centraltexaspigrescue: FACT
FRIDAY!!! It’s time to talk again about Breeder Specific Terms (those
sneaky half-truths that breeders use to get you to buy their pigs)!
SIZE: “Same size as a medium dog/cocker spaniel/bulldog.” “No taller
than 14/16 inches.” Pigs are very dense animals and breeders won’t
highlight this. Franklin weighs 110lbs, double the weight of a typical
bulldog but his dimensions are roughly the same. A healthy adult mini
pig will typically weigh 80-250lbs. Comparing dogs to pigs is like
comparing apples to oranges.
DIET: “When kept to/fed my
correct diet.” “When given my special diet.” These “diets” are
starvation, not a special formula that only the breeder knows. There is
NO such thing as a “micro/teacup” pig, they are starving pigs. They
might stay smaller but they will have lasting impacts on their health
and typically die quite young. No healthy adult pig is 35lbs, if you
have a size limit a pig is not the right pet for you.
“ADOPTION”: This
pops up on a lot of breeder websites to make buyers feel good about
buying their product. Any pig bred to be sold is a product and is in no
way, shape or form an “adoption.” It’s just a trick to make you feel
like you are saving a pig; a pig that was bred and born to make money
for the breeder and provide them with an income. It’s sugar coating the
situation to entice buyers.
“MINI PIG”: while “micro/teacup/nano” pigs
are just not real, “mini pig” is a real classification of pigs. However,
a mini pig is simply a pig that weighs less than 400lbs. These are not
12, 25 or 60lbs or a special breed of pigs. The “mini” simply means a
pig that is smaller than a 600-1,200 farm pig. It is also prudent to be
wary of anyone who doesn’t let you come to their property, says that
pigs don’t need to see a vet or should only see their recommend vet, or
who sell pigs under 10lbs and less 8 weeks old.
✔ they have far stronger senses than you and the world is super stimulating
They are NOT being:
❌ stubborn
❌ malicious
❌ “dominating”
Things you can do to enforce leash etiquette:
✔ utilise treats and life rewards
✔ tire your dog out prior to their walk by playing tug, fetch, etc.
✔ utilise mini-commands (sit at road, “this way”, etc)
✔ freeze or U-turn when your dog pulls
Rather than:
❌ choke chains/prong collars
❌ yelling/shouting
❌ yanking the leash
❌ “dragging” the dog (collar grabs, pushing down their butt to sit, pinning them between your legs, etc.)
We all want good leash etiquette, but there is no good reason to actively punish your dog for being excited about an exciting environment. Your own impatience and frustration (with a dog who is still learning) is not an excuse.
Choke chains are fine when used appropriately. They are meant to simulate when an alpha nips at the neck to keep their packmates in line. A quick, short jerk of the chain on a dog trained to understand the meaning is perfectly fine and doesn’t hurt the animal at all.
When using a choke chain, it should not be ACTUALLY choking the animal. It should lay slack around the neck until a small tug is necessary to get the animal in line.
A pronged chain is ONLY appropriate on an animal that has extremely thick fur or skin that a choke chain is ineffective on due to being unable to penetrate the fur for the animal to receive the appropriate message.
For more information please talk to your vet or a PROFESSIONAL dog trainer who has the appropriate certification. The key to leash training is teaching the dog that it’s more fun to be next to you instead of pulling out front.
Not all training methods work for every animal, just as humans all learn differently. Not all dogs respond to treats, some respond better to toys or affection. If you are not experienced in training, look for a breed that is more beginner friendly. Some breeds tend to be more stubborn or independent thinking, such as huskies and corgis.
I’d like to address a few thing in this comment:
The first is the “alpha” comment. The alpha dominance system has been repeatedly, scientifically, quantifiably debunked. Dominance DOES exist in isolated resource protection scenarios but not as a rigid social hierarchy. The original captive-wolf study has been picked to pieces, the author of The Wolf (which popularised the theory) has been trying to get his own book off the shelves, and wolf/dog social systems are far better understood by modern behavioural science these days. So we can immediately dismiss this comment.
