Saying: Come on, boy, let's go for a ride -- gets dogs in the car faster than saying: Come on, boy. Let's go to the vet. They have a sixth sense about when they are having to go to the doctor!
It's a damn pet. I don't think it really matter lol. I lie to my dogs all the time. "You a good boy, your a good girl"...................LIE. They can be demons when yo turn your back on them lol
i always feel terrible, but i think it's not what you say, it's the tone of voice you say it in? unless they secretly can understand us and just pretend to be mute for the food...
your pet does not realise that you are liying to them, if you feel bad its all on you your pet couldnt care less as long as they get foo, drink, love and exercise.
If your pet is holding up enough of the conversation for you to be worried about the ethics of lying to them then the morality of the situation is the least of your problems.
For example you could say to your horse 'I am going to turn you into glue if you throw me off again'. However you know that there is no way you would do that to your horse. :-)
Not sure if lying applies in this case but they understand your intentions at all times and you can hurt their feelings so treat them with due respect.
Lol, you can't fool my dog. She can read my mind. If I dare lie about taking her out, she'll nag me relentlessly. It's like she gets confused about why I'm not doing what I said I would do.
Saying: Come on, boy, let's go for a ride -- gets dogs in the car faster than saying: Come on, boy. Let's go to the vet. They have a sixth sense about when they are having to go to the doctor!
For example you say to your rabbit 'This nice lady is going to look after you while I am on holiday'. Knowing full well that the lady who will be looking after it, is anything but nice. :-)
For example you could say to your hamster 'I am going to let you decide what's on TV tonight'. However you have no intention of letting the hamster choose. :-)
What kind of lying? Do you mean in conversation, "Hey, Spot, guess what? My skin is purple", or [sweet voice] "No, Spot, we're not going to the vet" (to which the only word he might understand is "vet" and freaks out) or, "C'mere, Spot. I'll give you a treat" [and you don't give him a treat]. The last one is a bit of a dick move, but I wouldn't go so far as calling it "morally wrong". That's ridiculous.
OH, uh, I've never purposely lied to my pets... but whenever my family gets in the car, our whippet, Devo, wants to come along too. He gets sad when he works out he's not coming.
Him to take his meds.