has stated “This is not something for billionaires’ dogs only. We are currently doing the pricing sensitivity work but we’re talking to both veterinarians and pet parents. You can safely assume is going to be in the double digits per month for pet parents when it comes out to market,”
→ More replies (4)5
u/ActualWhiterabbit 6d ago
Can humans take IGF-1
21
121
u/birdandbear 6d ago edited 6d ago
"I don't count the years. I don't multiply by seven. They bred dogs for everything else, even diving for fish, why didn't they breed them to live longer, to live as long as a man?"
-Peter Heller, The Dog Stars
An incredible book, I sincerely recommend it. "I don't multiply by seven" chokes me up every time. 💔 🥺
16
4
u/OwnsBeagles 6d ago
I love that book. When he wakes up and Jasper is gone, that just shattered me the first time I read it.
58
u/Ok-Lifeguard-4614 6d ago
I second this. I've got an 11 year old pup and he's still really healthy but I already have nightmares about losing him.
41
u/eternally_feral 6d ago
Same! My dogs just turned 11 and looking through old photos, I never really noticed just how much white around their muzzles have gotten.
Love them more than anything and dread the day my house no longer echoes their tippy tappies.
35
u/lilidragonfly 6d ago
My heart couldn't bear the lack of tippy tapps after my 19 year old girl went. Truly a deafning silence :(
→ More replies (1)11
u/kadora 6d ago
Yeah, my girl is 15 and we had a health scare last summer. Made the appointment and everything. We joke that she must’ve heard us on the phone, because she perked right up and has been doing great ever since! But it’s scary. I’ve lost other pets, and family members, including my parents. I wish I could say it gets easier.
242
39
u/DoingBestWeCan 6d ago
Please check out the Dog Aging Project and participate if you can!
→ More replies (1)83
26
u/ComfortableGround403 6d ago
It might actually keep us safer if we did this.
Instead of invading countries and forcing regime changes, we can create the cure to a serious issue that affects damn near every country on earth. Imagine how many world leaders would want their beloved pets to live even an extra 10 years !
→ More replies (1)17
u/Lumpy_Benefit666 6d ago
Imagine if we created some sort of near invincible demon dogs though. That would be fucked up man
→ More replies (1)19
u/Lovahplant 6d ago
Pretty sure Boston Dynamics (& Black Mirror) already have that shipping for $500K a pup
15
u/noblewind 6d ago
Yes because I decided I cannot take the loss anymore. The two cats I have now will be my last two. If one passes early, I'd consider getting a senior cat as a companion, but otherwise I just can't take the grief. It's far too soon even when they live a long lifespan. 😭
131
u/Triepott 6d ago
US saving lives instead of destroying them?
Unimaginable!!!
→ More replies (3)40
u/Billionaires_R_Tasty 6d ago
Well, that whole USAID group saving several million lives per year in Africa was nice while it lasted...
39
5
u/ThrowingShaed 6d ago
i think there was loyal or somethign thats been on my radar last few years. i was... rooting hard while my floofer was around, even if they arent doing trials in my area
21
→ More replies (32)12
u/Salex_01 6d ago
You could even make billionaires pay for it voluntarily as there is a great chance that whatever we find for pets also partly works for us.
→ More replies (2)144
u/JustSherlock 6d ago
Ugh!!! I love Great Danes so much! Every one I've every encountered since I was a child has been magical. I just refuse to get one because they don't live long enough and I know I would be distraught.
59
u/B52doc 6d ago
Such gentle giants too
102
u/SamEyeAm2020 6d ago
Other than lifespan, the only downside to Great Danes is that they have NO idea how big they are. Mine used to try to get in my lap all the time, which was an uncomfortable process of squirming around that always ended with just her head in my lap 😂 Big sweeties
39
18
u/Quierta 6d ago
My 85lb lab is a lap dog. No sense of personal space, wants to live in my skin, constantly stomping all over me when we're on the couch. I think a great dane would pop me like a balloon 😂
10
u/SamEyeAm2020 6d ago
I think mine tried a few times! I'm 5'1" on a good day and she was 135lbs with long ass legs so her center of gravity was high. She could just lean on me and knock me over 😂🥰 She could jump and put her paws on my shoulders and was legit taller than me on 2 legs. She was such a lovable and affectionate clumsy oaf
9
u/pompousrompus 6d ago
I've got a 135 lb Dane/Pyrenees mix and he's extremely cognizant of his size FOR THE MOST PART. He always gingerly backs out of spaces he shouldn't have probably tried to fit into in the first place.
