I think a variety of things have changed. to be clear, I'm basing my comments on my parents' experiences with dogs and other people of their generation rather than personal experience of "old school" dog raising.

Some things that I think have changed how people interact with their dogs:
More dogs being kept indoors-- this leads to a higher need or desire for better training because otherwise the dog destroys the house and annoys the crap out of you

More people interested in dog sports and activities-- a "good" dog that just doesn't destroy the house or bite the kids requires one level of training, one that will be a search and rescue dog or agility dog etc requires something additional

More legal liability-- a dog bite or even a scratch is much more of an issue now than either in the past here in the US or in the past/current time in some other countries. So people may be more inclined to contain and train their dogs.

More medical science-- learning about genetic diseases and contagious diseases both has led towards better vet care and a desire on some peoples' parts to reduce genetic problems. My mom's parents bred Boxers. They'd be consider backyard breeders nowadays because they got a healthy female (no obvious problems and had her shots) and a healthy male (same) and bred them and cared for the puppies and sold them with minimal look at the potential owners other than gut instinct. They cared for the dogs and never mistreated them but the concept of looking further for health wasn't there.

Science of training-- more studies showing how dogs learn has changed how people train.

My father's family had a Chihuahua when he was a kid and the dog was overweight and badly behaved. As a kid, he thought that was just what a Chi was like. As an adult and watching my dogs and learning more, he realized the dog was a bad fit for a busy military family with several children and no spare time so the dog was overfed and undertrained and probably kinda unhappy.

But in some ways, the pendulum may have swung too far. People can feel bad that they cannot afford the "premium" food while some of those same premium foods aren't really very healthful at all. Or feel bad because they don't go to classes with their dog or such even though the dog is happy and has a walk each day.

 

Was the China dog allowed in the house? Bet no way. He would have had nasty teeth from eating poop, fleas and ticks unless he was brushed and picked at and smelled generally awful from no baths and the food. Bet there was no fence and he went where he liked. Ideal for a well behaved dog I think. Leashes cause all sorts of issues for so many dogs. Well ideal except for cars, bicycles and pedestrians that didn't like dogs.

My dog is a hobby and I want to train her. I want my dog to live in the house so it needs to be clean and fresh smelling. I want my dogs to live long and pain free lives so they get shots and trips to the vet. My dog doesn't eat premium kibbles, she gets meat, bone and organ and a lot of what she eats is leftover from our meats plus odds and ends that aren't human grade, except they are raw rather than cooked - a bit like what the China dog ate way back when.

Too many cars around, my dog certainly wouldn't live 12 years in my childhood neighborhood in the 1960's. Even as a child dogs only lived to be 3-4 years old in my neighborhood because of cars and most dogs weren't outside on their own all day every day. They got shots to prevent disease and nasty commercial foods like Gainesburger and Gravy Train because we believed the commercials on TV. We put flea collars on them but still got plenty bit up.

Last, she remembers that dog. How many others does she remember that got hit by car/bikes, were beat up by mean people, died of illness, killed because they attacked livestock, bit people or just vanished? Bet there were lots of dogs that didn't live so long.

 

My dad grew up homeless in Bolivia until age 13 when he was brought in by the church to live in their orphanage. This is a 3rd world country and dogs are everywhere you look and they were usually considered competition to a homeless person b/c you be competing for food that was thrown away. My dad had a love hate relationship with dogs. They were his only companions on the street but he would hate them when it came to food. The orphanage had an unofficial dog for awhile. The boys would feed it raw meat, bread and vegetables. My dad fell in love with this dog and he would sneak meat from the kitchen and give it to the dog. One day one of the nun's caught him, gave him a spanking with a ruler and said if you value the life of a dog more than you fellow orphans than you can leave and take the dog with you.

