Michael Pearl Doesn't Like Dogs Either

[thoughtful]

Why does he even have dogs and cats? It's obvious he hates them.

I would imagine that most of the animals in the Pearls' life are part of the facade they present of being down-home, natural, country folk.

Somebody there may care about them, but it sure isn't Mike. I imagine that, to him, animals are for use (because he thinks that what Real Farmers and The Amish say), or for making up bizarre object lessons, so he can pat himself on the back, once again, for his insight, morality and superior knowledge of behavioral science.

He's a fuckwad.

[thoughtful]

Man, this is so emblematic of "traditional training" thinking, whether it's applied to kids or dogs.

Pearl would rather go to the trouble of getting a battery and a transformer and a vest and wiring them together, making the cat uncomfortable, and standing over the dog to electrocute it if it bothers the cat -- rather than, you know, teaching the dog a "leave it" command.

Absolutely.

There is virtually nothing in TTUAC that encourages parents to teach children to do anything. There is no guidance about how to get desired behavior.

All of the specifics are about what to do after unwanted behavior has happened. Even the section about "training" is all setting children up for failure (or seeing a natural behavior), and attempting punishment. Nasty, painful punishment.

Interestingly, in this post, he actually suggests pain-free consequences (negative punishment, to use the behavioral jargon) -- just gradually making something less satisfying to get a child to give up an unwanted behavior. He even acknowledges that unwanted behavior is not always rebellion:

And when I say, “Make all negative behavior counterproductive,†I don’t necessarily mean spanking. Most negative behavior in a child is not rebellion; it is immaturity, lack of self-control, or emotional struggles. If a parent is perceptive and has a sense of creativity, he can adapt the child’s environment to make negative behavior unpleasant. For example, if you want your child to stop sucking a pacifier, don’t spank, rebuke, or nag the child; just cut about one-eighth of an inch from the tip of the nipple every two or three days. In about two weeks, there won’t be enough left to give any pleasure. It will keep popping out of the little sucker’s mouth. He will be confused about what is happening. He will start wondering why he ever thought that silly thing would give him any comfort. A couple more discrete snips, and he will have to hold it to his face and stick his tongue out to taste it. No pleasure—no need. “Chuck it, little one, and show your smile to the world.†That is what I mean when I say make negative behavior counterproductive.

Like his story in TTUAC about a parent who refused powdered sugar on waffles for a child who didn't want to give up diapers (she'd tried Mike's hose method and it didn't work), he shows that he does understand that non-painful consequences can work just fine. But he doesn't stop using and suggesting (hell, demanding) pain for other situations. :(

Why is that, Mike? What is it about causing pain, mocking and humiliating, that you need?

For someone who claims to always be thinking about right and wrong, he sure hasn't examined his own urges very well, has he?

And he can't spell flea.

Fuckwad.

[rward]

Mike, if your dog has fleas, that would be your fault. Buy some damn Vectra.

Re: ear infections, my dog had recurrent ear infections. Regular cleaning with epi-otic helped, but switching to completely grain free food and treats was the cure. It couldn't hurt to try. Taste of the Wild is a good, affordable brand. Note: if you are feeding something like pedigree, purina, iams, etc, feed about 70% as much and adjust from there.

[SomewhatFundy]

I really dislike animals too. But that's exactly why I don't own any.

While animals kind of irritate me, I would never hit or mock one. Even yelling at an animal seems cruel, animals very obviously have feelings. I don't have a desire to be mean to an animal. I just avoid them.

Why even be around animals if you don't like them? It doesn't make any sense. You would have to be kind of sadistic to have animals if you dislike them so much. Which Pearl totally is.

[apple1]

no more sense than a useless mutt saved from the dog pound’s gas chamber—unthankful, selfish, self-centered, pouty, and downright mean-spirited.

What an idiot.

My adult daughter just last week rescued a dog that had been in a county pound. The dog is sweet, extremely loving, and obviously grateful for the opportunity to be loved, fed, sleep on a couch instead of a concrete floor...

[ILoveJellybeans]

Why have dogs if you dont like animals :( He talks about the dog like he hates it, and its not right. All of the dog owners I know love their dogs like theyre furry children and enjoy playing with them and cuddling with them, talking about them in a positive way other than the occaisional "The dog just chewed up something he shouldnt :( ". Although then again, all parents I know love their children and talk about them in a mostly positive way, but I have never heard the Pearls mention children in a positive way, its all about how theyre evil brats and need beating.

Why must every relationship for the Pearls be like a battle of wills and showing them whos boss. Cant they just love and be loved in return? Oh wait, I dont think someone that evil has the capacity to love and see a relationship as anything but a fight.

[hoipolloi]

Why does Michael Pearl even keep pets if he's too lazy, cruel & ignorant to train them properly?

Then again, given his and Debi's hatred for children -- which appears to be mixed with a sado-sexual thrill derived from administering physical punishment -- it's not surprising he's an abusive pet owner.

