Ways I Gaslight My Dogs
- Simply Jelly Jam
- 10 hours ago
- 4 min read
I guess I take after my Mom a bit.
I love and adore my dogs. No matter how cute, sweet, or chaotic they are, I love them with all my heart! However, I sometimes jokingly find myself gaslighting my dogs for my own selfish gain.
In case it's helpful, below are the main points covered in this post:
Definition of Gaslighting
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines gaslight as the "the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one's own advantage."
In other words, gaslighting is when a person manipulates someone else into questioning what really happened at any given time.
Common gaslighting phrases include:
"You're imagining things."
"Lighten up."
"You're too serious."
"It was just a joke."
"You made me do/say it."
"This is your fault."
"If you loved me, you would..."
In All Seriousness
While I am writing a silly blog post about ways that I gaslight my dogs (key word: silly), gaslighting is an emotional abuse that nobody deserves to deal with. I know the negative impacts of gaslighting too well.
My Mom frequently gaslit me into thinking that I remembered an event incorrectly or was responsible for bad things that happened. For example, she blamed me, not her decades of chain smoking, for the multiple times she went to the emergency room and was admitted into the ICU.
Last year, Mom insisted that I did not correctly remember multiple phone conversations where she said hurtful things to me. Even after I replayed a call recording where she had said such things, she insisted that she had no memory of such conversation and that I was putting words into her mouth (a.k.a., lying).
Perhaps the hardest gaslighting moments were the times Mom insisted on being a great parent most deserving of my time, attention, and service. However, I remember her parenting much differently.
If you are interested in learning more about gaslighting, or are unsure if someone you know may be gaslighting you, check out the websites below:
Now, with all the seriousness out of the way, let us continue with the silly dog gaslighting!
Gaslighting My Small Dog
Once upon a time, I cut Rascal's nails like a decent pet owner would do. I never once cut a nail quick. Things were good.
Then one day, my first dog, Shadow, stopped me from using the nail clippers. Since then, Rascal puts up a fight (albeit in the most adorable way) when I want to cut his nails.
When I do not feel like fighting him about it, I schedule an appointment at the clinic for a veterinary technician to do it. I hand Rascal over to the strange terrorizer (his words, I assume) where they proceed to cut his nails as a form of torture.
When we leave the clinic, I often tell my sulking Rascal:
"It's for your own good. You gave me no choice."
Life with Rascal is calm and peaceful... until it rains. Like many dogs, Rascal fears rain showers and thunderstorms, but only when we are home.
Rascal usually hides and trembles. I usually try to comfort him by covering him with blankets or smothering him with hugs. However, if he leaves my side to run amuck or hide in Dad's room, I sometimes tell Rascal:
"Chill. You're acting paranoid."
Gaslighting My Large Dog
Lucy loves to tear toys containing squeakers apart. She likes to rip the squeakers out and tear them to shreds.
I worry about her accidentally swallowing small pieces and, like a decent pet owner would do, throw away the squeaker. Unfortunately, Lucy decides to make life difficult by keeping the squeaker away from me. She prefers that I chase and fight her for it (her precious).
I collect and throw the squeaker (and any other small, digestible pieces) when she is not paying attention. When she eventually searches for it and turns to me for help, I tell Lucy:
"I don't know where it went. You must've lost it."
When Lucy is on security duty (a self-assigned unpaid job position), she would to everyone and everything within a thousand-mile radius that she is working. We (me) constantly work on the "quiet" command where she, in theory, would shut up as soon as I tell her to. Sometimes she obeys, and sometimes she does not.
When I struggle with training, I always tell my obnoxiously loud Lucy:
"You're crazy. The neighbors think you're crazy."
When we are working on "quiet" or other training commands, Lucy sometimes throws a fit about having to obey. For example, I verbally correct after unwanted behavior like barking, Lucy may jump onto the couch, flip upside down so that she is belly up, and whine about having to be obedient.
There are times when she would grab a toy and fling it across the room in protest before noisily going belly up. When she throws a fit, I sometimes tell Lucy diva:
"Stop being dramatic. You did this to yourself."
What's Next?
In all seriousness, I love my dogs and realize that there will be challenges that we (I) need to patiently work with. I enjoy the challenges and chaos they bring into my life!
If you are looking for more (real) examples of gaslighting, I urge you to visit one of the websites linked above or research the topic on your own in your free time.
Comment below to share the silly ways you gaslight your pets!
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Thanks, and have a great day!
~Simply Jelly Jam