White House dog PWNs rude reporter
- Thread starter Cessena
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What? YOu really don't see the dog showing signs of not wanting to be touched?
Earlier in the video when people were crowding around him he was trying to get behind the dog walker.
I foudn it very obvious that the dog did not want to be touched
OOOOOH I just watched the video... that's not the whole video. there is more before the reporter reached down to touch him. In the original video he was trying to get behind the dog walker and was displaying obvious signs of not wanting to be touched.
Someone else posted this thread yesterday with the WHOLE video.
ETA: in the full video the reporter DID pet him and Barney moved away from him and then the dog walker stepped AWAY from Barney. basically left barney to his own devices. Not to mention if you watch his eyebrows you can see that his eyes are darting around and are raised. Plus you gotta figure that in the last few days he is probably feeling a lot of tension in his home.
Earlier in the video when people were crowding around him he was trying to get behind the dog walker.
I foudn it very obvious that the dog did not want to be touched
OOOOOH I just watched the video... that's not the whole video. there is more before the reporter reached down to touch him. In the original video he was trying to get behind the dog walker and was displaying obvious signs of not wanting to be touched.
Someone else posted this thread yesterday with the WHOLE video.
ETA: in the full video the reporter DID pet him and Barney moved away from him and then the dog walker stepped AWAY from Barney. basically left barney to his own devices. Not to mention if you watch his eyebrows you can see that his eyes are darting around and are raised. Plus you gotta figure that in the last few days he is probably feeling a lot of tension in his home.
If you watch the whole video, you definitely don't hear anyone ask before petting. Barney imo was clearly upset then the reporter practically shoved his hand directly at his face.
The reporter shouldn't have done that obviously, but the dog walker should have stopped everything before Barney bit, back when Barney was showing he was distressed.
The reporter shouldn't have done that obviously, but the dog walker should have stopped everything before Barney bit, back when Barney was showing he was distressed.
I just wanted to add lack of behaviour is in itself a behaviour. Barney is standing frozen solid- his whole body is rigid right before the reporter bends down to pet him. A dog who is not displaying a level of interest in someone within close proximity is not a dog I would make a point of going over to pet.
I whole-heartedly agree, that the Bush's need to hire a new dog walker! D; What a complete moron (if he did, in fact, give the reporter permission; if not he should have told the people to step away, as Barney looked very very scared). Not to mention, Barney cannot even attempt to get away with that short, cruddy nylon sliplead on.
Besides that, Scotties aren't exactly known for their friendliness toward strangers. My Aunt's neighbor has three Scotties, who are all HUGE buttheads to strangers until they deem you as trustworthy.
Besides that, Scotties aren't exactly known for their friendliness toward strangers. My Aunt's neighbor has three Scotties, who are all HUGE buttheads to strangers until they deem you as trustworthy.
I'll probably get flamed for this, but it seems to me that a dog that is going to come in contact with as many people as a "First Dog" would/should be better socialized/better trained than that (especially since they got him as a pup, no?).
Yeah, the reporter did not approach the dog properly but we take Jack the lab into very crowded public places (fairs, festivals, etc), and forget having a hand shoved in his face, he has actually had his head grabbed by a passerby before I could even react and has never bitten anyone, or even even acted alarmed.
In addition, Barney *did* have the option of scooting away and chose to bite instead. I've seem many dogs who preferred not be petted who just turned away from the offending person....
Yeah, the reporter did not approach the dog properly but we take Jack the lab into very crowded public places (fairs, festivals, etc), and forget having a hand shoved in his face, he has actually had his head grabbed by a passerby before I could even react and has never bitten anyone, or even even acted alarmed.
In addition, Barney *did* have the option of scooting away and chose to bite instead. I've seem many dogs who preferred not be petted who just turned away from the offending person....
You won't get flamed from me..........this is exactly the way I see it.
If you have a dog who doesn't care for strangers, has proven it in the past, and you DON'T want to train him, DON'T WALK HIM IN PLACES THAT HAVE LOTS OF STRANGERS. And if you encounter a stranger, INFORM THEM ASAP THAT YOUR DOG DOES NOT LIKE STRANGERS.............DUH!
I know that Orson does NOT like other dogs, at least male dogs. I take precautions, ME, MYSELF, AND I..........because if I didn't then who would?
I think Barney is just an aggressive little dog. He did have other choices than to bite, but he bit. They KNOW he bites, he has bitten BEFORE and will again if the HUMANS in his life do not take PRECAUTIONS.
If you have a dog who doesn't care for strangers, has proven it in the past, and you DON'T want to train him, DON'T WALK HIM IN PLACES THAT HAVE LOTS OF STRANGERS. And if you encounter a stranger, INFORM THEM ASAP THAT YOUR DOG DOES NOT LIKE STRANGERS.............DUH!
I know that Orson does NOT like other dogs, at least male dogs. I take precautions, ME, MYSELF, AND I..........because if I didn't then who would?
I think Barney is just an aggressive little dog. He did have other choices than to bite, but he bit. They KNOW he bites, he has bitten BEFORE and will again if the HUMANS in his life do not take PRECAUTIONS.
I posted about this earlier in the other thread, mostly that the video should be used in dog safety lessons. A dog doesn't have to be snarling to be warning you.
However, about Barney himself, I don't hold this or the other bites against him, really. I doubt any of the "bites' were more than a nip or a snap, or he would have been sent back to Texas until Bush left office or adopted to a staffer.
