No, they really don't.

It might be enjoyable for them for a few minutes at low speed but at highway speeds it is nothing short of terrifying. First of all, they're travelling far faster than a dog is used to traveling, and strapped on top of a vehicle in a dog kennel has got to feel completely unprotected and out of control. Secondly, even with whatever "windshield" Romney cooked up, the airpressure and buffeting would have been tremendous. Thirdly, dogs are pack animals. They are social. Isolating one for hours on end even in your back yard is unhealthy for them. Doing so on top of a moving vehicle (on the highway, no less) is nothing short of sadistic.

So to answer your question -- No, Seamus wasn't having the time of his life. He had diarreah because he was distressed.

"Stress

"One very common cause of dog diarrhea is stress. If your dog has been boarded, left alone for longer than usual, been to the vet, experienced a move or an addition to the family (either two-legged or four-legged) this can cause stress in your pet. In some dogs, stress can trigger episodes of diarrhea."

http://www.professorshouse.com/Pets/Dogs/Health/Articles/What-Causes-Diarrhea-in-Dogs/

There's also a huge difference between a dog on a Harley and the Romney abuse; The rider will know immediately if the dog is in distress.

I don't know about you, but I remember packing a bunch of stuff and strapping it to the roof when we would go out on family vacations. Something always seemed to fly off every vacation. I cannot imagine doing this to a pet.
I doubt Romney stopped every hour to check on the poor dog and make sure he was ok.

Look, I wouldn't put a dog on the top of a car because I don't think it safe, but none of us knows whether the dog liked it or not.I don't think he liked it the first time, but he may have gotten to like it and even thought it was fun. Dogs have different personalities just like people. Same thing for diahrrea. That is common in dogs and for all kinds of reasons.Maybe he had a bug or maybe he had something nasty. Dogs do that all the time. Mine have eaten poop, rotten food from the garbage, dirty diapers and used sanitary napkins.

The odds of the dog enjoying himself are somewhere between miniscule and none.

I'm not so sure. My dogs, and most dogs, love hanging out the windows of fast moving cars-not that I allow it, but they try. Lots of dogs also enjoy being in the back of trucks.That isn't safe either, BTW Like I said, it isn't safe and I wouldn't do it, but I know dogs who would have liked it. As far as upset stomachs-two of my dogs have them regularly whether they are scared or not. The dog may have been scared ,but I stand by what I said. Neither of us or the vet can read the dog's mind.However, whether the dog was upset or not, there are plenty of reasons why this was unsafe and a really bad idea.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2012 10:17PM by bona dea.

Yes, dogs like to stick their heads out the windows (and shouldn't) and like to ride in the backs of pickup trucks (and shouldn't unless they are crated for their own safety) but the physics of both of those situations are different than that of a dog in a crate on the top of a quickly moving vehicle. But you are welcome not to agree.

Not that different. However, what strikes me is your confidence that you know how the dog reacted and felt. I have owned many dogs and if there is one thing I have learned is that I cannot predict what is going to frighten any one of them. Often what terrified one was a favorite activity of another.You may be right, but on the other hand, the dog may have loved it. We just don't know.Romney says the dog always jumped right in. Assuming he was telling the truth, and he may not have, that doesn't sound as if the dog was frightened. At any rate, it was a dangerous and stupid idea even if the dog loved it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2012 02:49AM by bona dea.

Dogs love sticking their nose out the window when they know they can pull there nose back inside at any time. They wouldn't be so happy if you picked them up and hung them out of the window helplessly.

Small dogs often enjoy sitting in a basket hanging from the front of a bicycle, but don't enjoy it on a motorcycle going 50 mph. Again, speed is a factor.

That's the way the facts of the case as presented add up. Also, I've always been VERY good with animals and interpreting their wants, needs, and signals. And while what frightens one animals doesn't always frighten another (makes me think of my big, tough Lab/Akida who was terrified of loud bangs -- thunder, firecrackers, etc.) there are certain constants. For instance, all animals are afraid of fire. All babies are afraid of heights. And I don't know anything that isn't afraid when catapulted along at high speeds -- at least the first time. So I feel that in this instance my confidence is not misplaced.

However, I'm a human being with human limitations -- perhaps the dog was really an alien plant who pretended fear and stress as a plot by Obama to discredit Romney and win the election. It's possible, I suppose.

I don't know the details of the crate that was used but if it was open there is also the danger of damage to the dog's eyes. I don't have personal or detailed knowledge about that but I've read that dogs with their faces in the wind risk eye damage.

I would also be worried about the heat, if it was summer, injuries from dust or small stones and the crate coming loose and falling. All in all, it sounds unsafe to me.

Would he have put one of his kids in a crate on top of the car? H3ll no.

Every dog I have had only wanted to be near me. The separation, isolation in a crate with the movement and noise was most likely a source of anxiety for the animal in my opinion.

I have questions about his empathy and judgement based on this treatment of a family dog.

I agree with you, Rebeckah. The man does not respect animals, IMO.

Let's give the fool all the publicity he deserves.

Hey! All fellow twitter types? You can Twitter this story using this hashtag #MittRomneydogonroof



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2012 10:09AM by matt.

Anybody who has owned a dog knows this is a cruel thing to do. The dog did not love riding in a crate on top of the car, and I wish Romney would stop insulting everyone by saying he did. What's wrong with "I was wrong. I don't know what I was thinking. I had a lot of kids in the car and a lot on my mind, and I did an inconsiderate thing to the dog. I would never do that again. I'm sorry."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2012 12:57PM by Makurosu.

...something like.

I cut holes through the roof of the car so the children could reach up and comfort the dog as we traveled. Our pet had the best little goggles money could buy and.... a wind screen and... little doggie ear muffs. We washed the obvious signs of excitment off the car and made compost with it.

I wouldn'nt trust a President who couldn't invent some spin.

See dog at high speed with helmet and goggles pic

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=dog+goggles+and+helmets&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1680&bih=906&tbm=isch&tbnid=ZeczYwb0-o6r_M:&imgrefurl=http://www.2artville.com/dog-on-high-speed-motorcycle/&docid=KS2z-NWgUuAclM&imgurl=http://www.2artville.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Dog_on_high_speed_motorcycle-0003.jpg&w=600&h=450&ei=dB9mT4D4H6GqsQLdyvC2Dw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=615&vpy=599&dur=3981&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=160&ty=124&sig=117061929979946213788&page=1&tbnh=162&tbnw=216&start=0&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,r:22,s:0

There's a huge difference between a short ride in the bed of a pickup, and a twelve hour international road trip in a modified crate atop a station wagon. Keeping a dog in a crate for that long would be questionable by itself-- never mind speeding along down the highway.

That Romney thought this might be a good idea in the first place indicates a lack of judgment. That he put the sick dog back in the crate atop the wagon after hosing it down, indicates a severe lack of compassion. That his children chose to use this story to highlight their dad's ability to solve problems under pressure is inexplicable. And that he has yet to stop making excuses for the episode makes me think he doesn't know how to take responsibility for his own actions.

Romney is a some kind of creep.