General: Dog o' Matic dog "washing machine"...inhumane??

[YayPiggies]

That is AWFUL. If you don't have time take it to a groomer. Washing a dog is fun and most dogs love the bonding time with their owner. Let's stick a human in there and spin 'em in a dryer.

[princesspoppy]

Thats just sick and sad. How could anyone do that to a pet.

[stafishtaylz]

I'm actually sorry that I watched this, yet, I could turn it off. I have SEVERE empathy and cannot even imagine doing this to my pets. The worst part is the little white dog in the picture pawing on the door could be my dog, 100%.

[Vanilla eXe]

That's terrible! If you can't spare the time to wash them yourself, or the money to get them bathed by a competent groomer, then don't get a dog!

[madakri]

In my opinion, only someone that is completely out of their mind would invent a dog washing machine.

Putting any animal in this machine is absolutely a insane and for any dog owner to put their dog through such an dreadful and traumatizing experience is down right cruel and heartless.

[theresaj]

Agreed 100% with the above! There are plenty of things you can do if you don't have the time to give your dog a bath yourself!

[Kipsie]

"The pet spa was designed by animal behaviorists, veterinarians and engineers with the safety and wellbeing of the pets in mind..."


I can't believe that man put his cat in there. The cat was freaking out and trying to get out, and looked like a deer in headlights after it was over. Some dogs may not mind it, but most would hate it.


I, however, wouldn't mind going in there. It looks fun foor humans.

[MissFormosa]

Wow. At first I thought it was a hoax. It's really real. How awful.

Okay, okay - now I'm going to open up my big mouth and get myself in trouble again. Please realize I am going to extremes to prove a point.

Call me a bitter gen x'er, but in my opinion, people are just getting automated. Not lazy, but automated and numb with a lack of effort, respect, consequences, and individuality.


I'm not referring to what goes on at an individual or person by person level, but what has happened in America as a society as a whole. Here's why I say this. Hear me out fairly here, I know it's a long post but I am getting to a point about the dog washing machine, I promise (see last few paragraphs ).

I remember what it was like as a kid, when times were still somewhat human and you interacted more with other people in person. And then watched as so quickly every kind of technology got more advanced. For instance, cell phones went from the size of loaf of bread to a tiny thing that fits in your pocket. Computers went from being the size of a dresser to fitting on a desk. And you don't even have to squint at a dark green screen with neon green pixelated letters anymore! Microwaves got affordable. Then came VCR's, CD players, DVD's, video game consoles, wireless phones, diskettes, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc. This all made life very convenient and easy and people began to rely on technology.

Then watched as the generation of kids after my generation suddenly couldn't have any real fun. They have to wear knee pads and a helmet to ride their bikes, because god forbid they get a scraped knee. The little lever on the side of Big Wheels that would allow you to spin out suddenly disappeared. Playgrounds went from having pebbles under the equipment to having recycled rubber shock absorbing material. When poor little Johnny slips, he'll just bounce right back up again. Video games, although they came out when I was a kid, really became more advanced and popular with so many choices available that you would never have to leave the house again to go to the local arcade. TV started being watched all the time as opposed to after dinner or after the homework was done or for only a limited amount of time. You didn't have to go do it for yourself if you saw it done on TV and you could get away with back talking your parents because that's what they did on the sitcoms and it was funny.

Parenting has changed too. Although many might disagree, in my opinion, kids no longer have to be as independent or face consequences of their actions in the same way. As a kid, when we did something bad, we got spanked. Not that I do or would spank my kids (time out and taking privileges seems more effective), but I find it fascinating that back then it was acceptable and now it is child abuse and psychologically damaging. If that were so, a large part of the population must have some serious therapy bills. My parents could even sign a form that allowed me to get spanked in school if I misbehaved and yes, in sixth grade I got spanked by the principal. I never got in another fight again though! I found that spanking was so embarrassing and personal that you would refrain from doing whatever it was you were doing wrong in the first place ever again. I have heard many people my age and older remark that today kids just get a slap on the hand, but I don't think they even get that. Maybe this is why our jails are so overpopulated that paroles are being considered on a wider basis just to make more room? And what is the average age of the people convicted of a crime? 20's-30's. Keep reading with an open mind, I'm getting to a point here.