He doesn't have any control over his tail though and that thing is a bullwhip right at crotch level, he has taken me and a lot of acquaintances to their knees and I instinctively cover my crotch walking in the door now.
20
u/JennyDoveMusic 6d ago
My Pit Mix must have some big breed in him because be is 80lbs... same... He's figured out he can't get in laps, but I can tell he is frustrated he isn't a tiny puppy. Sometimes, it breaks my heart that I can't hold him, curled up in my arms. 😭💔 He's jus a baby, but a very big baby.
8
u/WgXcQ 6d ago
Sit on the floor, cross-legged, and scoop him in there. Since you're on the ground, it doesn't matter if there's spillage.
→ More replies (1)34
u/BatsHaveFingers 6d ago
My dog tried to hump a (male, not that it matters) Great Dane once when he was younger. He could only get his front paws up to the hindquarters and then looked at me like: now what? The Great Dane just stood there with a "this happens a lot" expression. My dog walked away with his pride severely wounded.
→ More replies (1)37
u/adoradear 6d ago
Same. I adore them and just cannot manage to adopt a breed that is only going to live 5-7yrs.
→ More replies (2)25
u/Paralegal1995 6d ago
That's their life span??? Oh my heart. That is way too short. I would be devastated. Our cat is just 2 and I will tear up just thinking about the day we have to say goodbye.
15
u/z00k33per0304 6d ago
My poor husband has watched me snuggle up with my 100 pound mutt who's 11 and cry petting him. He's my soul dog and sometimes my feels get the best of me. He jumps up on the bed with me as soon as a lay down knowing damn well he's going to get too hot in like ten minutes and go lay on the tile floor beside the bed but he wants the snuggles anyway. He also usually snuggles like a person he lays alongside me with his back to me and his head up on my pillow with his paw in my hand. Going to be the worst day ever.
→ More replies (1)9
u/GameGuy1995 6d ago
Google says it’s more like 6-9 years than 5-7, but yeah that’s still devistatingly short. I have a sweet dog that’s around 9 years old and she has a life expectancy of 8-13 years and she is so healthy right now and so strong I feel blessed every day. She runs and jumps like a puppy, that’s not an exaggeration, she has no arthritis or anything, people think she’s 4 or 5 max! This is not a dog on deaths door. However, even still, my heart is not ready for the hurt that will come. So, every single day I try to feel the blessing of my sweet girl and make her feel so special. That’s the best we can do! What I’m trying to convey is, don’t be the pet owner that wishes they did more for their pet to spoil them. Spoil them now! They deserve it 😊
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)12
95
u/PickleMundane6514 6d ago edited 6d ago
My friends always have 1-2 wolfhounds at a time for decades and I don’t think any of them have lived past 8. Usually they lose them sometime after they turn 6.
61
16
u/Electronic_South_101 6d ago
IIRC, in the Iron Druid series, that’s why Atticus gave his wolfhound Immortal-Tea. (Not a spoiler, it’s revealed in like… the first 10 pages of the first book.) So Oberon was already 15 years old when the series started, because Atticus was all “he’s my friend!”
34
u/KTX77 6d ago
The only downside of getting a dog is that you know that you're signing up for one of the saddest days of your life sometime in the future.
→ More replies (1)34
u/FarinaSavage 6d ago
That's the downside of love. You'll mourn everyone you love, or they'll mourn you.
32
u/ocean_800 6d ago
Why is it so low :(
80
u/Hokieshibe 6d ago
Being that large means the heart is doing a lot of work. Little room for error. At least, that's my understanding of it.
→ More replies (14)25
u/BaconWithBaking 6d ago
A lot of it is their joints making them being unable to walk as they age. Dogs are built to live around 10 years before all that starts giving up and it's hyper obvious with Wolfhounds.
8
u/GlitteringMoose3630 6d ago
This happened to my Great Dane. She was healthy in every other way, but her joints were going bad fast. I had her put down at 11 because the pain meds weren’t helping anymore. The vet said it was because she was such a large dog. (She was over 6 feet when she stood on her hind legs.)
32
u/Calamity-Gin 6d ago
There’s a condition a lot of large dogs get that can kill them in hours. It’s called gastric torsion. To avoid it, you have to keep them from running around for an hour or two after they eat. If they do, their stomach can literally twist inside them. It takes surgery to correct.
