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Muffy, Tip, and Butch: A Study in Starvation

by

What makes animals want to eat? Why do some animals have a stronger desire to eat than others? How is the desire for food linked to the desire to communicate? Why is pain and suffering beautiful and interesting?

Some possible answers to these perplexing questions were found by monitoring the behavior of three dogs in an experimental situation. The dogs, Muffy, Tip, and Butch, were initially all fine specimens of canine strength and perseverance. Each in its own way exhibited normal behavior. Let's look at each of the dogs individually.

MUFFY. Muffy was the perfect picture of a healthy pet. About 2 years old and weighing 8 pounds, Muffy had a very carefree disposition. She seemed to trust everyone. She had a pink little nose, dark green eyes, and fluffy, soft fur that was as white as snow. Muffy also had an unusually strong zest for life, making her a prime candidate for our study.

TIP. Tip was a calm, seemingly well-adjusted Cocker Spaniel. He wagged his tail constantly and loved people. Tip's favorite activities were chasing sticks and romping on green, sunny lawns on cool, summer days. He was the kind of dog that could steal a child's heart in an instant. His owners cherished and adored him.

BUTCH. Usually a very calm Labrador Retriever, Butch could sometimes demonstrate very aggressive behavior. With his well-toned body and lush, thick fur, Butch was the perfect example of masculinity. He was very trusting, and asked nothing in return for his loyalty and dedication. His one true desire in life was to serve his master.

Muffy, Tip, and Butch were secretly abducted from their homes and placed in captivity. The animals were locked in small cages and video cameras were set up to record their behavior during the experiment. The dogs were given every comfort imaginable, except they were given no food or water.

Day #1

During the first day of the experiment, all three dogs seemed to manage very well. Despite a strained sense of comfort and some whimpering, the dogs seemed to be adjusting to their new surroundings extremely well. They remained in good spirits despite the fact that they were confined to cold, dark, uncomfortable living quarters.

Day #2

Some urgency began to set in about midway through Day #2. Shortly after noon, Muffy most definitely seemed to be losing some of her zest for life. While she was initially exuberant and frisky, she now seemed sullen and withdrawn. Tip exhibited no noticeable changes on Day #2, except that he did not wag his tail as much. Butch became hyperactive, pacing his cage in an uncontrollable manner almost as if he was searching for something.

Day #3

Day #3 of the study became known as "The Whining, Moaning Day." For some unknown reason, all three dogs began to express themselves by making unusual sounds. Muffy was the most vocal, making excruciating high-pitched whining noises and pawing incessantly at the corner of her cage. Tip still seemed to be retaining his composure, but every couple of hours he would turn into a whimpering pile of blubber, moaning and crying like a spoiled puppy. Butch continued pacing his cage.

Day #4

Muffy began exhibiting severely unusual behavior on Day #4. She alternated between howling, jumping up and down for no reason, and clawing at her face. Tip's nose and mouth were now parched and flaky, and he seemed noticeably bothered and uneasy. His face exhibited a marked sense of panic and desperation. The changes in Tip's expression were both interesting and confusing. Why had his disposition changed so much? Whereas before he was content and healthy, he now appeared gaunt and neutoric. He no longer wagged his tail at all. Butch continued to pace.

Day #5

For the first time in the study, Muffy calmed down and lay quietly in her cage...a nice change for all concerned. Tip became extremely frantic and overly emotional. He opened and closed his mouth in quick, snapping motions and chewed on the bars of his cage with such intensity that his snout had to be bandaged. Because Butch could not stop pacing on his own, a gun shot was fired into his back left paw. Though this did cause the pacing to stop, Butch now seemed compulsive about licking the paw, despite the fact that it had been more than adequately bandaged.

Day #6

Muffy hardly moved at all today. Her behavior has become samey and mundane. Tip, however, was more entertaining. He continued to chew on his cage and howled a lot. His facial expressions became even more contorted and surreal, making him look like a dizzy cartoon. Butch spent most of the day quivering in a most uncharacteristic manner. He got up twice and started to pace, but the pain in his back left paw was too intense and he lay back down again.

Days #7 Through #10

These four days were lumped together because there was no dramatic change in any of the animals' behavior. The only noticeable change during this period was that Muffy, Tip, and Butch all seemed to be moving much more slowly. On Day #9, Tip ate part of his tail and had to be sedated. By Day #10, all three dogs appeared to be disappointingly sluggish and despondent.

Day #11

Today the dogs were rewarded for their participation in the study. Each was given a tablespoon of water. Muffy drank the water immediately. After feverishly lapping up every drop she suddenly burst forth with a renewed jolt of energy, racing around her cage in a ridiculously frantic state. The water also did wonders for Tip who, for at least two hours after drinking the water, appeared to be his old self again. He scampered around his cage wagging his tail confidently, until he once again began his painful howling. Butch's reaction to the gift of water was unexpected. Instead of making him more energetic, the water gave him the delusion that he could walk through things. For the rest of the day, Butch crushed his face against the cage with all his might, causing his left eye, which was already dangerously dry, to burst in an impressive array of liquid colors. The eye was bandaged, however, and Butch soon resumed his odd attempt to force himself through the wall of his cage.