What fucking assholes - both of them.

At least "Michael Pearl Child Abuse" is now #3 on a Google search.

[Peas n carrots]

Wow Michael, you sure have shown us how big of a man you are by being contemptuous to animals and small children. What an egotistical dick.

[GiGi_41]

1. MP's cats are lucky they aren't blind if all he gives them is dog food. Cats need Taurine and their bodies can't make it, one reason the are obligate carnivores.

2. The beagle with ear infections....you can try a grain free diet, but I'd have some bloodwork done too, maybe thyroid issues. Food intolerances are acquired so that's way it might be showing up now.

3. Senior dog....Anylipril is a good drug for CD, you could also try Hill's prescription diet b/d. It is a brain diet that was developed for dogs with cognitive dysfunction.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

I was going to ask why he's feeding the cats dog food. I bet it's that cheap Ol' Roy crap from WalMart too.

[LilMissMetaphor]

Michael Pearl doesn't like anything.

He seemed to enjoy describing his daughter gyrating around her husband!

Perhaps we should say he doesn't like anything normal.

[thoughtful]

He seemed to enjoy describing his daughter gyrating around her husband!

Perhaps we should say he doesn't like anything normal.

Yeah, he sounds pretty gleeful when he describes whipping kids, when throwing knives and hatchets, and during his rambling weird Bible interpretations. I bet he's positively apoplectic with joy when counting his money.

I think he's pretty damned self-satisfied, I'm sad to say. :(

[debrand]

Apparently, the Pearls don't have the same level of empathy that other people do

On the now defunct 7xSunday board, Rebekah Pearl Anast spoke about how her brother had one female dog that was always pregnant and how when she-Bekkah-got pregnant she felt as uncomfortable as that continuously pregnant dog acted. She is ten years younger than me. If she was older, I would have thought that maybe her community didn't have good vet care or perhaps spaying wasn't available. However, even when I was a teen, there was a push to spay dogs. It isn't has if the Pearls would be unaware that female dogs could be fixed. There used to be a old tale that a female dog needed to have a litter of puppies before she was fixed but that is false. So, why didn't Rebekah's brother fix his dog? It seems cruel to let an animal suffer pregnancy after pregnancy. Even if he believed in the old wive's tale that is just one pregnancy not multiple ones.

[LostSamurai]

Why is this man and his wife not in jail? Seriously?

They'd probaly wouldn't hesitate to kill their grandchildren if Heaven Forbid, the grandchild was just being a...you know...A CHILD.

And this man will definitely kill one of his dogs or cats because you know, even dogs and cats should be compliant because JESUS.

[Jana814]

Why is this man and his wife not in jail? Seriously?

They'd probaly wouldn't hesitate to kill their grandchildren if Heaven Forbid, the grandchild was just being a...you know...A CHILD.

Agree!! I still don't understand why people want to listen to them!

[RosyDaisy]

Michael Pearl is a deranged, evil sociopath who gets off on torture and abuse!

[FreeJosie]

He is disgusting, and "Useless" is a great name for him.

[Deloris]

It completely boggles my mind that people can read MP and not get completely turned off by his disrespect of children, adult humans, animals, and basically all of God's creation. If I in general agreed with him (which I don't!) I don't think I could get past his horrendous disrepect for just about all living beings.

[Dandruff]

I just got through feeding the dogs and cats. They are nearly as stupid as humans, controlled by their impulses and prejudices.

If humans are stupider than dogs and cats, what does he classify himself as?

[Jana814]

It completely boggles my mind that people can read MP and not get completely turned off by his disrespect of children, adult humans, animals, and basically all of God's creation. If I in general agreed with him (which I don't!) I don't think I could get past his horrendous disrepect for just about all living beings.

Same here!

[NoneandDoneinCali]

If he despises animals and doesn't want to make the slightest effort to care for them properly, why the hell does he have them? As headship, I'm sure he has universal veto power. And it's not like he would consider doing a single kind thing solely to make his children happy.

[wild little fox]

I treat my dog with love and respect. I let her be herself! I treat my dog better than MP treats the ones he professes to care about!

[sandberry]

All the child beaters hate animals, doesn't James Dobson have some anecdote about beating his dog in one of his book

Yes. I found a blog mentioning it here lippard.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/james-dobsons-dog-beating-story.html

animal abuse, huge red flag for child abuse (and domestic violence) and vice versa.

[snarkyjan]

Is it too much to hope that his and/or Dobson's dogs will form a pack and go all "Lord Of The Flies" on them? I'd pay good money to see that.

[GodsKnickers]

All the child beaters hate animals, doesn't James Dobson have some anecdote about beating his dog in one of his book

Yes. I found a blog mentioning it here lippard.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/james-dobsons-dog-beating-story.html

animal abuse, huge red flag for child abuse (and domestic violence) and vice versa.

I was just coming to say, he sounds like he and Dobson would get along very well.