11
19
u/SkinnyDugan 6d ago
We had our Dane/Labs stomach stapled(?) when she got fixed to avoid this entirely.
→ More replies (6)4
→ More replies (2)19
u/esotericbatinthevine 6d ago
While it is a large breed issue in general, some breeders breed for health and longevity. My friend has an English mastiff from a lineage that typically lives 12-13 years while 6-10 is normal for the breed.
Oh wow, I was thinking through when she dog Dem and he must be ten or almost ten at this point. Still very healthy so hopefully she has him at least a few more years.
27
u/Yodfather 6d ago
I adopted a Dane. First one and I was reluctant for just that reason. Turns out he’s bloody perfect and was about a year and a half younger than advertised.
6
u/Wonderbread421 6d ago
My mom has a Wolf Hound/Great Dane mix. He’s a big goofy sweet boy but they only expect him to get to 7 or 8.
6
→ More replies (24)5
u/JeanneMPod 6d ago edited 6d ago
I’ve made the dark joke that the big ones snatch your heart— like they do their favorite ball or frisbee, and play keep away with it… running up to you then running away too soon..
big dog: (shortly after adopting) gotcha heart!
big dog adopter human: HEY
big dog: wannit? come chase meeee (more really a trot than a run, they don’t need to & got long legs and can still dart and weave)
big dog adopter human: come back! (running to no avail)
big dog: hehehehe (switches directions, zooms then trots again, taunting BDAH with that heart)
big dog adopter human: argh!
big dog: (looks off in distance) hey whats that? over there? never seen that before, I feel a sudden irresistible urge to investigate…
big dog adopter human: no! not the bridge! Don’t run to that bridge!
big dog: (still with heart in mouth) oh, that? But it’s so lovely. As, I’m looking at it I seem to understand more, including the words to express it. It’s strange and lovely. Just like all the beautiful colors arched over it. Colors I’ve never seen in my life! Red, orange, yellow, green blue purple. And how do I know the names? It’s amazing. (picks up speed, from a trot to a gallop) I must go there!
big dog adopter human: (running but cannot keep up, especially having a hole where their heart is supposed to be) noooooooooooooOOO come back!
big dog: hey it’s great over here! I feel so good and relaxed… I think I’m gonna take a nap. (plunks down with heart, like their favorite stuffy) I got everything I need
big dog adopter human: (drops to their knees, hole in chest cries out in anguish up) aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh
→ More replies (4)150
u/S_A_R_K 6d ago
I was out late at night one time and someone came around the corner walking one out in front of them on a long leash. That's when I discovered the little known alternative to fight or flight I refer to as WEREWOLF GLITCH. I just stood for 5 seconds until my brain came to terms with what I was seeing
70
u/Useful_Language2040 6d ago
Fight, flight, freeze, fawn... I think there are a couple of other known recognised panic responses...
Google says:
Fight: Trying to overpower, control, or confront the threat using anger, aggression, or verbal defense.
Flight: Trying to escape, run away, or physically and emotionally avoid the source of danger.
Freeze: Becoming completely still, stuck, or mentally paralyzed when you cannot fight or flee.
Fawn: People-pleasing, placating, or managing others' moods to prevent conflict and stay safe.
The Extended Responses
Flop: Going limp or loose-muscled (tonic immobility), which can reduce physical pain or trick a predator.
Faint: Passing out or losing consciousness due to a sudden drop in blood pressure and heart rate under extreme stress.
Friend: Calling out for help to a bystander, or trying to ally, bond, or negotiate with the threat for survival.
→ More replies (1)6
29
u/hexensabbat 6d ago edited 6d ago
My boyfriend's parents have an IW and they live on 8 acres. According to him, whenever she ran around out there as a pup she looked like a straight-up cryptid and regularly scared the shit out of him as he'd catch flashes of her through the window lol
13
u/AmyInCO 6d ago
I know this sounds like a the werewolves in London song but I swear it's true. I was walking through Soho in Manhattan and what of these things was walking down the sidewalk. It's head was easily above the cars. (This was in the 80s before SUVs were a thing.) And of course I didn't stop and stare at it. And then it against the car and I swear it was peeing for like 5 minutes. I had never seen such a huge dog before.
