Comments on: Free range dogs? How doggy parenting is different in Germany

By: Goodbye Berlin, Hello Canada | PhD in Parenting

Goodbye Berlin, Hello Canada | PhD in Parenting — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:21:00 +0000

[...] building, we have to be on high alert. There is dog shit everywhere. As I wrote previously, the dogs here are pretty free range and a lot of them just do their business whenever and wherever they want and there is no one there [...]

By: Michelle Y

Michelle Y — Sat, 15 May 2010 04:44:20 +0000

Ewwww, cats. Our cats are so much more gross than our dog.

Animals actually have lots of chemicals in their saliva that are antimicrobial. Not that I’d still recommend letting them lick your face (or your children’s), but remembering this sometimes makes me feel better!

And this has nothing to do with the blog post…:)

By: Melodie

Melodie — Wed, 12 May 2010 04:14:31 +0000

Reading this took me back to when I was a kid. I’ve never really thought about it before since I haven’t had dogs as an adult, but when I was a kid 25-30 years ago they were never on a leash. When we took our dog for a walk she ran ahead or behind us sniffing and exploring and doing her own thing and was happy to come when we called. This does make me think of parenting and how we expect our kids to play safely and don’t want to let them out of our sight, etc. Yet, like dogs, kids are innocent creatures of Mother Earth and need to explore and learn from the world. We need to give our kids more credit that they will return if hungry, hurt or in need of something else. Not that I think we should set our pre-schoolers out of the house and say “be back by dinner,” but taking them off the proverbial leash would be a good place to start. Neat cultural observation! Thanks for sharing!

By: Kat

Kat — Tue, 11 May 2010 03:37:46 +0000

I would be far more likely to put this down, as other people have suggested, to different social and cultural norms in Germany which tend to more structure, discipline etc. They also have a far more regulated society so there are probably a lot more consequences if your dog goes rogue, so to speak, so more incentives to train your dog.

By: Bettina

Bettina — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:46:16 +0000

Well that’s a relief! And maybe that explains why my kids are not so well-behaved, it’s in my genes . . . I’m from the Black Forest!

By: Condo Blues

Condo Blues — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:37:45 +0000

Dog person here. I think the commenter who said Germans have a more ordered cultured than in the US (where I live) translates down to the dogs there too. I rescued and rehabilitated an abused dog. I learned that dog world loves order – when a group of them get together they quickly establish a hieracrhy. The top dog tells the other dogs what to do and not only do they like it they expect it. In the US, very few people do that with thier dogs, because they don’t want to break their spirit or think that giving a dog rules is being mean. It’s the opposite. I tell my dog to sit before he gets a meal, a treat, his leash on to go on a walk, etc. and because he now has rules and knows what’s expected of him and that very good things happen when he does what I say like going on extra car rides, walks, dog events, etc. He’s as well behaved and non hyper as the dogs you describe in Germany.

By: kim

kim — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:37:28 +0000

interesting post – dog lover/owner here, not dog whisperer style tho! haha!

being offleash lends itself better to some dogs than others – just like people, dogs have their own personalities and what works for 1 does not work for all. what about dogs who dont like other animals? some just dont. certain breeds are more independant and more prone to wander than others. i would also be interested in spaying/neutering/unwanted litters with all of these dogs running free and unsupervised as overpopulation is a HUGE problem in the states. also health issues such as heartworm disease.

a tired dog is a good dog, but a well behaved dog usually has owners who have invested time it meeting its needs for mental and physical stimulation beyond just turning it loose.

i do wish the states was more ‘pet friendly’ in facilities and such.

very interesting post!

By: phdinparenting

phdinparenting — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:41:33 +0000

Bettina:

I know where I previously lived in Germany (in the Black Forest), I found that children behaved much worse than in North America and their parents didn’t seem to care at all. For example, I constantly had kids kicking my seat on the train/streetcar and their parents wouldn’t say a thing about it. I haven’t noticed them being that “frech” here in Berlin, but maybe it is because I don’t see a lot of kids (all in KiTa/school).

By: Bettina

Bettina — Mon, 10 May 2010 10:36:19 +0000

I’m sure the dog whisperer would have some interesting thoughts here, but my immediate reaction is that kids are better behaved in Germany too. Whenever I visit my cousins, I am amazed that their kids who are the same ages as mine can sit still through a whole dinner and dessert, don’t interrupt, are much calmer and generally have better manners than mine. In my case I attribute my kids lack of self-control and exciteability to my not being present and consistent enough as a parent. Germans are super structured and the whole culture is training-oriented (which is a negative too) so it doesn’t surprise me that kids and dogs are well-behaved. Final note: My kids may not be as well-behaved, but they are far more charismatic, entertaining and out-right funnier than their cousins! Does that sound defensive?

By: Janine

Janine — Mon, 10 May 2010 09:05:11 +0000

Very, very true. I felt some shame reading this, as our own pup is wildly excitable, but it all definitely makes sense.

I can’t imagine a dog under my table in a restaurant but I don’t find it to be a hygiene issue. I have never seen my dog eat his own poop and in fact I believe I have a stronger immune system for growing up in a home with dogs. Definitely cleaner than cats.