Day #12

By Day #12, all three dogs had lost a good deal of weight. This change suited Muffy and Tip rather well, as they were slightly overweight to begin with. However, the weight loss affected Butch's appearance in an adverse manner. His once lean and muscular body now appeared almost feminine and fragile. His droopy skin hung from his skeleton like melting cheese, and his loss of fur was severe and unsightly. If it were not for the bandages on his eye and paw, it would have been easy to mistake Butch for an anorexic goat.

Day #13

Day #13 was marked by a frustrating lack activity. No unusual sounds. No whining. No moaning. No clever attempts to get attention. No fun. As a result, Muffy, Tip, and Butch were each given a teaspoon of bread crumbs as an incentive to perform. Their response to the bread crumbs was puzzling. Even though the amount of food was almost inconsequential, it gave all three dogs a renewed, though futile, faith that they could survive. They jumped about their cages in an overly excited state. Muffy made some real funny faces for the cameras. What a card.

Day #14

More whining and moaning. Something had to be done to generate some action.

Day #15

We cut off Muffy's ears today. This made her shake her head in a most unflattering manner, but she never did seem to notice that her ears were gone. Muffy now hardly even resembled the beautifully coiffured, frisky doggie that had been invited to be in our study. She once looked so healthy and beautiful. Why was she so thin and desperate now? Chip had not stopped chewing on his cage and his tail, so his mouth was sewn shut to make him stop. He did. But then he tried to remove the stitches with his front paws. All four legs were then tied together. Problem solved. Butch enjoyed the random, deep lacerations that were made in his lower abdomen. There was very little blood, but bandages were placed over the cuts anyway as a courtesy.

Day #16

Another boring morning. Almost no movement or sound from any of the dogs. To stimulate them, a study participant bashed each dog in the head with a billy club. The brain damage was to be expected, but it was determined that the benefits of the beatings would far exceed the disadvantages. The dogs responded positively. Muffy dashed about for over 3 hours, frequently crashing into the sides of her cage, which gave everyone in the study a good chuckle. Tip couldn't do too much because his legs were bound, but the look in his eyes was priceless. What bewilderment and excitement! This is the kind of image that could sell a million postcards. Meanwhile, Butch seemed to enjoy his punishment. He lapped up the blood that flowed from his cracked skull and wailed in a most curious fashion. After the excitement died down, fresh steaks were placed outside the cages just beyond the dogs' reach to see how they would react. The lines of frustration and desire in the faces of the animals were quite clear. They truly wanted those steaks.

Day #17

After yet another morning of little or no action, food was finally given to the dogs. A small plate of beef tips was placed in each cage. Muffy didn't attempt to eat her meal, even though she must have been hungry. She merely lay on the floor of her cage with a glazed look in her eyes. What a boring dog. Perhaps she didn't like beef tips. Whatever the case, she was removed from the study. Tip took one mouthful of the beef tips but didn't have the energy to chew or swallow the food. His feet were finally untied, but the ungrateful mut didn't even get up and walk around. How unappreciative. Butch had the most profound reaction to the food. He wolfed it down and then immediately threw it up. He continued to re-eat and re-vomit the beef tips for several hours.

Day #18

The dogs were given repeated experimental beatings today. This resulted in some amazing video footage that may possibly never again be matched in the field of animal experimentation. Tip and Butch died during this last experiment. We could not determine why.

Conclusion

Dogs cannot and will not just relax and forget about eating. The idea consumes them. Muffy, Tip, and Butch proved that animals exhibit their most fantastic and outrageous behavior only when they are deprived of food and water. It makes them behave funny. The videotapes made during this study prove that dogs gain wisdom when they suffer. Starving animals also tend to think harder.

What goes on in the mind of a dog? No one really knows for sure.

REFERENCES

Amos, D., Evans, J. R. (1994). Reinventing the animal thing. Westview, SC: Bernard Press.

Bailey, J. (1993). The dog that wouldn't. Savannah, GA: Devine Publications.

Buckner, B. B. (1994). No one knows about it. Portland, OR: Lafreniere and Associates.

Coddington, R. C. (1994). How does it feel when I do this? Chicago, IL: Parker Press.

Lester, J. (1994). I like to get F in the B. Atlanta, GA: Bill Peneguy and Sons.

Leonard, J. J. (1988). Torture isn't necessarily bad. San Francisco, CA: Shingledecker, Inc.

Tomey, F. B. (1962). Why isn't the doggie happy? Macon, GA: The Creech Press.

Yu, C. C. (1994). Pain much funny thing. Hollywood, CA: Byrnes Books.

©1995 LMNOP®

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