My parents gave me a key on a shoestring. I would go home after school myself, let myself in and take care of myself. I would use my best common sense myself and not open the door for anyone and was able to make my own snack myself and keep myself out of danger. In short, I learned that I didn't need my parents to do everything for me. And if I was messing around and broke my mother's crystal vase I'd better be ready to tell the truth of what happened and face the consequences. It was live and learn. You do it, you must face what you did and it might not be pleasant, but you would try not to do it again. Now, My friend who is a social worker told me that kids can not be left at home alone until they are 12 (at least in NY). Not that that is an entirely bad thing, but this lack of being able to do things for themselves is damaging.

And I just read a thread on here that someone's school is making a home visit to make sure the child has a good learning environment! What the? I've noticed working in HR that these new kids come in and need you to hold their hand just to fill out a W-4 form, even though clear instructions are on the form...and these kids have Bachelors Degrees! It seems like there is no effort made to figure it out for themselves before asking for help. One day a girl asked me how to do a voided check while filling out her direct deposit request.

Now, the reason why I think this cause and effect thing with kids is important is because I see a lot more kids today who just don't care. They are going to do whatever they want because they can. The concept I am trying to illustrate itself has nothing to do with spanking or staying home alone or wearing a bike helmet - those are examples I choose to use. It's the root of the concept. As a kid, I would never think to break the law and we had PSA's and school programs that taught us what not to do and what would happen if we did. Remember McGruff taking a bite out of crime or your brain on drugs or the DARE program? In California, we even had to watch the "Red Asphalt" videos in drivers ed and it made us think twice. We said the pledge of allegiance at school and learned about respecting others and the golden rule. I don't really see these things anymore. People are so afraid to offend anyone else that they would rather keep their mouths shut and not be heard. I think many people feel it is okay to break the law because what are the chances they would be caught and everyone is doing it on TV anyways. Not to mention the violence on TV and video games these kids see. It's as though they are emotionally immune to it. Something is obviously very wrong. Very very wrong.

Enough about kids, people who are my age and older are not necessarily lazy. We are tired, frustrated and overwhelmed. Now we just go around like a bunch of robots (a least here in the big city - you country folks are still very lucky). Everyone shuffles to work in the same way - never speaking to anyone else or looking at anyone else - ever heard of the subway stare?. People just plug into their iPod and iPhones and drift off into their own world. We all sit in individual offices and cubicles and stare at a computer all day. We email our co-worker rather than getting up to tell them something in person, even if they are two offices away. We do not have company meetings and I can't recall the last time I have seen a potluck. Machines and technology run our lives. Everywhere we are bombarded with information from the news, TV, internet, blogs, etc...it's hard to even make out the real details anymore or form a solid opinion. The most important thing doesn't seem to be community and individual accomplishments anymore, the only thing I see people say that matters is money and what material items you have. And the news will certainly back that opinion up. Do you have the newest big thing? Heck, I don't even know my neighbors. I've tried saying "hi", but they rarely respond with a "Oh hi! How are you? Would you like to stop by for a cup of coffee?".

Now don't get me wrong, technology has been a blessing in many areas such as the medical field, keeping in touch with people who thought you would never find again, learning new things (like about guinea pigs!), streamlining work and other industrial processes, and educational research, etc, etc.

But in other ways I feel it has had a negative impact on how people socialize, view each other, and think. It has brought us total anonymity. You can say and do things you never would in "reality" and thats okay because you can get away with it on the internet. But at times it spills over into "reality", doesn't it? It's like a lie that you got caught telling.

