James Dobson and a tiny dog named Siggie...terrifying and sickening.

[madfloridian]

And this guy has access and the appreciation of a Supreme Court judge named Alito. I remembered this while reading the DNC post about Dobson today.

http://www.geocities.com/cddugan/DobsonsDog.html

In his best-selling book, "The Strong-Willed Child," child-rearing author James Dobson describes how he abused his family's pet dachshund, Siggie:

"Please don't misunderstand me. Siggie is a member of our family and we love him dearly. And despite his anarchistic nature, I have finally taught him to obey a few simple commands. However, we had some classic battles before he reluctantly yielded to my authority.
"The greatest confrontation occurred a few years ago when I had been in Miami for a three-day conference. I returned to observe that Siggie had become boss of the house while I was gone. But I didn't realize until later that evening just how strongly he felt about his new position as Captain.

"At eleven o'clock that night, I told Siggie to go get into his bed, which is a permanent enclosure in the family room. For six years I had given him that order at the end of each day, and for six years Siggie had obeyed.
"On this occasion, however, he refused to budge. You see, he was in the bathroom, seated comfortably on the furry lid of the toilet seat. That is his favorite spot in the house, because it allows him to bask in the warmth of a nearby electric heater..."

(Chris's commentary): One of the greatest "secrets" of nonpunitive parenting (or pet-keeping) is "don't sweat the small stuff." If the dog is comfortable sitting on the toilet seat by the heater, why not let him sit there (so long as no one has to use the toilet at that particular moment)? Of course, for the neurotically-rigid James Dobson, sweating each and every little trivial, easily-avoidable non-issue and turning it into a battle of wills is the pure essense of what child discipline is all about.

And then Dobson writes this to his shame, how sick.

"What developed next is impossible to describe. That tiny dog and I had the most vicious fight ever staged between man and beast. I fought him up one wall and down the other, with both of us scratching and clawing and growling and swinging the belt. I am embarrassed by the memory of the entire scene. Inch by inch I moved him toward the family room and his bed. As a final desperate maneuver, Siggie backed into the corner for one last snarling stand. I eventually got him to bed, only because I outweighed him 200 to 12!"

[MadMaddie]

1. So he beat his dog in submission...

Compassionate Conservative.....at work again!!

[Dr. Jones]

6. Yeah but that still doesn't beat what he said about

teaching your son to avoid homosexuality. I believe he said something like, "Take a shower with your son so he can see Daddy has a penis, and so does he."

Thus he will equate Daddy's manhood with his penis, which he also has, and therefore he's a heterosexual. Or something like that.
:silly:

[datadiva]

2. Where's Godzilla when you need him

I have two chihuahua's. What a sick f**k! :grr:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Sort of reminds me of what Bush thought

going into Iraq would be like-but the Iraqis have "bitten back".

[Greeby]

4. Somebody rip this mans balls off

So he cannot further contaminate the rest of the world :grr:

[Katherine Brengle]

5. What a freak...

This is the same guy who thinks it is perfectly okay to spank a 3-year old child who does something "wrong."

Little kids need guidance and support, not punishment. He disgusts me.

What kind of rational human being would hit another person who weighs less than 50 lbs???

And what kind of person would engage in a wrestling match (not a fun one, mind you--rough housing with a dog is entirely different from this) with their pet??????

Dobson belongs in a mental institution.

[seabeyond]

7. here is a bit more. i have two pieces of dobson in documents

Dobson advocates the spanking of children from 15-18 months to eight years old. According to Dobson, "pain is a marvelous purifier." (Dare to Discipline, p.6) He argues that "it is not necessary to beat the child into submission; a little bit of pain goes a long way for a young child. However, the spanking should be of sufficient magnitude to cause the child to cry genuinely." (Ibid., p.7.)

In The Strong-Willed Child (p.73), Dobson writes: "Some strong-willed children absolutely demand to be spanked, and their wishes should be granted." As for the magnitude of the spanking, he argues that "two or three stinging strokes on the legs or buttocks with a switch are usually sufficient to emphasize the point, 'You must obey me.'" (The Strong-Willed Child, pp. 53-4.)