My dad came to this country, met my mom, got married and had my sisters and I. He said he always planned for us to have a dog. Our first dog was Aileen and our second is Delila. My mom and dad thought kibble was the most disgusting and unnatural thing in the world (they never heard of it in their countries). So they just fed the dogs raw meat their whole lives. Albeit, it wasn't by the 80/10/10 guide lines, at least not for the first dog. Their dogs never slept/lived outside but they were never allowed on any furniture. Only twice in their life did they bring their dogs to the vet. They just didn't feel the need for yearly check ups. They never felt the need for vaccinations or flea prevention. They also never encountered any problems due to this. They only did rabies b/c it was illegal not to. They used their hands to train the dogs and us (they believed in spanking). I mean things like hitting their snout or shoving it in their urine. Most of this occurred during their puppy year/s. Aileen passed away at the age of 14. Delila is currently 13, the only problem she has is mild arthritis. I guess they were ahead of their time in terms of nutrition but in terms of training they really believed/believe you have to show the dog who is boss. I'm sure many people feel this way, even now. So I can't say if this is something that has changed dramatically over time.

When I was about to adopt Odin, I was doing all this research on clicker training, positive reinforcement, I was researching shock collars (I decided not to go that route). I was looking up trainers by going to certain dog clubs, reviews, asking around, etc. My mom was like you are wasting your time just hit the dog lightly on the snout when he does something wrong or yell no/bad dog. And I asked how would I go about teaching sit. She said just push his butt down and say good boy when it touches the floor.

 

I think many things have changed even since I was a kid but some of the differences are less to do with changes in how dogs are cared for and just general differences in people. Some people are dog people, some people aren't and some people just have dogs because they have dogs. I can show you plenty of people who have dogs that just sit in their yard all day and dog nothing. Maybe they are tied out or maybe they are kept in by a fence but they are lucky to get food and water once a day. They get no training let alone any kind of specialized training. I have plenty of neighbors who allow their dogs to roam loose, some are picked up by AC others are ignored (because they are small or whatever reason). Forget considering expensive vet care or "the best" foods and toys.

On the other hand even back when my mother was a child their were people who really cared about their pets. My mother always had house dogs. They had pekes and other small dogs (mostly pekes). My grandfather was very devoted to his dogs, they got the best of the best care and food. There were not many kibble choices back then, he made them food until the day he died. I remember him frying eggs and bacon for his dogs every morning. This is a man who ate rice puff cereal. The dogs had a nice little fenced in run accessed through a doggy door to play in when they went outside and he walked them every day. They had house manners though not a whole lot of other training (not exactly sport dogs). They wore flea collars and were bathed once a month, brushed daily. My uncle was always the same with his dogs (also pekes). My aunt had a giant Great Pyr that lived in her home. I remember her following us around the house when my cousin and I were children. I would not say things have changed that much since I was a child. Some people keep their dogs inside, others leave their dogs out. There have been advances in veterinary medicine and genetics certainly. More clubs available if you want to participate in sports. However attitudes have not really changed that much here.

 

Posted by Remaru

However attitudes have not really changed that much here.

That is an excellent point. Some people, even if they don't have all the information/knowledge, will try their best to take care of an animal and some just don't give a damn.

Just to add to my previous post, although I didn't agree with how my parents raised their dogs I know that they loved them deeply and when Aileen passed it was the first time I saw my dad cry.

 

I think this is a very important point.

We-- and I mean that kind of generic group of dog lovers who post on forums like this-- cannot forget or overlook the love a person has for their dogs just because they do not care for them in the "best" way possible.

There is a wide difference between someone who abuses a dog, starves a dog, neglects a dog etc and a person that loves their dog but is content with tossing a ball in the yard and going on a walk now and then. I have met people that feed the cheapest of the cheap food and put the dog in the yard all day but cuddle the dog when they come home. The dog is important to them and matters to them. Those people want to do their best for their dog and want to protect their dogs and when connected with ways to do so such as free microchips, they will climb on board.

Are things different on the whole? Maybe not. But are the ideas of training and care changing? I think so.

 

More dogs where working dogs in the past though,so you still wanted a well trained dog for that. But because people did not crowd to large cities and a smaller population all together it was easier to keep a dog outside.

With ticks it depends where you live. I've never once had a tick on any of our pets or me in this state,not even on the cat we had when I was a kid that was outside 24-7 and lived to 16 and was euthanized from old age. So it is possible to have a outdoor animal live a full life but there are more risks. Although in both places with that cat we lived in small towns and on dead ends,so not as risky. He also still had vet care. My Mother grew up more rurally and on a farm,so the animals may not have gotten good food and the like but she did love them more than anything,she will still break out in tears over cats that have passed decades ago.