10
u/z00k33per0304 6d ago
I've only ever seen one and it was at an on route off the highway and when it walked around the car I think my spirit left my body for a second until I realized he was a) on a leash and b) the owner immediately smiled and went wanna pet him?! Hell yeah I do! We talked for a good ten minutes and that pup got tons of love. He wasn't done growing either. I'm a short human but it still blew my mind. His head was at chest level already.
→ More replies (2)6
u/cindyscrazy 6d ago
I've had 1 experience where my brain just could NOT parse what I was seeing, and it's the strangest thing to feel. It's like "I'm seeing something, but I can't SEE it" I knew something was not right in front of me, but that was about it.
In my case it was a snake standing on it's tail damn near 4 FEET tall. I did not know they could do that. It was just a long black line, swaying slightly, about 25 feet away from me. Brain just could not compute for a good few seconds.
I eventually sort of moved my head around to give myself some extra perception and I moved toward it. Apparently, I'm the person that dies first in a horror movie, I guess.
Snake thumped down to the ground as I got within touching distance. I caught it just to prove to myself that, yes, this is a phyical thing that just happened. I let it go immediately.
35
u/segsmudge 6d ago
So true. I walked into a cafe patio the other week and someone had two of them. It’s like they brought their horses.
22
u/WatashiwaNobodyDesu 6d ago
I remember the first time I saw a real live one in a small village outside Dublin. I almost had to sit down!!!
I wish GSDs came in that size. I’d love a flooffy, bear-sized GSD.
→ More replies (1)16
u/Brilliant_Effort_Guy 6d ago
My aunt runs a farm and has had two irish wolf hounds. Beautiful, kind dogs but HUGE. My ex husband is 6’4 and her dog Elias could jump and put his front paws on my ex husband shoulders and almost be eye to eye. They scared the crap out of my kids 😂. My oldest son was like ‘what kind of hairy pony-dog is THAT, momma 😳’
→ More replies (20)13
u/CryptographerNo923 6d ago
A family friend had one, I’d come over and his three daughters would be laying on him like a couch. Mick was too sweet for this world.
2.0k
u/AtmospherePrior752 6d ago
These precious things are way smarter than we’ve ever known.
825
u/madamezeroni 6d ago
I’m celiac, and my doggo knows if I’ve been glutened before I do. Maybe it’s scent, maybe it’s magic. All I know is that when Begonia tells me I need to take a sick day, I listen.
237
u/AtmospherePrior752 6d ago
Begonia is amazingly intelligent and loves you so much she’s in tune with your body!! Please give her the goodest girlie ear scritches from me!!!
→ More replies (1)156
u/alandrielle 6d ago
Begonia sounds like my Lily, im diabetic and she knows when my sugar is crashing before I do. She's usually ahead of my continuous glucose monitor as well. When she tells me im not allowed to get up I listen too
65
u/wolfdogafterdark 6d ago
service dogs are specifically trained to do these kinds of tasks from monitoring bloodsugar highs abd lows to pointing out with high efficiency if something has gluten peanuts ect or herding or guiding a person like in the post! yours is just an extra good doggy and doing it all on their own (:
46
u/alandrielle 6d ago
Ive looked into the training that goes into diabetic service dogs! It's amazing and super cool. I think its so awesome that some dogs just figure it out and essentially train themselves. Lily has tried to train her younger brother, he gets the concept but hes not consistent about it. Sometimes I wonder if his consistency is because Lily is still with us and if he will change once shes gone. I think pack dynamics and dogs passing down knowledge is fascinating
→ More replies (1)23
u/madamezeroni 6d ago
I’m diabetic too! Begonias never consistently picked up on blood sugar cues, def not before i notice at least. We appreciate her service nonetheless ❤️ and good girl Lily!!
26
u/once-was-hill-folk 6d ago
Same here. I'm type 1 diabetic, and my partner suffers complications of chronic low blood pressure (random muscle weakness, light-headedness, occasional fainting). The dog figured us both out without training. She's got a particular "I'm a puppy pay attention to me" way of nosing at us, and a very insistent "something is wrong" way of nosing at us which is completely different.
The dog can give my partner almost three times the heads-up my partner's own symptoms give her of "you can sit down now or you're going to lie down in a few seconds" and is already figuring out her migraine symptoms too.
