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#171393 11/17/07 12:34 AM
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An ad in today's paper for Pug puppies. Said they were AKC and raised under foot.

What does "raised under foot" mean in this context?

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they're not very tall?

heh. sorry.

actually, I think it means they are raised in the breeder's house, as opposed to in a kennel situation?

Last edited by etaoin; 11/17/07 12:46 AM.

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in and about the house and environs, as opposed to cooped up in a cage.

-joe (total guess) friday

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Imprinting. We do it to all our foals. Touch, pull,or gently tug on all areas; later to be touched, pulled or tugged on by equipment contact; farrier, or veterinary care. The key to successful imprinting is consistency of reward.
So yes, raised under foot means that they were reared in an household environ to use them of human contact.

Last edited by R. Eastcourt; 11/17/07 01:36 AM.
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"raised under foot" suggests a less kindly approach than gently and homely handling. Interesting.

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Under foot just refers to something or someone that is always getting in your way, e.g. puppies, or guests who are determined to "help" you in your kitchen...their way. Kids are good at getting under foot, too.

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Thanks Jackie.

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And it was the resonance of the usage Jackie pointed out that made me wonder at the particular usage I was asking about in my original question. It almost seems as though the people selling the puppies were tired of tripping over them so they had to get them out of the house. A quick google, however, shows that it is a common usage for the raising of cats and dogs. I think there was even a rabbit in there amongst the first twenty hits.

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I've never heard the expression before.

Do I understand you, Jackie: if something is raised underfoot, it is less likely to get underfoot?

Hydra #171463 11/19/07 09:46 PM
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"in and about the house and environs, as opposed to cooped up in a cage."

This is a huge deal among people who are "in to" dogs. People often decide to get a dog for reasons other than a love of the dog. They get it for the image perhaps - think Paris Hilton and her chihuahua or your local gang-banger and his pitbull or your neighbor's 8 year old daughter who doesn't understand that a living creature requires more attention than a dolly; that is, one can't just put it in the closet when one is tired of it. Many people who get them end up returning them when they are tired of them, a few of them at a HUGE loss of money.

I'm not familiar with the term, but I feel like the intent is obvious. "Raised underfoot" is not a slur, or derogatory in any way. It means the dog was loved like a child, and socialized with people, at least, if not with other animals (dogs, cats, etc.) as opposed (as you say) to being raised in a kennel by someone just out to make a buck. There's a term for this sort of kennel: they call them "puppy mills." A common opinion is that dogs from these kinds of kennels often have personality disorders, some of them irremediable. I don't have any idea how much truth there is in that opinion.


Last edited by TheFallibleFiend; 11/20/07 01:08 PM.
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