Commercial shows that cruelty is o.kl.

Ummm - Yeah. The dog doesn't have to have a medical problem to drag
it's butt. Mine has done it once because he had a "dingleberry" and
darn straight I yelled at him with the door open to get him outside to
do that. I guess if you want to let your dogs repaint your floors a
nice shade of stink that's your business.

Personally - I'm more offended by "real" mistreatment of animals... we
have a real problem with dog fighting, and owners who buy a dog that
never sees the inside of the house even though they are not the type
of dog for the climate they live in to do that. Pick up a "real"
crusade, it just makes you look frivolous and irrelevant.

I'm also new to the boards (and yes, even tho female, tend to jump in
rather than read instructions or replies. Ok learned my lesson.

Hey everyone has their level of sensitiveness and the original poster
obviously finds yelling not acceptable and was at least aware that
butt dragging can be/point to a serious problem.

Having worms can cause a pooch to do this also.


I also notice that some posters are like circling sharks around here,
just waiting to take a chunk out of someone who has a differing view.

Post your comments, but geeze, why rip up each other?

Oh my gosh. I recall that commercial.

You opened my eyes. (and I am an animal rights person!)

I dont think it was cruel. I have only seen the commerical once but I
think she was just yelling which if I had a dog (I hope again some
day) I would probably holler at him or her too to stop rubbing his/her
butt on my carpet. I wouldnt hit him for it. I would make sure the
problem was taking care of if attention was needed. Just like if I
catch my cats on the table they get the water bottle. I am so mean.

Mam, please realize that it's a commercial. Not a real life situation.

Wow...you're a special snowflake, aren't you? I'm probably the
biggest dog lover I know and have ZERO tolerance for cruelty...and I
think you're being ridiculous. And a dog does not need to see a vet
every time that happens. I've had dogs my entire life.

screaming is cruelty? Since when? If she was verbally abusing.. that'd
be different. She wasn't hitting the dog or anything. Lighten up.

The fact that this letter is #1 on the Top 25 list on PFB just goes to
show that it was an effective advertising gimmick, which is exactly
what Stanley Steemer was aiming for. The most effective commercials
are the ones you remember, be it in a good way or a negative way.

As for the content of the commercial, I think it was rather funny.
I'm a huge animal lover, and I see no evidence of cruelty at all in
this commercial.

Seriously.I thinkt he commercial is pretty funny myself and in no way
cruel.It isn't as if she went after the dog with a hammer.Get over it.

ROTFLMAO!!!

umm and if thats animal cruelty?

what about the dog on the movie Flick?

i mean come on!! they couldn't even get that dog a girlfriend so he
had to hump a stuffed duck!!!!!
now thats cruelty!
go to the pound and get that dog a girlfriend!

Oh, please.

Violence? Get real. They aren't shooting him or anything.

Some people just aren't happy unless they are complaining about
something I guess.

I yell at my dog in a similar manner whenever she has an accident on
the carpet.I did not know that made me an animal abuser. Please don't
sic PETA on me, I'll try to be nicer.

It's just a commercial anyway and I'm pretty sure the "cruelty" is
nothing more than the mother saying "Bad dog!" firmly.

I don't see this rising to anything close to "animal curelty". One
thing I don't do, because I'm not qualified to, is diagnose an animal
by a television commercial.

It could be anal glands, parasites, worms, etc. It could be the dog is
trained to behave that way when commanded to, or it may be a natural
condition, such as estrus, which can't be helped until it passes.

I just think it was a way to convey what carpeting can be exposed to
and a reason to use the service.

:yawn: we need better letters in the top 10... can't they update the
NEW letters more often??

you have no kids, and 3 dogs who are your babies?

lady, it is a commercial with a trained dog! Gawd, get a life.

It is true that dogs drag their back ends on the carpet when their
anal glands are impacted. Sometimes they will also do it to scratch
an unseemly itch. It is also true that they sometimes just do it
for...well, for lack of a better word, for fun. My parents have bred
and trained dogs for years, and I have seen dogs fresh from grooming
and having their glands expressed do that very thing.

It IS a pretty gross commercial I suppose, but more than anything it
made me chuckle. I didn't get a sense of real anger from the woman,
more just that horrified helplessness that all dog owners experience
when our precious angel does something truly nasty. I would totally
see your point if she was chasing the dog, or really shouting at it.


And there are commercials that portray very bad animal owners as the
norm. I remember specifically a letter written here about a
commercial showing a woman opening the back of her SUV to show a
lab-type dog running loose in the vehicle. So I agree that often
commercials seem to condone bad ownership practices. I just don't
think that's happening here.

This really pains me to say it, because I'm an animal lover, but it is
just a commercial. Yes, it would probably offend me too, but at the
same time, should the commercial be pulled simply because the two of
us are offended?

Again, I do understand your point, and I even agree, but I'm trying
not to apply one standard for one cause and another standard for a
completely different one.

All this commercial proved was how dumb people are regarding their
animals. If you don't want your dog doing that on your carpet, then
don't get a dog, because they all do it. The dog obviously couldn't
have cared less that the lady was screaming like a rabid hyena, and I
didn't see any cruelty. What an annoying commercial. I think your
letter shows valid concern and while I don't necessarily agree, I am
glad you wrote it. :D

Um, no - they drag their bums on the ground/carpet/wherever when they
have worms!

And I have to say this is a little over the top. It's just a
commercial.

Would you feel better if S.S. ran a disclaimer that "No pets were
harmed, physically or mentally, in the making of this commercial."

Actually all it shows is that the advertising team at Stanley Steemer
hit in an "empty" on the ideas bin, and after a couple of drinks
decided that a dog rubbing his dirty butt on the carpet would be a
good way to advertise their services.YUCK

I didn't find it at all offensive, just gross and stupid. I don't
really believe that they'll gain much business because of this
particular ad, but that's just my opinion. It's clearly pointed out
that this action that the dog is doing is a result of having been
taught a trick. And since when is yelling considered cruelty?

I'm sure anyone could be offended at any commercial if they choose to
be.

Turn off the TV, read a book, wait...something there might be
offensive.

Okay go for a jog, wait....there are women in women in tube tops
jogging and they are bouncy.

Okay, stay in bed, wait...

I just watched it on the link that Cinerelly provided. I didn't take
it as cruelty, but more like the woman was in a panic, because the dog
was leaving his scent or trail that she didn't want to have to deal
with for that smell or marking on the rug. Dogs do that, even if
you've had their sacs emptied. They can fill up again quickly. I
didn't find the commercial cruel.

That's like if a child is going to drop a glass dish, you wouldn't
just keep quiet and let it happen,you'd say or yell NO! or Stop! to
quickly get the attention of the child before they break it or even
get cut. Unless you have enough time to tell the child in advance, to
please be careful, when you see it start heading to the floor, you say
it quick and sometimes that means loud.

What you dont see is after the commercial was over, she ran over to
the dog and apologized for yelling at it. Someone in the film crew
called the vet and she rubbed its glands until the vet got there. you
didn't see this because the commercial is only thirty seconds long.
they filmed that part of it for an animal rescue group. they're
showing that commercial in Alaska.

In the commercial the kid is excited because he taught the dog a new
trick. I actually laughed when I watched it - but maybe I'm weird?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=eOtqw_IEGh0

That. Is. Disgusting. I agree with you that it's inappropriate, and
why on earth would they choose such a gross tactic to sell their
product? Focus on the kids -- they get carpet pretty gross without
help from a dog's butt!

Good letter!