For food it was typical to give dogs scraps,which where mostly wheat products and bones. Now some had to learn the hard way what to feed,there I believe was a case of a large amount of sled dogs getting sick from salmonella in low quality rabbit meat and the army had to learn the hard way that low quality,low protein kibble that sometimes had mold on it made dogs sick and therefor worse workers.

So we not always just learn better but we also have to find that humans are ones that fall into fads and are likely to do whatever is considered right or popular for the time. There can be kind of competitions of who can be the best dog owner,just like with Mothers and children. I believe we also have gotten a bit more sensitive in some ways as well. Science may back it up to an extent but it can get to a point where someone see's a 1 year old drinking a bottle of possible formula in public(even though theres a good chance it's breast milk) and think it's child abuse and not afraid to nag the mother. Now the mother may not even change there ways they just might hide from the public.
So even though something like a clicker isn't a must for training dogs,it's now considered the in thing that if you don't use them regularly your now a bad trainer. You also end up feeling bad and slightly outcast on forums if you cant afford top notch dog food and five new toys and collars a week.
Now in the past before internet and more wide spread training practices those pressures where not put on you,so it really didn't matter so much how you treated your dog. Usually only the obvious abuse like dog fighting was frowned upon.

One thing was is dogs actually did live longer in the past,likely because of less inbreeding and better conformations. Despite how they where treated.

 

Good thread, I'm not exactly sure how "the switch" happened...I know somebody who has an entire wardrobe for her little dog, some people can spoil their dogs to the extreme...I think dogs lived just as long because they were mostly outside exercising and getting sunshine vs now when most dogs sleep all day inside because their owners are at work. Also, the food was probably less processed and dogs were aloud to be dogs! They could explore, get muddy, play rough, etc...

 

This is a tricky question, but good thread, love everyone's opinions.

I think it's sooo hard to judge each situation. Like I know plenty of people who love their dog(s) in their own way, but I wouldn't necessarily put them on 'my level' -- my dog to me is literally a best friend. I want him to have the best care (aka I dished out $1300 to have his canine tooth shaved down, capped, etc, rather than just pulling an important tooth for only $150 or something)... I enjoy being with him, I enjoy vacationing with him, I enjoy taking training classes with him. He's my family, my friend, but more than that, he's also a "hobby" of mine as well. And yes I am single and don't have kids so naturally, more of my time CAN be spent with my dog more than some others. I mean, 90% of my pictures on instagram and Facebook are of Jackson.

I know people who love having dogs around but aren't 'into' them, I know others who claim to be the biggest dog lovers in the world but are actually horrible dog owners. I dunno.

I've seen some homeless people who are better pet owners than rich people. lol.

But examples... my step-dad is very much one of those people that just... doesn't really get the whole dog/human bond thing, I guess? He likes Jackson enough, but when we had our other dog, Carmen, still alive, we live on 3 acres and she was a cockapoo and they just let her roam. We would leave for hours sometimes and they would just leave her free roaming outside. She chased cars so wasn't safe at all (and that's how she died), she had lymes and would often limp, was hardly taken to the vet, or groomed properly. If she happened to get dirty, my step-dad would put her in her crate in the garage overnight without second thought. These are things I would NEVER do with Jackson. I would simply bathe him. If he's limping, I take him to the vet. If his nails/hair get long, he goes to the groomer. I'd be insanely paranoid and worried if I ever left him outside by himself, even if we had a fence. But at the end of the day, it's hard to say.... Carmen was a happy dog, and she was allowed inside with us whenever she wanted, and she loved my mom. But ultimately her life was cut short due to the lifestyle. But she wasn't *abused*, she was fed, and happy and free.

It's so hard to say. Was her life better or worse than a dog who is crated 8-10 hours a day with nothing but a tiny backyard to sniff and pee in?

