The post Are My Dogs Attracted to Danger? Yes. by Allison Dorsey appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.
Hi, Iām Allison!Ā Read my introductionĀ to learn more about me and my three mixed-breed dogs from Thailand, Jelly, Lorraina, and Manic.
Many humans are attracted to danger because it is thrilling. Amusement parks have made billions by creating rides that make your heart plunge below your large intestine. People are always looking for the latest gory horror film that will make them never want to sleep with the lights off again. People scuba dive with sharks, jump out of planes, and race motorbikes as if trying to break the sound barrier. We do it for the thrill, the adrenaline kick, to feel alive.
What about dogs? Are dogs attracted to danger on the same level as humans? My dogs certainly are! I wish I knew whyā¦
Fear No Predator
Living in Thailand made the Jelly, Lorraina, and Manic aware of other creatures. And, wow, the creatures they would encounter! We had the run-of-the-mill chickens, frogs, rats, and ground squirrels. But there were some animals I really wished they would avoid.
Snakes
Have you ever seen documentaries about orphaned orangutans learning to fear snakes from their human caregivers? If you havenāt, I would check it out because it is adorable. Knowing what is dangerous is an important skill for them because, without their mothers, they would not know that snakes equal danger.
So, why didnāt my dogs pick up on this knowledge based on my or my husbandās reactions to snakes? Couldnāt they have just left them alone? Nope! Anytime they find a snake, chaos ensues. Rat snakes are the most common ones, and while they are not venomous, they will bite when provoked. Naturally, our dogs went after them like it was a game. Thankfully, none of them got bitten. I wish I could say the same for the snakes.
But rat snakes were not the only serpents they encountered. One day, a 7-foot-long Burmese python came slithering onto our balcony. Again, it was not a venomous snake, but pythons are known for giving life-ending āhugs.ā And, of course, Manic lunged at it. Donāt worry; we grabbed him and locked him in the house until the snake was relocated.
Monitor Lizards
In my humble opinion, monitor lizards are intimidating. They can run up to 12 miles per hour, which is much faster than the average human. Monitor lizards can also climb trees and swim. These reptiles are equipped with razor-sharp claws and a tail they whip when threatened.
All of these traits mean nothing to my dogs. These creatures are childās play to the trio! They go after monitor lizards, even when they get tail-whipped by them.
Miscellaneous
Besides snakes and monitor lizards, the dogs have fearlessly pursued scorpions, porcupines, and even a millipede. Okay, so millipedes are not dangerous, but it was a bit entertaining to see Manic dance around the lone millipede, barking his head off.
Whether they crawl, swim, or have fur or scales, Jelly, Lorraina, and Manic considered them fair game. Sigh.
Do They Do It for the Rush?
I have previously written about my dogs attacking, and sadly killing, small mammals in the USA: squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, and groundhogs. But what was the point of going after dangerous animals? Are they doing it to protect me and my husband? Do they understand the danger that some animals pose to people?
Lorraina and Manic patiently waiting for their chipmunk to come down
Perhaps I am anthropomorphizing my dogs too much. I do that quite oftenāassuming my dogs think about danger in the same ways I do.
Maybe they do it for the rush? People do risky things all the time for that reason. Do dogs enjoy adrenaline like people do? I think that sometimes they do. When my dogs stick their heads out the car window, I like to think they get a rush from feeling the wind blowing through their fur.
This is the type of ādangerā I can handle them experiencing. But snakes? Ugh.
Read her previous article:Ā Turning My Dogs Into Perfect Houseguests Will Never Happen
The post Are My Dogs Attracted to Danger? Yes. by Allison Dorsey appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.
