Another way we made them is with a lot of innate design flaws. The back and orthopedic problems Cait mentioned, as well as breathing problems in flat-faced dogs like bulldogs and pugs. All of these can be seriously exacerbated by excess weight.

We can’t pretend that animals aren’t the way they are just because we don’t want the same logic to apply to humans.

Confession: I do let Milo go 1-2 pounds over his ideal weight because he becomes obsessively focused on food if I keep him down to 25 pounds. But I’d never let him get over that–seeing my little man racing around the park (I have seen him outrun GREYHOUNDS) and jumping to catch a ball four feet in midair? He’s got to be allowed to have that pleasure as long as he possibly can. It’s his nature–just as it’s his nature not to be able to make the kinds of decisions that will ensure a long, active life.

Lynne, we’re just going to have to disagree on this one. Dogs ARE “that” different from people and do not have access to the same cognitive processes that we do, plus they depend on us to make their decisions for them.

See, buttercup, I see what you’re saying, and I could see how the extent to which we have bred domesticated animals would create unhealthy combinations of instinctive impulses (eating whenever possible) and extreme body shapes that might be problematic. But at the same time, it’s a VERY easy leap from what you’re saying to, “fat people just need diet and exercise.” Dogs and humans are, of course, different, but we’re not THAT different. And as much as I used to shake my head at those irresponsible owners of extremely fat pets, now I really hesitate to take part in that level of self-righteous sanctimoniousness. sanctimonitude. sanctimoneity.

And, just want to add, that our 10 year-old dog (whom we adopted when she was 6 months old) is a Corgi/Pitbull mix, and the sweetest, most patient dog in the world. She’s also very protective of the kids, and has a very strong herding instinct, lol!

Just interested if anyone else has seen it or anything like it and what your reactions were.

HOLY BUCKETS, that’s marvelous. I’m so glad to see sanctimomminess going prime time and being the object of scorn. I wasn’t a big fan of HFCS before, just because it usually makes me feel like crap, but now I feel like going out and buying a case of Coca-cola. Or giving a big kiss on the lips to the people that wrote this.

However, I will also say that in my experience it’s fruitless to try and justify yourself to the sanctimommies on their own terms.

(Er, side rant: I should say here that it is one hundred percent the case that, as in the world of sixth-grade girlhood — which is what being a mom of young kids reminds me of more than anything else — middle class motherhood has females being vicious to each other *within* a horizon already determined by sexism. In other words, I have little patience for the people who notice that it’s rarely DADS who are engaging in competitive parenting, but then from that conclude that women are stupid for getting all competitive like that. Gee, Einstein, maybe the “stupid mommy” trope is one reason WHY some moms feel like they have to make mommying as complicated and exacting as neuroscience. Or just MAYBE women whose social class has heretofore helped them *compete* and rack up achievements don’t exactly know what to do when suddenly patriarchal convention dictates that they stay at home with the kids, so they make that into a locus for competition and achievement, just like the race to make partner had been in their past lives, you miserable antifeminist fuckwad. Anyway.)

Cough. As I was saying, in my experience, the only way to respond to a comment like this is either the direct approach:

Sanctimommy: “Oh, you don’t care what your kids drink?”
Other Mommy: “Look, missy, you can enjoy the pleasure of my company or you can passive-aggressively criticize my parenting, but you can’t do both. Which is it?”

…or the indirect approach in which you refuse to play along:

Sanctimommy: “Oh, you don’t care what your kids drink?”
Other Mommy: (big smile) “Oh, evidently not to your exacting standards, so it’s a good thing I don’t care about those. Would you care for some water instead, then?”

Dadnabbit, I’ve gone on too long again. I bet you dollars to baby doughnuts that this comment is the threadkiller.

And totally separate from that, do “we” know about this “cosmetic line” yet?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017XDXWQ/ref=amb_link_7300062_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-6&pf_rd_r=085W5KN3FNAVN3P9MTZX&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=432906501&pf_rd_i=507846
My jaw dropped.

Also, buttercup, are you on Corgi-L? Your guys’ names sound familiar, but there’s a lot of Lily and Dylan corgis. My Indy’s a Cardigan. :)