 

I'm 65, so old enough to be parents' generation for many of you. I grew up in the outer suburbs in Northern California. Lots of open fields and orchards, many people had a few acres.
The two biggest overall changes I see in dog care are the emergence and increasing strictness of confinement/leash laws, and the prevalence of spey/neuter. Dogs had more freedom, but much less devoted care. (The same goes for kids).
When I was a kid most dogs, other than the really mean ones and the tiny house dogs, were allowed to roam, and a lot more dogs and bitches were left entire. So dogs were better socialized, got lots of exercise if they wanted it, and generally got their walks by following the kids around. Many many many dogs got run over, but with all the entire dogs around there were always lots of puppies looking for homes. Having a litter was viewed as a good way to teach the kids the facts of life. We walked almost a mile to the bus stop. The dogs came with and then wandered home after the bus came. Some dogs seemed to learn the bus schedule and came to greet their kids when the bus arrived. You almost never saw a dog on a leash.
Some families allowed their dogs in the house, many did not.
There may have been premium dog foods, but my family never saw a need to feed anything other than Purina from the supermarket, plus table scraps. The dogs got cooked and raw bones. Never had any trouble with them.
Rabies shots were mandatory, and all the dogs in our neighborhood wore collars and tags. However, Parvo didn't yet exist. I think we vaccinated for distemper, though.
The breed mix was different, too. Pit bulls were unknown where I grew up and I don't remember any chihuahuas either. There were many more collie-type and GSD-type mixes, and quite a few Labradors. Rottis and Dobies were around, but not generally allowed to roam. I also remember a few terriers, spaniels, beagles, and daschies, and the occasional poodle. There was a Dane at the gas station that we all avoided cause it liked to hump children. I also remember an Afghan hound named Stupid . . . who lived up to his name.

 

Growing up our dogs were fed cheaper food (generally from the feed store....so purina food?) and allowed to roam (we lived in the country). They were taken to the vet for neutering and vaccinations, and if something happened like a porcupine attack. They had their nails clipped when needed and given a brush. The slept indoors and when it was time to have them pts we usually had the vet come home to do it. We had a couple dogs HBC and the rest were euth'd due to old age/illness.

When my parents took over care of Whiskey (my previous dog) while I went to college they switched her over to Acana food, spent more time outside with her than just letting her run free, and seemed to be more knowledgeable in dog care.

 

I dunno. I keep my dog like my mom kept hers, and she kept hers like my grandfather kept his. There have always been people who got yearly check ups and fed the best food they could find and regularly groomed their dogs, etc., etc. Both my mother and grandfather used positive training methods.

As to the food, grocery store kibble wasn't as bad 40 years ago as it is now. As prices of ingredients rose, kibble manufacturers sought out cheaper (and worse) ingredients to maintain their profit margins. At the same time, farmers and meat processors got better and better at selling everything they could, including the grains that fall to the floor in beer manufacturing plants (an actual ingredient in some brands of kibble). So your grandparents were feeding a good quality kibble, just without all the work your putting into it now.

But because people did not crowd to large cities and a smaller population all together it was easier to keep a dog outside.

This isn't true. The rise of suburbs only happened 50-60 years ago. Prior to that, if you weren't on a farm, you were crowded cheek to jowl in a big city.

 

This isn't true. The rise of suburbs only happened 50-60 years ago. Prior to that, if you weren't on a farm, you were crowded cheek to jowl in a big city.

??? My family wasn't. Nor, for that matter, were my parents or my grandparents. You have to go back four generations before you find a few farmers. But there are no urban dwellers.
There were a lot of people living on 'small acreage' before the suburbs really took off, and a higher percentage of the population was rural. This varies greatly by region. But I would guess most of the dog-owning public, especially the public owning medium to large dogs, was rural or semi-rural.
See, eg, http://www.census.gov/history/img/urban-rural-distributionmap.jpg
There were a lot more people living in small towns before WWII.

 

My parents and I grew up in East Asia. My parents in Korea and myself in Korea and China.

I think the only thing that's changed is that when my parents were growing up, the dogs were not spayed/neutered and were fed mainly table scraps. When we got a dog as a family, we fed it a homecooked diet mixed with Pedigree kibble. We took our dogs for vaccinations but did not neuter him. Training-wise we honestly didn't do any of that "dominance" stuff... in Korea such an idea doesn't really exist. I guess we did mostly positive reinforcement training but we didn't do a lot of training tbh. Oh, and we used to leave our dog to roam in our backyard unsupervised with a doggy flap...