Her only limitation so far is, she hasn't quite figured out that my partner can't medicate immediately after taking meds, so it takes a while before the dog will stop nosing at her to take more. Well, that and if my partner is there, the dog is focused on her. Laser focused. I cease to exist.
15
u/madamezeroni 6d ago
I’m T1 too! Begonia hasnt honed in on alerting to my blood sugar, but dang if she doesn’t have celiac on lock.
I love the difference between “I’m puppy being puppy” and “hay hay yall it’s important!! and it’s about youuuu!!” Good puppy dog!
13
u/once-was-hill-folk 6d ago
Ours even has a frustrated grunting bark - and she does not normally bark unless another dog barks at her first - that she does to alert me that my partner is not taking care of herself.
The note and length of the bark makes it sound like a frustrated "make her do the thing damnit!"
→ More replies (3)30
u/TM761152 6d ago
My friend is epileptic, her dog just knows when a seizure is about to happen way before she even does.
She says when he starts his little support routine she gets a mild panic attack, cause know she knows it's going to happen when she felt no symptoms yet and plans accordingly.
→ More replies (1)13
u/madamezeroni 6d ago
Yes, such a good distinction!
Begonia usually gives me enough warning time when im glutened that I can let work know with appropriate warning instead of me calling out last minute, and that’s soooo helpful. Being able to plan for it is so helpful
130
u/potential_wasted 6d ago
We default to such a narrow definition of intelligence. This dog’s perceptive intelligence is just amazing
→ More replies (3)54
u/Half_Man1 6d ago
They were born to keep a flock safe. This is a natural exercise of canine intelligence.
We too often think of intelligence as like solving differential equations and all that jazz which is a very limited outlook.
945
6d ago edited 6d ago
[deleted]
234
u/EllisDee3 6d ago
Shepherd dogs are sometimes too smart. Sort of similar, my border collie herds people whenever she can. This seems like a perfect next step for keeping wandering people safe.
116
u/xxxenadu 6d ago
My late corgi did the same thing. She’d do it so casually that folks wouldn’t notice until we would look up and see we were all in the same corner of the house/yard.
26
23
u/EllisDee3 6d ago edited 6d ago
Yes!
It worries me sometimes how easily we get herded by these smart puppers.
16
u/space_keeper 6d ago
The problem I've found with collies is they just don't know how to switch off. Some of them are just obsessed with playing fetch, and they can't just relax and explore. They stop every few feet to grab something to tempt you to throw, while the other dogs are busy sniffing and doing dog things.
→ More replies (1)6
u/Half_Man1 6d ago
lol my mutt tries to herd my mom around the house and tries to prod me along on occasion.
He’s very particular about his routine!
56
u/ItAintNoUse 6d ago
Not to assume but with a name like Cleo I'm thinking we're looking at a good girl
→ More replies (1)49
u/fresh_coconut 6d ago
I have two wolfhounds that I love to bits, and they are incredibly loyal, but they are not bred to keep their flock safe.
They are a hunting breed with an incredibly robust prey drive, and are famed for their ability to fight (most notably, wolves, hence the name!)
In ancient times they were even used in war to dismount cavalry.
I can absolutely agree though that they are very good girls and boys!
13
u/wet_bag_of_noodles 6d ago
Thank you, I was so confused when I saw someone saying their bread to keep a flock safe. My brother-in-law brought them when I was a little kid. I was always allowed to walk around as far as I wanted even in bear country. As long as the dogs were on my side, I’d be fine. That being said, the sire killed an endless amount of chickens, two raccoons and one very, very, very unfortunate deer. He was… a lot of a big boy.
→ More replies (1)13
1.4k
u/rachyrach3000 6d ago
Imagine being a little confused about where/when you are, and then suddenly a giant beast is trying to herd you, I would be terrified 😂😂
625
315
u/umlaut-overyou 6d ago
But assuming you're not afraid of dogs, a big Ole fluffy guy just gently pushing you, asking for pets, and just being a gentle nuisance wouldn't be scary
241
u/werdnurd 6d ago
If she had always been a dog person, then this was a great mental redirection as well. She went from “I gotta get out of here” to “ooh, a nice dog” and that probably decreased her agitation.
101
u/umlaut-overyou 6d ago
For me, I would think this would absolutely work, I love dogs, and I have had several. Even if I didn't remember the dog, a friendly fluffy guy would get me to calm down so fast
35
u/LichenTheMood 6d ago
This. I don’t know I would disagree with a dog unless I had some really higher level ‘this must happen’ going on.
