Back up your claims with links not just your opinion.

a reply to: boymonkey74

I'd actually MUCH prefer a self-written explanation, hopefully with at least simple grammar written correctly, to just lazy copypasting of links that lead to articles written by some 'journalist' that doesn't know what they're talking about, or some videos that confusingly mix different clips without narration or coherence or keep fading in some nonsensical, badly written text 'explanations'.

I don't need or want 'proof' of anything - in my opinion, NOTHING - absolutely NOTHING! - can be conclusively proven by links, articles, photos, pictures, or anything you can link to anyway.

So why not let discussion forums be DISCUSSION forums, where people actually at least show their own thoughts and explain with their own writing what they're talking about a mean.

I like backing up, explanations, clarifications and rationale - I don't like just a claim and then moving on, either. But proof or links are not necessary, give me a good, self-thought, self-written explanation any day.

As long as you back it up with SOMETHING worthwhile, I don't really care what it is - but I do prefer the writer's own explanation based on the writer's own thoughts.

a reply to: Iamthatbish

my poor thumbs just want me to be

Doing your thumbs' bidding when KEYBOARDS have been invented is akin to letting your dog take you for a walk when Dog Whisperer has been invented.

To elaborate:

I saw the stupidest 'dog handler' (or 'dog handlee?') today; this young german shepard was walking in front (of course), then saw me and STOPPED in the middle of a street.

What does our brave 'non-pack-leader' do?

a) Immediately corrects the dog's neurotic flight response to a stronger energy and leads the dog correctly away from the STREET
b) Yells at the dog to snap out of it and come out the street before a car hits it
c) Just stands there, waiting for the dog to make a decision, because a human being can't do anything without a dog's authorization

Whoever guessed c) is correct! Congratulations!

It was unbelievable. I stopped just to see how long this guy would just stand there, this RIDICULOUSLY long lead being taught tight, while the 'puppy' stood like a deer in headlights, staring at me, still like a statue (I did not give the dog eye contact), and whether he would eventually realize that it's like a John Woo movie where everyone is pointing at each other, except more peaceful.

Incredibly, he just stood there, sometimes looking at the dog, sometimes at me, as if blaming me - I just stood there, basking in the ridiculousness of the situation, wondering HOW this will resolve if I do nothing.. he obviously expected me to 'stop bothering his dog', the dog was conflicted between 'pack leader has to protect the pack, but can't initiate fight mode, because the other pack is stronger, so flight mode has to be initiated'..

How can people in 2021 have ABSOLUTELY ZERO information and knowledge about dog psychology (or child psychology for that matter - another day this week, a pair of .. let's say "very rich-looking" (in a specific way) kids decided to start screaming a 'ballad' that consisted mostly of the letter "L" and wovels ""O" and "A", and the Ls were inserted into the amazingly loud cacophony (they obviously had no music training, so they never reached any kind of harmony, even accidentally) to the delight of all the other passengers, and the only parent was too busy staring at an electronic rectangle to address the situation, to discpline the brats, to tell them there's an 'inside' and 'outside' voice, or to tell the kids what kind of behaviour is expected of them. So we all were FORCED to participate as unwilling and captive audience in this 'I'd rather listen to dentist's drill sound until I become deaf'-style impromptu concert until the end of time.. or so it felt. In reality, it was probably only a couple of bus stops until I was liberated from that particular hell.

It was a nexus of stupidities - stupid policies, stupid parenting, and ignorance of child psychology - why can't they watch two episodes of Supernanny and just do SOMETHING? Sheesh. Absolutely passive, kids rule the bus.

The same was true with this dog guy. In case you are wondering, he's probably still there.. just kidding, but sheesh. So the dude would have probably stood there until he passes out from hunger, because GOD FORBID you lead your dog even a little bit.

I just want to curse whoever is responsible for this situation at this point, and I started wondering what would happen if a car would come - would this supposed human being finally come to senses and pull the dog at least out of the STREET (yes, I am reminding the reader, the dog stopped in the middle of a driving lane, where a car could've arrived at any time, and ran the dog over, or at least caused a dangerous situation).

The situation was finally resolved, because a neighboring individual probably had to go for work, so they slammed some car doors and started the car and such, so this guy FINALLY sloooowwwwly and weakly, veeerrry lightly starts pulling this dog towards him and I can only shake my head. The dog walks like it's not used to walking, very carefully and tentatively - and slowly.

I just stand there, waiting for them to go, so I can go to the path I planned to walk in, so I won't disturb them and I can stop being pissed off about bad dog handlership. These people get these carnivore pets without understanding their psychology, and then THIS is how they 'walk' them. Holy cow. I mean, I wish it WAS a holy cow, then they'd at least have an excuse to be so passive.

I read the situation and I knew exactly what was going on, it was just so obvious. But this 'dude' was obviously clueless, it followed whatever its master, "The Dog" (I guess he read that word in reverse) wanted. The dog didn't know what to do, as it was forced in that 'pack leader role' although it was just a very young dog - like one third of a size of a fully-grown german shepard, if that. I kinda pitied it, it stopped again to stare at me, I just shook my head, because again, this 'dude' just stood there. He.. just..stood..there.

"Can't you see your dog is in distress? You have to lead the dog, snap it out of it, and then it will feel safe because you will lead it so it can switch to follower-mode!" Nope. "What is thy bidding, my master", I almost hear the guy say to the dog.

I figured I can't just wait and wait, because absolutely nothing is happening - the guy EVENTUALLY got the dog to move a little bit, so I figured, ok, they're moving, I will start moving, too. I walked towards them - at first they didn't notice I had started moving, but when the dog realized that, .. at first I wondered if the dog is going to freak out - it was already trying to run every which direction as I approached. I imagined a dog that might try to bite me to protect its absolutely passive follower 'handler', but then I remembered, mental images can be powerful in the animal world, because they radiate intention. If I imagine a biting dog, I might actually CREATE a 'biting dog', so I switched my imagery to a submissive dog that I give permission to sniff me if it wants, and that will treat me peacefully and the whole situation will be peaceful.

Nothing that much happened when I passed them - the dog was FIXATED on me, and tried to get as far from me as possible, and the 'dude' seemed weirded out how the dog just kept tugging (the dog was, after all, in 'flight' mode, as it knew and felt it couldn't 'fight' me). If it had been in follower-mode and the handler had actually been LEADING the dog, the dog could've felt safe and more friendly about the whole situation, but since it was in 'pack-leader mode', it was panicking, not knowing what to do about this situation.

To get back to my original point ... your thumbs are this dog, and you are this dog handler, if you let your thumbs make decisions like that. Use a keyboard and solve the non-problem. Why do people even use those so-called 'smartphones', let alone to write posts, is beyond me. Wouldn't you like a bigger screen and more comfort when writing an insightful post in some forum, instead of some noisy bus environment and a tiny screen that the sun can glare?

NOT TO MENTION THE THUMBS!! AGH! I could never do that! Don't people enjoy typing anymore? It's FUN, and no one is going to take it away from me - they're going to have to pry my keyboard from my cold, dead thum.. I mean, fingers!