Dobson directly connects parental authority to social authority: "By learning to yield to the loving authority...of his parents, a child learns to submit to other forms of authority which will confront him later in his life -- his teachers, school principal, police, neighbors and employers." (The Strong-Willed Child, p. 235.)

He frequently portrays the child as the natural enemy of the parent and emphasizes that it is necessary to punish the child to uphold parental authority. "When you are defiantly challenged, win decisively." (Dare to Discipline, p. 36.)

In The Strong-Willed Child, Dobson draws a strong analogy between child rearing and dog rearing. He tells a story in which the family dog refuses to leave his resting place on the lid of the toilet seat. According to Dobson, a "vicious fight" between him and the dog resulted in which he "fought him up one wall and down the other, with both of us scratching and clawing and growling and swinging the belt ." He concludes that "just as surely as a dog will occasionally challenge the authority of his leaders, so will a little child--only more so." (emphasis Dobson)

To deal with crying, Dobson recommends: "Real crying usually lasts two minutes or less but may continue for five. After that point, the child is merely complaining, and the change can be recognized in the tone and intensity of his voice. I would require him to stop the protest crying, usually by offering him a little more of whatever caused the original tears." <2>
http://johnsoncity.blogspot.com

[trixie]

12. from the book Family Man, a biography on Dobson

"A handy way of inflicting this pain without causing marks or injuries........is to compress the trapezius muscle that lies at the base of the neck.....when firmly squeezed..."

Lord knows we surely do not want any marks that may identify you as an abusive parent. What good hints for abusive parents.


He is a sick, sick man and many people follow and worship him.

[seabeyond]

17. he wasnt bad a couple decades ago, or just knew he wouldnt get

away with saying these things out loud dobson is one of my pet peeves. his complex is just hours from our area. i have seen it as i drive down the hiway. i see his influence in this area and has been brought into my personal life. he is one i want to take down more than the robertsons and falwells.

[mark11727]

18. That's it. I generally make it a policy to NOT hate people...

...who have not wronged me personally, but in Dobson's case, I'm willing to make an exception.

And while I try never to advocate violence, I must confess that I've never heard of anyone who so desperately needs a severe, hospital-visiting, coma-inducing, lifestyle-changing, cry-for-your-momma, fist-thru-the-face, lead-pipe-up-the-butt ass-whupping as he does.

Who's with me on this?

[coffeenap]

23. Maybe that is what Bush is doing to everyone he leads around

by the scruff of their neck.

[crikkett]

33. You mean, like this?

"A handy way of inflicting this pain without causing marks or injuries........is to compress the trapezius muscle that lies at the base of the neck.....when firmly squeezed..."

As seen just today at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2489096&mesg_id=2489096

[crikkett]

24. the logic is there:

Dobson directly connects parental authority to social authority: "By learning to yield to the loving authority...of his parents, a child learns to submit to other forms of authority which will confront him later in his life -- his teachers, school principal, police, neighbors and employers." (The Strong-Willed Child, p. 235.)

Logic here extends to training child to yield to the church, and its spokespersons of loving yet jealous and wrathful God.

Ahem.

[seabeyond]

26. oh it absolutely does. theya re not even subtle in it. bush, the father

he wants to be all our father. do not question. trust in him. the repug party. hte church minister, the father.

you are right.

my kids went to a fundie school for 6 years. told a 3rd grade teacher, i DONT adhere to the policy of forcing my thought on them. i will not allow it. i dont do it, a school, religion, teacher, govt is NOT going to do it to my children. so i was in the face of the very thing dobson is promoting.

[MountainMama]

28. Wow.....

That last paragraph reminds me of my own father so much it's frightening. *sigh*

[seabeyond]

29. my father was authortarian in quiet respectful powerful male way, but

he wasnt this. he was never this. his intent was NEVER to break the kids to his will. i know htere are men like that, my father was not. which reminds me of something else about dobson. he sent his book and other crap to 12 yr old niece, i dont know why. i was taking care of her, so i opened the stuff and start reading the book. the first two pages was a letter to his son off to college, and really rang fake, .... then went into a descrition of dobson as intro,.... first two paragraphs giving bio and it says he is a "mans man" wtf i say..... what man that is truly a mans man.... has to tell the reader and the world he is a mans man. that tells me he has a itsy bitsy.... and he is anything else but. which also tells me about his beating a dog and child to his will. a real man doesnt, has faith that example will bring respect, ergo cooperation from both child and dog.