Choke chains are a positive punishment training method. We apply something the dog dislikes in response to an undesirable behaviour.
I will never say to you or my clients that choke chains don’t work; they do, when used correctly. Hell, I used one for years. They result in a dog who walks beside you because they fear the repercussions, not because they actively choose to. They also offer instant gratification for a frustrated owner.
But the physiological and behavioural risks are tremendous. Physiologically, we can deal with anything from minor sprains, to esophogeal and tracheal damage, to neurological issues. Because you are applying force and pressure to the neck, of all places.
But the behavioural implications are potentially worse. Aside from the fact that choke chain usage almost always results in reliance (i.e. the dog won’t walk nicely without it), let’s deal with the common scenario of a dog who walks on a choke chain, spots another dog, and pulls to say hello. The choke chain corrects the behaviour. The dog quickly learns that other dogs = pain/discomfort, which increases reactivity to other dogs.
Any responsible trainer will tell you that check chains were, at one point, understood to be the default training method for leash etiquette. But the overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary means that we must move on.
Yes, dogs learn in different ways but I have never in my life met a dog that does not respond to positive reinforcement training. Nor a chicken, horse, lorikeet, cockatoo, macaw, cat, betta fish, possum – or any other animal I’ve ever trained. I’d personally much rather have a dog who works for me because they want to than because they’re afraid of the consequences.
Perhaps that’s better illustrated in the fact that in all your “different learning methods” examples you described positive reinforcement rewards.
I’d like to wrap up this rebuttal with one of your own quotes:
“The key to leash training is teaching the dog that it’s more fun to be next to you instead of pulling out front.”
Oh, and as for this point:
“For more information please talk to … a PROFESSIONAL dog trainer”
Mate, I am one.
You can train bugs with positive reinforcement and enough patience. Bugs.
(first tiger jumps in) *laughing* Vanya, what is this? Van’ … Van’, get out of the boot, Van’. (second tiger approaches) Mishka … let’s go. Mish, let’s go. Mishka! Mish, let’s go. Come on, sit. Sit. (third tiger comes in) Bonya, you too are here! Ok let’s go guys. Let’s go! *starts singing* x
Just Russian Things
Big cat stuff can often be sketchy even if the content looks cute, so I clicked on the source for the video and this guy apparently runs a sanctuary for rescue tigers and other big cats near Moscow. His YouTube bio is in Russian, but here’s what it says according to Google Translate:
So you can feel happy knowing that these big dumb cats are loved and being looked after.
Yeah, you’re gonna need to do a little more research than that.
Mikhail Zaretsky is (or was, I can’t find a more recent english language source) the tiger trainer for the Nikulin Circus (source). He currently posts videos on youtube about taking his tigers to boarding schools for kids to pet and climb on (source), and how his tigers and lions live together happily (source). Over on instagram, he likes to post videos of himself handling leashed tigers (source) and sometimes riding them (source). (He also tags all of his instagram posts with #bengaltiger, but that’s confusing rather than problematic.)
I’ve been over this before: There is no way to safely, healthily keep an adult tiger full contact in a human residence. You either declaw, defang, or drug the tiger (which he’s been accused of doing), or the human is going to end up dead.
And if he is planning a reserve, he should know better than to transport tigers in an SUV. Or to keep them on leash. Or to let them interact with schoolkids. Or to let them paw at his face. Or to cohabilitate different species. Or to overfeed his tigers–when I first saw this video, I thought they were from the fur trade, that’s how fat they are.
So yeah, keeping big cats in close contact with humans is still a really bad idea.
Edit: This site (source) repeats that he’s running a sanctuary, but I can’t tell if they have a second source outside of his social media, and they bring up that literally no one has vetted this. Big cat “sanctuaries” are notoriously sketchy and prone to existing just because the owner wants to keep big cat pets. Which seems to be what’s happening here.