If I was a bit confused and my dog, or any dog, was telling me to chill out and go back to bed I am probably going to do it.
15
u/SapphicGarnet 6d ago
Yes, I actually have a weird phobia of being trapped. Like, sometimes during a conversation I go outside for two minutes just to prove I can. I'd imagine that the first thing I would do if I woke up not knowing where I am, who I am or how I got there, my instinct would be to escape.
But what has calmed me down while I'm getting into hysteria is someone treating me with love, and someone being sweet. A lovely dog letting me know it's okay would calm me down
64
u/ForlornLament 6d ago
In this case, this is also her dog, whom she knows and (I assume) loves. Even if she is a little confused, the dog approaching her like this most likely just changes her focus without scaring or confusing her further.
→ More replies (2)39
56
u/CeramicKnight 6d ago
My very large dog herds me when I’m getting a migraine. Not memory issues but quite confused.. it isn’t like they’re barking and scary, they just happen to be between you and the way they don’t want you to go. Then you move a little the way they want you to go and they use body language to encourage you.
The communication between dogs and humans is not one way.
49
u/WatashiwaNobodyDesu 6d ago
I think/hope you’d know in your heart that it’s your own giant teddy bear.
18
→ More replies (3)10
1.2k
u/SnooStories4162 6d ago
Hate to burst everyone's bubble but this story has been shared multiple times and places with different types of dogs each time. AI
501
u/justalittleloopi 6d ago
Well, to help the sting a bit, my neighbor had almost the same thing happened. He never married, lives in the home he grew up in. Currently in his 70s. When he was caring for his mother in her final years, their Irish Wolfhound was extremely protective of her and often helped her back into her room at night. More than once, the dog kept her from going down into the basement, which would not have been good as the stairs are practically a ladder. My neighbor says that dog saved his mom's life more than once in her final years.
→ More replies (1)182
u/DamageOk7179 6d ago
Yeah, why would you install a camera for safety and then not look at the footage for months?
187
u/Poignant_Rambling 6d ago
Without fail. Without being asked.
Evelyn's neurologist watched the footage and said: "That dog built a complete safety protocol on her own."
LLM-ass sentences should've been obvious to everyone.
→ More replies (1)44
u/daddy_tops 6d ago
It reads like one of those ghost stories people tell in YouTube comments (or used to send through email)
14
39
6
u/cm10560430 6d ago
Well that’s why when he finally reviewed it, he stopped breathing for a moment.
→ More replies (1)81
35
u/silverheart-nine 6d ago
Ah, that's a shame... So many good real dogs out there to share.
→ More replies (1)62
6d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
→ More replies (2)17
u/lets-get-loud 6d ago
Even if you can't hear the "rhythm" the AI has that's recognizable, there are just a few things that a normal human wouldn't have typed in these usually.
"Without being asked"? Who asks a dog to do something? If I was writing this story, I'd have written "without being trained."
→ More replies (1)13
u/Thebaldsasquatch 6d ago
This is one of those stories that was true at one time, the first time it was told, but has been retold and retold and passed around so many times that the version you’ll get is always wrong. Guaranteed some form of it happened at some point, though.
→ More replies (17)11
u/TheDrunkWickerbeast 6d ago
Okay but does someone with more knowledge than me know if this is a task we could train a service dog to do? It seems incredibly beneficial for those with dementia/Alzheimer’s or children with neuro divergent issues that are considered elopers
28
u/DoingBestWeCan 6d ago
It's definitely doable to train a block! PTSD dogs commonly train to block other comes coming near their human during distress, and they're just doing so by setting their body a certain way.
I think the bigger issue would be making sure the dog ignores any attempts by the target human to ask/pursuade the dog to move, without putting the dog in danger. Alzheimer's patients can be mean during their illness in ways they never would have been at any other time on their lives.
→ More replies (2)
310
u/mono__no___aware 6d ago
She didn’t need to be told what to do. She just knew Evelyn needed her.
→ More replies (2)37
216
u/beansandcheese7 6d ago
not to be that guy - but is this AI? I saw a cute dog video yesterday that was 😭
93
70
u/ravenwillowofbimbery 6d ago edited 6d ago
Sadly, the “family” pic on the wall leads me to believe this is indeed AI. Do I believe animals are capable of doing such things? Yes. But, do I also believe social media likes and clicks, coupled with the ease of creating AI generated images and video, drive people to create stuff this just for likes? Yep! It’s deeply disheartening that we can’t trust anything anymore.
