The hand is quicker than the eye but not the nose. I'm saddened that dogs with their heightened olfactory senses were not able to sniff through this cheap parlor trick. This video really blows the lid off the unearned respect we have granted to canine noses. Great instigative journalism, but I would caution against pissing off a mastiff. They can make your face disappear.
The thing is, my German Shepherd could not be faked out. With a tennis ball. Once or twice at first, as these are all firsts, and that's it. He knows you have the ball behind your back. And faking with food is ridiculous. The whole place would reek of the food his whole hand, his arm, his clothes, everything permeated with enticing scent molecules all emanating from shifting central point. The dog sees with his nose more clearly than he sees with his eyes and this is an eye-related fake out. Fail. Fail all over the place because it is destructive to dog/handler relationship. The dog must win. Must get the treat, or else it's teasing and keeping candy from a baby. They are babies.
My Belgians could be faked out. Odd, that.
But in the end none of them are interested in a game like this.
William -- I thought mastiffs are known as gentle giants.
Most are....about 90%. Grerat dogs. Then there are the Neapolitan Mastiffs (handler hard in the extreme to begin with) crossed with Bull Terriers. Now you have a beast. I've handled them, as I've mentioned before...it is crime of man's not the dog'. Hell about 99.9% of dog problems are man caused...go figure. The Neo lineage is scant (mere puddle of a gene pool) and only AKC thinks it is realistic. Money talks.
If you really want an old line mastiff , other than the English standard (huggy bears) then try the moderately handler hard short haired Swiss Mountain Dog...tough and smart, if you are. You want more, try a Caucasian Mountain Dog. The Caucasian will beat you down, trust me :-)
Or just satisfy your self with an old line W/German/DDR/Czech working dog line German Shepherd. A good male, or female (don't be deceived), will kick your butt on the sport field.
7 comments:
The hand is quicker than the eye but not the nose. I'm saddened that dogs with their heightened olfactory senses were not able to sniff through this cheap parlor trick. This video really blows the lid off the unearned respect we have granted to canine noses. Great instigative journalism, but I would caution against pissing off a mastiff. They can make your face disappear.
Mean.
They allowed trust to override their olfactories.
What boy doesn't do this?
The thing is, my German Shepherd could not be faked out. With a tennis ball. Once or twice at first, as these are all firsts, and that's it. He knows you have the ball behind your back. And faking with food is ridiculous. The whole place would reek of the food his whole hand, his arm, his clothes, everything permeated with enticing scent molecules all emanating from shifting central point. The dog sees with his nose more clearly than he sees with his eyes and this is an eye-related fake out. Fail. Fail all over the place because it is destructive to dog/handler relationship. The dog must win. Must get the treat, or else it's teasing and keeping candy from a baby. They are babies.
My Belgians could be faked out. Odd, that.
But in the end none of them are interested in a game like this.
Its for adults, you are right Chip
William -- I thought mastiffs are known as gentle giants.
JAL said...
William -- I thought mastiffs are known as gentle giants.
Most are....about 90%. Grerat dogs. Then there are the Neapolitan Mastiffs (handler hard in the extreme to begin with) crossed with Bull Terriers. Now you have a beast. I've handled them, as I've mentioned before...it is crime of man's not the dog'. Hell about 99.9% of dog problems are man caused...go figure. The Neo lineage is scant (mere puddle of a gene pool) and only AKC thinks it is realistic. Money talks.
If you really want an old line mastiff , other than the English standard (huggy bears) then try the moderately handler hard short haired Swiss Mountain Dog...tough and smart, if you are. You want more, try a Caucasian Mountain Dog. The Caucasian will beat you down, trust me :-)
Or just satisfy your self with an old line W/German/DDR/Czech working dog line German Shepherd. A good male, or female (don't be deceived), will kick your butt on the sport field.
BTW..read the article that accompanies the image of the Caucasian Mountain
dog...not for the faint of heart. But grand dogs.
Post a Comment