June-ripsnout sent me these so I figured I’d share them stay safe
1. The ability to screenshot isn’t illegal. Your rights end where someone else’s begin, and when someone else’s ability to live safely and comfortably is infringed upon by your right to privacy, yes they have a right to share that info.
2. Flirting IS preying when it’s towards a minor. Your age alone is an ability to manipulate young people into saying yes by adapting an authoritative tone. You are purposefully targeting young people, even though biologically that fucks the young person up and psychologically you’re causing them to learn patterns of intense hypersexuality and young people are more easily manipulated into consent and the huge age gap can cause serious trauma. That’s a scientifically proven fact.
3. If you have the opportunity to ask how someone knows what flirting isn’t because you think they’re too young to have any relationship experience, YOU’RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.
Please spread this like wildfire. All of the minors on my page: people who speak to you like this are PREDATORS. They don’t love you. The attention they give you is dangerous, they’re doing it to try to coerce you into sexual acts you don’t want to do. Men like this are trying to harm and abuse and trap – they know what they’re doing will scar, hurt, and worse to you, and they enjoy that.
They often shame their victims into silence by convincing them no one will believe them, that this is private and okay. It’s NOT okay. Don’t let them convince you that it’s ‘private’ – they know that if you tell others, they will be outed for the disgusting, criminal, monstrous pieces of shit that they are. Be loud. Screencap. Tell people. Report them. Put these bastards on blast.
If someone is talking to you that way, making you afraid, if you need someone to tell, I’m here. I believe you. I support you. It’s NOT YOUR FAULT.
Please, please reblog these, make sure he and others like him feel unwelcome on this site.
you can read this article here and it’s despicable and framed as a “declutter your life and get your kids to appreciate the moment~ by busting ~stuff addiction~ story
but the story goes that this mom was on a trip with her daughter and her daughter wanted a toy, and the parents said “no” and then the mom fixates on how her daughter couldn’t enjoy the ~amazing things~ they saw on their shitty family trip because she wanted to get that toy so bad.
so in retribution the mom on a cleaning spree took away not one, but every single toy her daughter had
and then began crowing about the amazing benefits that on the next trip the daughter didn’t ask for a single thing! and was quiet and manageable and shut up and “enjoyed” the moment and everything her parents wanted her to! amazing a child’s “addiction” to toys was cured!
toys are the only thing a kid owns. they are the only thing they have control over. When your kid goes to disney world or whatever with you, they are not in control even if they wanted to go. They did not choose to go to disney world. they can’t leave if they wanted to. they can’t pick how they get there, or where they go when they arrive.what may seem like “enjoying the moment” to an adult is actually “made to be a prop as a kid and dragged around when they didn’t choose to be, or to even go in the first place.”
this is not to say you can’t go someplace with your kid without it being miserable. I loved, and still love, going to museums with my family, for example. But when I was a kid, I didn’t pick to go or not. I was fortunate I had parents that listened to me and brought me places I enjoyed, rather than just brought me wherever and demanded I “enjoy the moment.” And usually, I got to buy one small thing when we went out, especially if my parents also bought things. It helped me feel like I was part of the trip.
God. I want to bring this lady’s poor kid out to that build-a-dino place and buy them their dino toy. It’s clear they tossed out what the kid actually likes and is interested in for the sake of this “declutter your life~bargain bin nameste~” horsecrap. Now the kid has nothing that’s their own and has been taught that asking for their interests is punished by everything they enjoy being taken away.
And who cares if the kid “forgets” about the toy after the trip? that doesn’t mean they never wanted it or could have done with out it. A kid is a kid, their memories don’t stretch back more than 10 years, a week or a month is a long time to them and an afternoon can change their mind. Disrespecting your kid’s wishes and taking every toy they have (and you gave them!) so they can pay attention to you and your horrible ego trips
like this may be what she says
Had I not experienced it with my own eyes, I would’ve never believed that an addiction to stuff could be broken that quickly. The truth is that when I took all their stuff away, I was terrified at what would happen. I worried that I was scarring them for life, depriving them of some essential developmental need, taking away their ability to self-entertain.
