Help me stop accidentally hurting my dog

I wear UGG boots in winter because it’s fucking cold.

I also wrap myself in a blanket on the couch, and have a lovely area rug so I don’t have to walk on a cold floor. All these things are necessary to survive the winter; my house isn’t well insulated.

The problem with all this, is that I build up a static charge. So when I go to pat my beautiful sweetheart of a dog, I zap him. It’s audible and I’m sure, quite unpleasant. Often on the head. He obviously doesn’t like that, I think he’s taking it personally, and I feel awful. It completely cancels out the affection I’m trying to show him.

So the question for the Lemmy community is:

How do I discharge the static before I pat my dog? I have started shocking my partner (which he doesn’t like, but accepts over the alternative), before patting my dog. But as he’s out tonight, I have no human vessel to offer as tribute?

What can I touch in my house before patting my dog so that he doesn’t receive a shock?

Edit: standard Australian house and furniture

Another edit: I’m all the sheets to the wind so the engineering advice is not sinking in. But I’m loving the immediate response that I’d never have gotten on Deaddit.

Again: I can’t stop giggling at how helpful everyone is being and how short m, drunk and silly I am, in a house with apparently no metal

And again: I should probably take me and my baby to bed now, but a big thank you to everyone who replied. You’ve all been lovely. Lemmy is really a different space to ask these questions! I’ll be trying out many of your suggestions over the weekend; big thanks from me and my boy x

Final: thanks to everyone who responded. I did try the kitchen tap again last night and this time it worked! Mustn’t have built up enough charge when I tried the night I posted. I will still primarily zap my partner’s leg as it’s usually closer and doing it makes me laugh. It’s important he understands where he fits in the household hierarchy as well. I also learnt that American houses are very different (screws and radiators everywhere!) so that was interesting too.

TWeaK,

Touch a radiator. Radiators should be earthed. You can also touch the screws on light switches and sockets, or your sink or stove. Any earthed metal, metal appliances (eg kettles and toasters) should work also. They have to be plugged in, but don’t need to be on.

jasondj,

This is it.

Also a humidifier may help. Static builds up more in dry air.

Skymt,

Touch it with a key or something conductive to avoid getting zapped yourself.

ChaoticEntropy,
@ChaoticEntropy@feddit.uk avatar

On the plus side, your dog must be convinced that you are a wizard. You need something to ground yourself on.

loaExMachina,

You can touch a sink to discharge!

mayonaise_met,

You’re in Australia right? Can’t be that cold, just tough it out.

Just kidding, personal heating is a very good solution to being cold. It’s much better for the environment and your wallet than heating your house/room.

I use electric blankets though no UGGs. Except rare occasions, my cats don’t get zapped. Have you tried going without and see if it makes a difference?

thepreciousboar,

If you really don’t have anything metal in your house (metal sinks or any appliance with an outer metal shell that should be grounded), grab an extension cord, cut it and completely remove any cable that is not the yellow and geeen one, that is the earth cable (assuming in Australia that is the correct color scheme), expose that wire and touch it to discharge. Make sure the other cables are in no way exposed. If yoy want to be extra safe, buy a plug and only connect the earth cable.

/s of course, don’t do that unless you know your way around AC power

klingelstreich,
@klingelstreich@feddit.de avatar

I’m so nervous reading this

Maalus,

No point in being nervous. You can just touch the earth prong on a plugged in extension cord, the cutting part is pointless unless you plan to stick something metal down one hole.

thepreciousboar,

On australian sockets the earth is not exposed, so not as easy

Someonelol,

Easiest way to address this is to wear a metal Casio watch and have it touch anything metallic attached to a wall like door latch guides or maybe even coat hangers to dissipate any static electricity. Another choice is to grab the metal part of a key and tap them as well.

VoldemortsHorcrux,

I cant think of a sacrificial shock absorber, but perhaps you could not shuffle your UGGs around, and not build up static? I’m assuming your rug is synthetic and possibly causing it, but I could be wrong

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

Microfibre blanket. I’m literally just lying on the couch then I get up to pat him on the way for another beer, and I’m suddenly Thor.

Today,

Internet says to touch the screws on a light switch panel.

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

They’re covered by plastic as standard here

Followupquestion,

They are screws holding the plate on, usually two flathead screws above and below the switch or paddle that them connect to the junction box which is how they ground you.

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

Covered in plastic

Followupquestion,

Covered in plastic how? Mine all look like this imgur.com/a/9EBDjPS

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

There’s these little white plastic plugs over screws, or an entire plastic panel over the top

Followupquestion,

Replacement covers are like $1.25 at the hardware store. If you’re renting, you can save what’s there in some closet and put them back when you move out.

Kyle,

Damn, I was going to suggest this, I do it all the time. Perhaps shuffle around and touch everything in sight until you find something that zaps and therefore discharges you. Once you find something grounding (zappy) touch that before you touch your dog.

Rentlar,

A metal doorknob works for me usually.

Flyberius,
@Flyberius@hexbear.net avatar

A metal radiator might ground you.

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

None in the house :(

Flyberius,
@Flyberius@hexbear.net avatar

Do you have anything else that might be earthed? A metal tap will probably work, so long as it is attached to a metal pipe.

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

Like my kitchen tap? I think it’s coated metal rather than, I dunno, an outdoor tap… Would that still work?