And I do think it is important to keep our children safe and to discipline them appropriately without fear, but again, it has changed people and I am not sure sometimes if it is for the better, but what else can we do? What are our alternatives at this point? We cannot choose anymore what we do with our kids, it's decided for us. In my opinion, kids are growing up more dependent on others.

So, of course with a society like this - with technology ruling our lives, with children who can do whatever they please as long as they don't get caught, with violence accepted as entertainment - people are going to start to treat animals just like anything else. A possession.

If you can't respect your neighbors, why respect an animal?? If you can just shove your pet in a washing machine to make it easier for you so you can have more time to watch your TV show and chat on the internet, why not? It's all about multi-tasking baby! You don't have to care, after all. The media told you it was the latest technology. If the TV said it's good and 12 blogs said it was good, it must be by god! You didn't even have to think about it, now did you?? How convenient! And it doesn't hurt you to traumatize the animal and there's no consequences, so what's the big deal? If anything happens to the animal, you can just easily replace it, right?

Here's my smart-aleck remark about the whole thing...

Next thing you know, they will have these sort of things in nursing homes. Say goodbye to that labor intensive sponge bath! Boy, technology has come a long way!

Just pop Grandma in, push a button, and she comes out nice and clean! Oh, she won't mind getting gagged when her dentures surf a wave in her mouth. She should have closed her mouth anyways, the old hoot! Geez, she should know better! Didn't she watch the video tutorial on YouTube first?

You know, come to think about it, she won't care about having the soap and hot water burn her eyes. It might even help that glaucoma problem of hers. I think I read something about this on Yahoo! Answers.

And she will be okay with it because it saved you so much time and you didn't even get wet! She'd always want her favorite grandchild to have the very best! It's so advanced and so useful how can she object? She would say that you are so smart it if she wasn't gasping for air.

Sure she looks a little disturbed, but she's just complaining that things aren't like they used to be...isn't that cute?! Awww...too bad granny, it's a new era! I'll definitely have to post a photo of this on my blog!

Besides, why should I care? We put her in the nursing home because it's convenient and we have more time for ourselves! She would have wanted it that way because I deserve it.

Oh grandma, you should be happy you are in a nursing home that offers so much technology!

[madakri]

MissFormosa, I get your point, your very long point, but a good and real point.
Like someone mentioned above, we are living or very close too the Jetson's Era.

But in the end, you live your life as you choose too not as people tell you too, at least I live this way.

Yes, Technology comes in handy in many ways in our personal lives and businesses but you've got to have boundaries and common sence.
You choose, you don't let others choose for you.

They can invent as many dog and grandma washing machines as they want, but it is our prerogative to go along or not.

The main thing I'm trying to say is to always have a heart first and secondly common sence.

[louie_joey]

"You just stick them in the machine, press “start,” and smugly watch with the knowledge that opposable thumbs make you the boss. According to the manufacturer, the animals don’t suffer."

That is just despicable! If your dog hates having a bath before that machine just imagine how terrified it would be after! Anyone who can put their dog in there and watch it rotate around in a mess of soap and water shouldn't have a dog! And of course the manufacturer will say that animals don't suffer, they will say ANYTHING to have their product used!

[angiekay]

Yea, I think this is horrific also, and seen the cat one too! I am a huge lover of animals and have always had cats up until the past two years, as the hubby is allergic. That poor, poor cat!!! I second what everyone else has said, don't get a dog if you can't bathe them or take them to a groomer if your too freaking lazy to do it yourself to begin with!!!

[GizzyandMe]

In all honesty I can not think of any person who loves their animal that will use this. It is just cruelty to animals marketed as "innovation".

[pinkflamingos77]

That is ridiculous!

There is no way I would use that on my dogs. They are not clothes. They do not need to be put through a wash machine. If my dogs want a shower, I will put them in our shower. It amazes me what our world is coming too.