In reality, the opposite has happened. Instead of being bored, they seem to have no shortage of things to do. Their attention span is much longer and they are able to mindfully focus on their task at hand. They color or read for hours at a time and happily spend the entire afternoon playing hide & seek or pretend.
They are far more content, able to appreciate the blessings that they do have, and able to truly enjoy the moment they are in without always having to move on to the next thing. They are more creative and patient, more willing to share, far more empathetic towards the plight of others, and, with little to fight over, they hardly fight at all.
but what happened was that now that she’s romanticizing that her kids now have fewer boundaries, fewer things to do, ask less of her (and don’t kids always have to ask less and less and less!) and don’t get to enjoy the things their peers might like + talk about.
Your kids have no concept about being more “creative and patient,” lady. Kids just do what they do and don’t have any of this romanticization of their behaviors. Your kids have to be more empathetic, because without catering to their mother or to their peers who might have toys, they don’t have their own lives to retreat to now. And sure, they can play pretend. But like, so did I. And I had toys. And just because I was still playing as a kid didn’t mean I wasn’t miserable or was ~cured~ of having no friends and being bullied. Kids do not play because they are happy or healthy. kids play because that’s all their lives contain and if you take away their toys they HAVE to find a new alternative somehow. Sad kids still play.
I wonder if she’s purposefully omitting the times that her kids being forced to play entirely in their mother’s territory with no personal boundaries have resulted in destruction of her home. But then again, these are her little angels~ who have become good kids~ when they were corrupted by the horrors of materialism~ are even capable of being miserable anymore.
I loathe this woman. Rescue her kids.
I played pretend for hours and hours and hours and I did it with my toys. I wouldn’t have started writing if I wasn’t able to create characters with them and build worlds out of Lego. My first novel stems back to the characters I created from my toys.
The only reason I never did more creative~ things was because they involved my parents getting out newspaper and paints, or saving me cardboard boxes, and even when I did my most creative project as a kid was to build my own doll house. Y’know. My own toy.
Toys are designed to stimulate play. Toys are designed to be played with. If a kid builds her own dinosaur she’s building a character and you can bet she’s going to play with it. She’ll introduce it to her other stuffed animals and they’ll come to life and if that isn’t creative I don’t know what is.
In her follow-up article she says “In that moment, I just wanted to completely clear their room of everything.” She says “I hate toys that have a billion pieces”. She says “Seeing the changes in my children was definitely a catalyst for change in myself as well.”
She characterises it as a battle that “I am winning.”
She gives the classic “Someday they’ll get it” justification.
Her husband seems to feel “a mixture of pity and fear” but it doesn’t bother her.
“There is no negotiation. Our home is not a democracy.”
She gives the kids no input in what is valuable to them if she deems it worthless. “Papers & junky party favors or prizes are usually tossed immediately (when the kids aren’t looking!)” She goes behind their backs with their own things (not that she respects their property).
“I truly don’t expect perfection from my kids. I expect them to listen and obey and to do their best”
She doesn’t give a damn about what her kids want; she talks about herself and her struggle and her self-righteous authoritarianism. And in the tidying article she reveals that her kids are three and six.
Just look at this bedroom.
This is sad.
NOTE: This post was edited since I reblogged it, and the edit included a lot of important points, so I’m re-reblogging it with my original comment to preserve the new version.
I needed to reblog this addition and I’m sorry it’s a super long post now but it’s so important. I played pretend with my toys all the time because that’s… what you use toys for? My mom saw this post and felt sorry for the kids, told me that she bets those kids now furtively play with rocks, rags, and household items wary their mom will take them away, too or say those things aren’t for playing.