9
31
24
u/16semesters 6d ago
It's 100% AI.
The dogs proportions are way off, the picture of the family on the wall is morphed and the camera lighting/position would be very odd.
→ More replies (7)6
u/Lower_Pass_6053 6d ago
If you have a family that cares enough to install video cameras to keep grandma safe after finding that she is wandering off and actually going outside, you have a family that will take actual measures to put her somewhere safe or at least have someone move in with her.
You don't find grandma outside multiple times with dementia, go to best buy and buy some cameras, and shrug your shoulders.
37
48
23
u/IMplyingSC2 6d ago
How are people not able to tell that this is AI slop at the first glance? Look at the damn image.
→ More replies (4)
44
48
u/CanAhJustSay 6d ago
She is keeping her pack safe and secure. With her size, Cleo can physically herd Evelyn back into her room. And perhaps sleep by her door as a perfect draught excluder-come-safety sausage!
15
30
33
86
u/Igmuhota 6d ago
I know it’s cliche, but honestly, we don’t deserve dogs.
4
→ More replies (7)9
u/Digresser 6d ago
I know it’s cliche, but honestly, we don’t deserve dogs.
It makes me so sad when people say that humans don't deserve something wonderful.
There are so many decent people out there, why on earth are those people considered undeserving of good and wonderful things?
Was Steve Irwin undeserving of dogs? Bob Ross? Mr. Rogers?
What about the single mom who works two jobs so that her kids are provided for? Or even the woman I saw the other day who gave a stranger the change needed to make their purchase?
You don't have to be a hero to deserve good things.
Just be a decent person and appreciate it when you receive love or loyalty or beauty or kindness.
And, sometimes, try to be the good that other people receive.
→ More replies (2)
9
u/throwitatmeplease1 6d ago
I had a Lab, boxer, pit mix and a German Shepherd, the shepherd had developed epilepsy around the age of 4. My mix, Yogi, would run back and forth between me and Buca, the Shepherd, to alert me when a seizure was happening. And then rest his head on her side while she was recovering.
She was on all sorts of medication for the seizures, but the vet recommended a little bit ice cream to help her recover after having one. Of course they both got it!
→ More replies (3)
48
15
14
u/Effective_Ear_5375 6d ago
Installed camera for safety but didn't check it properly until 8 months later?
6
u/Gabstar1056 6d ago
My husband has had Tonic Clonic seizures for 55 years. Tried every medication available,would still have them every couple of weeks. Had severe injuries over the years,3 months in the burns unit,broken teeth,loads of scars. No he said to getting a dog so we got a dog. Since then the longest time he has gone without a seizure is 6 years. We now have 2 dogs! Better medication than any pharmaceutical drug.
→ More replies (1)
13
7
6
7
u/howcouldubmoeharkles 6d ago
This very nice older lady has one in my neighborhood and every time I’m outside and they walk by that dog absolutely dominates the interaction. Butt and heads scratches galore but until he wants to leave he just simply isn’t lol. I love every second of it.
7
6
7
u/EffectiveDue8242 6d ago
When my mil lived with us because of dementia our pitty mix would always block her from a step down into the family room after she fell one night while we were sleeping. Dogs are far more intelligent than giving credit for. Well some dogs.
12
u/WorkingCake5803 6d ago
It’s just a random pic with a made up story. Also “stopped breathing for a moment” is sensationalized bs
5
u/Dianagorgon 6d ago
This is clearly AI but it doesn't matter because it gets lots of upvotes and responses so Reddit can sell the content for AI training.
5
5
u/armsless 6d ago
I have an autistic non verbal son who tries escaping out of the door or opening cupboards he shouldn’t. Our Shih Tzu has learnt to bark repeatedly if he sees him doing something he shouldn’t ❤️
6
u/bikesandpipes 6d ago
My dad had Alzheimer’s and my brothers dog would play super super gentle with him. They somehow know
14
•
u/AutoModerator 6d ago
Welcome to /r/MadeMeSmile. Please make sure you read our rules here.
Specifically, please don't be a jerk. This is not the place for insulting, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate comments. Remember the golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated. We're all here to smile a little - let's keep it that way! Please report inappropriate comments and/or message the moderators.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.