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My mom and her boyfriend act like and say that my dog and his dog are they're children? It's straight up creepy and you'd swear they were talking to kids until you turn the corner and see for yourself.
@SFE11765 did you seriously just ask if the OP's MOTHER is infertile? really??
Tundra: Lara's "mischief" is due to her breed, NOT her environment. She's a purebred Mal, and this is typical of her kind. She's given the same boundaries as our other dog (a Shepherd) - not allowed on the couch or beds, has to sit, shake drop for her dinner, and does not start eating till we say so. If we catch her stealing food, she has it taken from her, etc. The reason she does it is simply because she's a Mal. And as for the Coke, she only gets the tiny amounts we permit her. She doesn't take it from the fridge.
When we rescued her, we contacted the professionals in the field, and the Malamute Club, because we immediately recognised how different she was. We were told to get used to it - this is the breed. We were also told of numerous other things Mals do that can be maddening - we were told that if we had a backyard, we should get used to not having it, and that she may howl a lot. We were also warned that this breed typically sees smaller animals as food - we have cats that she loves and has never harmed. In fact, she is protective even of strangers' cats because we raised her that cats are higher in the pack than dogs. In our household, humans eat, then cats (who have their food higher up than the dogs, not on the floor), THEN the dogs. She only really had digging issues as a puppy - as an adult, she has only two holes that she has dug out of instict, as "dens" - just as they dig in the snow. And she seldom howls. By Malamute standards, she's incredibly well-behaved.
Mals have to be "intelligently disobedient" because of what they were bred to do. If a human tells them to go somewhere in the snow that's dangerous, the dogs have to be able to disobey for everyone's safety, much like guide dogs have to disobey some commands to protect their humans.
We don't dress our animals up or allow them to dictate what happens. I grew up with many animals, and my husband grew upon a farm. He is so much the alpha that he can control trained guard dogs that's he's never met before. Dogs simply respect him.
I suggest you study the breed before passing judgement in this case. They are simply not like other dogs, and we've had MANY other dogs, none of which were like Lara. She's being what she was bred to be. That's WHY so many Malamutes are dumped.
@Gertie - Aren't they just awesome? Apparently the Wookiee from Star Wars (I think? I haven't watched those movies) was based on the writer's Malamute, Indiana. We have full-on conversations with Lara. We don't know what she's actually saying, but her expressiveness makes her messages pretty clear! If we had the resources, we'd open a Snow Dog Rescue, since they're among the most-dumped breeds. We just love them. :)
I'm a son actually and it won't creep me out for long going to Texas for USAF BMT
@aziralevava. I had a Mal. You are exactly right. We spoke Malamute to him.
Since you are an actual daughter, it's gotta be a little creepy for you, especially if you still live at home. But I get the feeling you're an adult, living on your own. If that's the case, your Mom & her boyfriend are like a lot of other pet owners.
It's very common but also depends on the type of pet and the bond the person has with it. My hubby and I regard our four pets as our "furry kids" because they rely on us in a similar manner to what human children would. More than that, though, we've lost multiple pregnancies and have no human kids, so we shower a lot of love on the critters - and being folks who adore animals is just another reason. We even babysit other people's pets from time to time.
But one of the biggest reasons this started is because one of our pets is an Alaskan Malamute. Anyone who's had experience with the breed will probably be grinning broadly right about now, because they understand just how "human" Mals can be. This breed is highly intelligent (though they frequently play dumb when it suits them). I am not joking when I say that Lara talks back and actually shakes her head "no" if she doesn't want to do something - she literally stands there and argues her case. She is a problem-solver: she opens doors that don't require a thumb to do so. She steals food, and can open bags of chips, and even opens Coke bottles. Yes, I am serious. She actually removes the lid and tips the drink out, then licks it up off the floor. This is just some of the usual mischief she gets up to.
Despite this, we do speak "Dog" and she is quite aware of who the pack leaders are. But there is no way we could consider her anything other than a big, oversized furry child. She's definitely our baby.
Most of us adults with pets are that way. When you take care of something that is totally dependent on you...it's like caring for a child lol!
It's probably not normal but people do get really attached to their pets.
Haha nah, I don't think that's normal. It is kinda creepy if I think about it..