[CAcyclist]

32. Me,too. nt

[Nostradammit]

8. Siggie probably kicked his ass -

To hear Siggie tell it, by the time the fighting was through Dobson was bloodied and begging for mercy.

Shame Siggie can't write a book.

[theHandpuppet]

21. Makes you wish Siggie weighed 200 pounds

That I would have paid to see.

[gumby]

9. This sick asshole has a huge following.

And they call this pathology 'Christianity' and 'family values.' Sick :puke:

[AndyA]

10. I'm sure Dobson's God was quite thrilled at this display of abuse

So Dr. Dobson is an animal abuser. Now there's something for his flock to be proud of!

What a scumbag. And he thinks he's superior to Gay people? Look in the mirror, Dobson: You're doing the Devil's work.

[zonmoy]

37. of course

the fact that the fundy god is the devil should be lost on no-one.

[shain from kane]

11. This guy is mentally unbalanced. Why would you tell

a story that would so open you up to so much ridicule? What is the point of all this idiotic nonsense? I realize that he has to fill up a book, but who cares about his battles with a dog, real or imagined?

[Union Thug]

13. Surprised? I'm not. Conservatism is all about power and control

Whether it has a xtian label, a neo-con label, or economic label; it's all the same - money, power, greed, dominance.

[madrchsod]

14. well he did quit selling "son of sam" cassettes and cd's

i remember posting about this several years ago while looking thru his site..after the national press found out he must have decided to no longer sell them because it are no longer listed!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/24/national/main625846.shtml
CBS News | Son Of Sam CDs For Sale | June 24, 2004 07:10:07

[ibleedblue]

15. My mom loves this guy.

Seriously. She's a huge fundie and has tried many times to get me to go to his website as my wife and I have an 18 month old now. After doing some research on the man (term used loosely), I decided that he was a loon preying on fundies always in need of 'direction'. No James Dobson for me and my family!! My wife and I are both quite liberal and both come from intolerant fundie homes. Strange how that happens, huh?

[newyawker99]

31. Hi ibleedblue!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[madfloridian]

34. You need to tell her about his fixation on punishment...

of dogs and children. I remember before I retired from teaching our school's guidance counselor used his books to share with parents on how to discipline.

I did not realize then what harm she might be doing.

[mark11727]

16. James Dobson. child-abuster and dog-beater...

...and damned proud of it.

Asshat.

I dare --- no, I DOUBLE DARE James Dobson to try that shit on a presa canario.

I didn't think so.

[Generic Other]

19. He went after the dog with a belt?

Unreal.

[MissMarple]

20. Clueless, the man is totally clueless.

And not just about dogs. If I had tried that with our dog, I would probably be dead or seriously injured. Establishing alpha status and training a dog has nothing to do with beating the dog, especially the large, intelligent breeds. I'd like to see him try that with our Saint.

[FreedomAngel82]

22. And this guy isn't in a mental home???

[flipperNOTgipper]

25. HUH??????????

WHAT IN THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH THIS MAN? Has he lost his gd mind????????? Jeez--the dog might have been in pain or cold and the heat felt good...just what does he think he's won beating up a little 12 pound dog?

[myrna minx]

27. Welcome to DU, flipperNOTgipper.

:hi: How truly sad that this man has such a cult following. Only a small man would need the satisfaction of beating up a small dog in order to win dominance in his household. If it wasn't so sick, I'd be embarrassed for him.

[Swamp Rat]

30. Osama Bin Dobson:

:D

[Cleita]

35. Dictators prefer dogs as pets because they bow to the master.

Good for that little Dachshund who had the courage to defy him. This is all about the need for these guys to control the weaker one around them.

[MrScorpio]

36. The guy is a pure sadist in the nost negative of contexts

He's a bully too

[NVMojo]

38. what an anal control freak.

[davidinalameda]

39. how does a dog swing a belt

when he doesn't have thumbs

I'm confused