The thing I told her and I’ll add on here too is that when I was a kid, I was lucky enough to have parents that let me pick my own toys. Chances are, this mom didn’t actually get her kid toys that appealed to her kid’s interest. Like how many barbies did her mom give her that now the mom complains her kid never can “focus” on playing with? And now she wants a dinosaur toy that she picked out for herself and that’s too much? it sounds like the mom is more angry at all the stuff she threw at her kid (or that her kid was coerced into getting) wasn’t being “appreciated” in a way that gratified her, so she destroyed it all
like in the end this mom is self-congratulatory that her kids now behave in the way she wants for her control freak minimalist neat and tidy showroom-floor aesthetic how terrible is that?
This is how you get your child to 1. Never trust you again 2. Develop anxiety in asking you for anything, ever I am so sick of these ~modern~ parents who shove their beliefs down their kids’ throats when the kids have 0 idea what’s going on. They probably thought they were being punished. If I had a kid tell me her mom threw away all her toys, I’d have a shitton to say to her mother and there’d be some choice words along with pulling up links on emotional abuse. What a fucking demon of a mother.
Oh man this is not the worst of it
This mother, not only took away a child’s biggest source of entertainment and joy in their lives, not only did she make sure that they were afraid of ever asking for anything again (which is kinda necessary for any kid), not only did she force aaall of her beliefs down their children’s throats, not only did she completely ignore ALL science relating to this subject saying that kids should be allowed to develop through playing
no
This woman… This fucking woman made a webshop, where she overprices everything. She sells a ton of BS, like binders that she claims can get your life together (spoiler alert, if you’d rather listen to this nutjob, than child psychologists, an ugly notebook isn’t gonna make any miracles)
She’s making money off of her daughter’s psychological damage, AND encouraging others to do the same. This is so messed up and I hope he gets what’s coming to her
She’s killing their creativity and enforcing a parenting style that relies on totalitarian ideals that benefit her absolutely.
Yeah, don’t doubt that that’s abuse. Your kids are people too. They deserve basic human rights just like everyone else.
honestly y’all need to start being more critical w the animal content you reblog
reptiles interacting with cats? wild animals purposely in someone’s house? different big cat species interacting? a fish in a barren, little tank? literally anything involving brian barczyk?
most likely, those animals are in unsafe situations that are bad for their welfare and quality of life. those pictures and videos aren’t actually cute, don’t treat them like they are
This got way more notes that expected, so before this takes off fully I want to go through and explain why for those of you who don’t know! No worries if you aren’t aware, everyone is always learning, including myself.
Any other questions are best directed to my pet blog, @elemental-kiss
Reptiles interacting with cats First, cats will almost always see a reptile as a fun toy or a cool prey item. That means interacting, with their mouth or paws, as cats do. Even if you are watching closely, your cat could very easily kill your reptile. Next is the fact that cats carry a certain kind of gram negative bacteria under their claws that is harmful to reptiles- so even a small scratch can prove fatal. This post explains it well!
Wild animals purposely in someone’s house They’re wild animals and should be in the wild. If a deer wandered in and you took a picture but otherwise left it alone, fine, it happens, we’ve all gotten some wild critter in our house at one point or the other. If animals enter your home, do your best to provide ways for them to leave without interacting with them or habituating them to humans more- you don’t want them seeking out people, that’s how animals get shot. If someone put a wild animal (that isn’t like a leopard gecko or an american toad and therefore a pet that can safely be kept with humans) in their home, be wary. If the animal is a rehab case at a wildlife rehab, they’re not really going to have people take it home, even if it needs a lot of care. They don’t want to habituate it to humans, that makes it harder to release. Big cats and all those fancy zoo animals that aren’t native here and are dangerous? Have no business being in someone’s home. No responsible zoo would let their animals be taken home, and big cats and those critters don’t make good pets. Keep in mind appearance can be misleading, so check the source. The Minnesota Zoo used to bottle-feed their baby tiger, and they bottle-fed her in one of the zoo kitchens, which in photos looked very much like a domestic setting. So check for an explanation of why the animal is there!
