Volkswagen 'Shivering Dog' Advert

[Booldawg]

It was on the news this morning that VW had pulled the advert featuring a shivering dog after 600 complaints.

How would they've trained a dog to show abject fear using ethical practises? I know dogs act like that in unfamiliar social surroundings, was it cruel?

[B00]

Hiya Booldawg :-)

Awww i liked that advert too. I've no idea how they made the dog show fear like that, but I'd like to think that it really wasn't terrified, just a ruddy good little actor. I always presumed that in this day and age that when an animal or animals were used in ads or TV that a vet or someone similar was on set to oversee things and make sure that the animal wasn't in any kind of stress.

[christine847]

Hiya Booldawg,
Apparently the dog was standing on a vibrating pad,so no harm done to the animal

[rabbitygirl]

There are 2 dogs, almost identical, and owned by a man in USA. One is naturally nervous, the other confident. Both are in the ad and the nervous one was made to look more so by standing on a vibrating panel as christine says.

I was surprised reading this in the paper at the weekend, not by the above, but the fact that the RSPCA lambasted the ad and its makers without, it seems, bothering to make any enquiries on how it was actually made.

[pastafreak]

There were 2 dogs used.....one shivers naturally,and will do it on command. The commercial was made in the States,and their equivalent of the Humane Society had representatives on the set......so ther was certainly no cruelty involved. Besides-with so much computer generated imaging.....ANY movement or emotion can be created. I for one NEVER thought the dog had been abused in any way.

[pastafreak]

SNAP!!!! rabbity...we must have read the same article!

[Lil'Lucy]

I can't believe they have pulled this ad - there is NO way that they would have allowed abuse/mis treatment in the creation of an ad these days. Ad companies have to cover their backs all the time and there would have been a vet present on set to monitor things.

What about the NSPCC ads where there are children crying? Why aren't they pulled for similar reasons??

[B00]

And how hypocritical are the RSPCA?

It's OK for them to show kittens in bins, dogs shivering in backgardens in the rain and hiding behind sofas from their owners for their own adverts is it?

[abstibus]

Did thepeople who complained really believe the dog was singing?

[Booldawg]

I think its a great ad too, may try and find it on YouTube. I very much doubt the dog was purposely distressed.

[bratzdoll]

surely those who complained could work out for themselves that if they can get a dog to "mouth" the words to a song, there's obviously a bit of computerised movement going on here........some people really have too much time on their hands - surely that time could have been spent doing research and checking the dogs were actually ok, rather than complaining. i guess some people like the sound of their own voice.

on another note, that ad is great!!!

[B00]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9beQh1yH5uU

There ya go booldawg :-)

[LoftyLottie]

Great advert. Anyone in their right mind would realise that only trained dogs are used and no cruelty was involved. As Annmollie and others have said, did the same people who complained really believe the dog was singing.

I hope VW are sensible and can bring the advert back?

[beckyb01]

the dog was on a vibrating plate. hardly abuse lol

[amonty1144]

600 people complained, are they mad...I suppose it can sing too.
but to put it into perspective only 10 people complained because Anne \robinson got her norks felt on TV.
Geta life!

[happyjo]

I cant believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was my favourite ad. It was so funny .

PC gone mad.

J x

[thugulike]

I once had a very large boxer who would shiver in the same way if I asked him if he was cold. I never trained him to do it, he just did it. My favourite ad too.