Flyberius,
@Flyberius@hexbear.net avatar

Yeah, absolutely, that’s what I meant. I am pretty sure that will be earthed. Go work up a charge and give it a try.

Equally, if you have a metal oven or any metal electrical equipment that is earthed that will work too.

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

I just tried and felt no shock… Would I feel it if it worked? I’m willing to feel the pain myself.

Flyberius,
@Flyberius@hexbear.net avatar

I would have thought so. Maybe you have non-metal pipes leading to the tap.

Can anyone else in the thread think of something?

Wea,
@Wea@lemmy.world avatar

Can you touch the wall with your full palm before touching your pup and see if that helps?

SatansInteriorDsgnr,

Anti-static keychain! They’re small, cheap, and buyable on Amazon. You basically just touch it and it discharges the static without hurting. Life saver for me, my hair builds up a lot of static and I used to shock myself and family all the time.

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

Oooh maybe that’s the goods!

rautapekoni,

A keychain you carry in your pocket is somehow supposed to discharge your static charge? I’m sorry, but electricity does not work like that. Unless the keychain has a ground wire of course, but the things image search showed me are just as effective as touching coins in your pocket.

Lith,

I don’t know about keychains, but antistatic wrist straps are absolutely a thing and are very important for people who regularly work with electronic hardware. But I think you’re right in that these devices use a ground wire. There’s also antistatic bags, but again, it just protects what’s inside, and doesn’t discharge you unless it’s touching something else it can discharge to, I believe. Ultimately these are tools used mostly to prevent you from building up static while you work, and not really something you could just wear around the house.

SatansInteriorDsgnr,

I dunno man. All I know is that this is very similar to the one I had (www.ebay.com/itm/404424220236) and it always worked for me. Just trying to help a person with a suggestion…

rautapekoni,

I’m no expert in the field, but my limited experience would say that the potential difference just cannot be discharged by something you hold in your hand and not connected somewhere to complete a circuit. No matter what is inside that dongle.

CatWinner,

I too live in a hilariously dry climate in the winter and become a human lightning rod for several months at a time. Here’s what helped me: a quarter! I carry a quarter in my pocket all winter to touch to metal (I deeply hate getting shocked myself, especially the huge static charges). You’ll need something made of metal that is grounded, though. We have metal shelves or the aforementioned light switch screws. You can also look for screws on your washing machine, doorknob, dishwasher, sink, etc. Anything with a little metal should work. Then - touch the quarter to it, hear (but don’t feel) the zap, and enjoy your dog with no fear. Hope you can find something metallic somewhere in your home!

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

None of my things have accessible screws!! I’m in Australia so no quarters… And I’m not sure I even have physical currency in the house (Australia is pretty cash free these days (.

Fuck, I am just loving these responses. Everyone is so lovely.

CatWinner,

I guess you’ll have to build a giant metal effigy in the center of your home at this point. Or become a wizard to better channel your new magical energies. It’s really your call now.

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

Bless you. Go with noodles

squaresinger,

You could also get a DIY power cable (the type where you screw the plug to the leads yourself). There you only connect the ground contact and not the live and neutral contacts. Now strip the end of the ground wire and place it where ever you want to be able to discharge yourself.

Alternatively, you can do about the same by just connecting a wire to any unpainted part of your radiators.

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

Jesus fuck… That’s a lot of science

No radiators

We don’t do proper heating in this cuntry

squaresinger,

What about water pipes? Got any of them somewhat near to your couch?

You could also just buy a metal-cased lamp and maybe ask at the shop whether the metal casing is grounded. Usually it is.

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

Noop. My house is made of fabricated nonsense and plastic

squaresinger,

Then the only grounded location that I can think of is the ground pin of an electric outlet.

Do you have a somewhat technically minded friend? Making a cable like the one I suggested is literally as simple as screwing in a handful of screws. So if you know anyone who’d be willing to make it, it’s not much effort at all.

krigo666,

Simple, just touch the ground. That’s what your dog conducts to. Just take the dog out the equation.

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

I like him in the equation though?

What ground? The floor? Carpet?? Do I have to go outside? It’s raining

Papanca,

This sentence made me lol!

On a more serious note: when i remember to do it, i take my keys - which are always in my pocket - and touch a metal door knob with them.

Papanca,

Or the tap

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

Tap didn’t work, but I have metal door handles… But my keys aren’t usually in my pocket when I’m drinking on the couch watching Germany defeat USA in the basketball

elxeno,

Whatever the dog is standing on when it gets shocked, if u touch that u discharge directly instead of going though the dog.

riku12124,

Do you have a desktop computer? If so, and you know where the power supply is, you could touch the metal grate on that. The power supply will be earthed due to requiring a ground, and the cage itself is properly made so maintenance can be done safely by connecting an ESD wrist strap to the power supply cage.

If you don't feel or hear a shock, you have not discharged.

If you have more patience, you can wash your hands for 2 minutes and you wouldn't be statically charged. Though, that may be really cold as an after affect.

boogetyboo,
@boogetyboo@aussie.zone avatar

Computer is so far away and dog is so close and gorgeous

Cold water on this skin? No thanks. I’ll set myself on fire instead … At least I’ll be warm for the rest of my life

Thisfox,

You could just use the hot tap as well as the cold one.

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