Different big cat species interacting Obviously I’m not a big cat expert, so I’ll link some things here. Unfortunately the blog that had the posts I wanted to link most is now password protected, but it really should go without saying that you shouldn’t put two predator species that don’t live together in the wild together. I can’t name a single reputable zoo or sanctuary that would do that. It’s very much a gimmick done by “roadside” zoos. People love what they think are interspecies friendships. Also, hybrids between lions and tigers (for example) are possible, and not a good thing. Pxnthera has a good post here with lots of links on that. I couldn’t find the posts I was looking for specifically on big cat interspecies interaction, but here’s pxnthera’s interspecies interaction tag.
A fish in a barren, little tank There is not a single species of fish that should be kept in anything less than 5 (and honestly, really, in less than 10) gallons. Full stop. No exceptions. Most fish kept in home aquaria come from areas of dense planting- bettas, rasboras, pretty much most fish from Asia. South American species like cichlids and tetras generally need less, but every fish needs some form of cover! They need to be able to hide if they so choose. Every schooling fish? Needs at least 20 gallons or for some species, much more. Fish are complex beings with needs, they are intelligent and capable of learning, but most importantly they are living breathing feeling animals that regardless of cognitive capabilities and our ability to understand their behavior, deserve proper care and a good quality of life. Yes, even your betta. I talk fish a lot on @elemental-kiss so you can head over there for more info.
Literally anything involving brian barczyk Brian, also known as BHB Reptiles, or Snakebytes TV, is a glorified puppy mill for snakes and lizards. Check out my BHB critical tag, the Reptile Keepers against Brian Barczyk facebook group, and their companion instagram for more details- I couldn’t possibly name all of his horrendous care issues in one post. His husbandry makes me sick, its disgusting and even someone with no knowledge of reptiles can tell.
Any more questions about these topics specifically, or if a video or image involving fish, reptiles, or amphibians (my main area of knowledge) is actually cute, can be directed to @elemental-kiss which is my pet blog.
Wild 👏 animals 👏 are 👏 not 👏 pets 👏 don’t 👏 keep 👏 primates 👏 they 👏 are 👏 not 👏 cute 👏 they 👏 will 👏 fuck 👏 your 👏 shit 👏 up 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Like, seriously, here’s an excerpt
“On February 16, 2009, Travis attacked Sandra Herold’s 55-year-old friend Charla Nash, inflicting devastating injuries to her face and limbs. Travis had left the house with Sandra Herold’s car keys, and Nash came to help get the chimp back in the house; upon seeing Nash holding one of his favorite toys, Travis immediately attacked her. Travis was familiar with Nash, who had also worked at the Herolds’ towing company, although Nash had a different hair style at the time of the attack. The chimp had been taking medication for Lyme disease. Herold, then 70 years old, attempted to stop Travis by hitting him with a shovel and stabbing him with a butcher knife. “For me to do something like that – put a knife in him – was like putting one in myself,” Herold later said. The chimp turned around, she said, as if to say, “‘Mom, what did you do?’” The ape was angered more. Herold then called 9-1-1 and pleaded for help. Travis’ screams can be heard in the background of the tape as Sandra pleads for police, who initially believed the call to be a hoax, until she started screaming, “He’s eating her!” Emergency medical services waited for police before approaching the house. Travis walked up to the police car when it arrived, tried to open a locked passenger door, and smashed a side-view mirror. Then he went calmly around to the driver’s-side door and opened it, at which point Officer Frank Chiafari shot him several times. Travis retreated to the house, where he was found dead next to his cage”
I’ve heard the 911 call, it is truly sickening. I can’t even imagine the level of agony that woman endured.
America needs to be stopped. Just because you CAN do something, doesn’t mean you SHOULD.
Places like big cat rescue are overrun with the results of idiots like these.
If it can bite your face off it is NOT A PET!
also, please, think about how awfully it ended for the animal. there were no winners here. none.
BettSplendens Tumblr Evac 