THe problem with poor Barney is that he has a very hard job that he clearly doesn't want. The First Dog, like the President himself, is a public figure. The FD lives in the White House, where there are all sorts of strange, often mildly treatening, alpha personalities comming through at all hours, where tensions are running high, and where almost no one knows anything about dogs, but assumes a canine celibrity, like the FD is a friendly dog. (in the whole video the reporter doesn't ask, but I'm sure he assumes that the FD is friendly . . . ). Some FDs clearly thrive, and others tolerate it quite well, I wouldn't say that FD is a bad job for a dog or that the White House is no place for one. But its not a good place for Barney.
Frankly, when I think of the social butterflies of the dog world, Scotties do not come to mind. They have a reputation, on top of not being wildly friendly to strangers, of being a little snappy with strangers. They are small, and thus people loom over them. Its a poor breed choice for that situation, and Barney seems to be tempermentally ill suited over and above that.
Good FD's need to be very stable, highly social, laid back, and preferably, medium-sized or larger. Barney is none of these things, but it doesn't make him a bad dog, just one who is not suited to his role and moreover, is being handled by a moron (that leash!).
This is why I hope the Obamas not only get a rescue or shelter animal, but that they do not actually get a puppy . . . they need an animal that is at least 6 months old, so that someone can do a real evaluation of its personality . . . older than that would even be better. But, the kids want a puppy, and I understand that too.
However, about Barney himself, I don't hold this or the other bites against him, really. I doubt any of the "bites' were more than a nip or a snap, or he would have been sent back to Texas until Bush left office or adopted to a staffer.
THe problem with poor Barney is that he has a very hard job that he clearly doesn't want. The First Dog, like the President himself, is a public figure. The FD lives in the White House, where there are all sorts of strange, often mildly treatening, alpha personalities comming through at all hours, where tensions are running high, and where almost no one knows anything about dogs, but assumes a canine celibrity, like the FD is a friendly dog. (in the whole video the reporter doesn't ask, but I'm sure he assumes that the FD is friendly . . . ). Some FDs clearly thrive, and others tolerate it quite well, I wouldn't say that FD is a bad job for a dog or that the White House is no place for one. But its not a good place for Barney.
Frankly, when I think of the social butterflies of the dog world, Scotties do not come to mind. They have a reputation, on top of not being wildly friendly to strangers, of being a little snappy with strangers. They are small, and thus people loom over them. Its a poor breed choice for that situation, and Barney seems to be tempermentally ill suited over and above that.
Good FD's need to be very stable, highly social, laid back, and preferably, medium-sized or larger. Barney is none of these things, but it doesn't make him a bad dog, just one who is not suited to his role and moreover, is being handled by a moron (that leash!).
This is why I hope the Obamas not only get a rescue or shelter animal, but that they do not actually get a puppy . . . they need an animal that is at least 6 months old, so that someone can do a real evaluation of its personality . . . older than that would even be better. But, the kids want a puppy, and I understand that too.
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Yep, all in the full video. Barney first tried to hide behind his handler, who should have removed the dog from the crowd right then and there! After that the reporter did touch Barney briefly while squatting down, Barney didn't look comfortable but he did not bite. Then the reporter stood, while Barney was doing eyebrow-twitching sideways glances with his body tense and rigid. That's the point where the reporter lunged his hand toward the dog and that second time Barney snapped.
Yes! Maybe one who actually pays attention to the dogs .... instead of standing there jawin' with the reporters and photographers?
To be fair though, they did not choose the breed. Heard on the news that Barney was a gift puppy from Christine Todd Whitman ... another argument against giving a puppy as a gift! It said they later got a female Scottie ... another gift from someone else. Report said the only dog they chose themselves was Spot, a very friendly Springer Spaniel.
Pretty true on Scotties though. Just like a few other breeds, they are very friendly to people they already know but slow to warm up to any strangers. You're also correct that the reporter did assume Barney was friendly ... he mentioned after the bite that his mother's Scottish Terrier is friendly.
(Yo,genius, ... your mother's dog already knows you!
)
Yes! Maybe one who actually pays attention to the dogs .... instead of standing there jawin' with the reporters and photographers?
To be fair though, they did not choose the breed. Heard on the news that Barney was a gift puppy from Christine Todd Whitman ... another argument against giving a puppy as a gift! It said they later got a female Scottie ... another gift from someone else. Report said the only dog they chose themselves was Spot, a very friendly Springer Spaniel.
Pretty true on Scotties though. Just like a few other breeds, they are very friendly to people they already know but slow to warm up to any strangers. You're also correct that the reporter did assume Barney was friendly ... he mentioned after the bite that his mother's Scottish Terrier is friendly.
(Yo,genius, ... your mother's dog already knows you!
)
Here I go again with my delusions of sound dogs, but folks approach my dogs wrongly all the time. Like the little kids who do the arm-extended, flat-palm, fingers-spread attempt to pat on the head, and who wont stop and let the dog sniff their hand, but jerk it back when the dog tilts their head up to see what's descending on them. I have to tell the kids "cup your hands like this, like you're giving the dog a gift and let them sniff your hands." Anyway, point being that if any of mine thought it was okay to snap over a rude greeting from a human, they'd be facing a dirt nap. Use of the teeth is the absolute last resort when you have no other options. As ever, JMO.