Am I the only one who doesn't like dogs?!

[BlueStripedTowel]

Now don't get me wrong, some dogs can be cute to look at but I really don't like being near dogs. I've got nothing against dogs but I just don't like having them near me or touching me. It seems like if you say this to a dog owner though they look at me like I'm the devil!

When I was a toddler about 30 years ago my grans dog tried to attack me (first grandchild - dog was jealous of attention I was getting from gran) so the dog had to be put down, I don't really have memory of this but wonder if it's rooted somewhere in my brain!

I just hate it if I'm out anywhere and someone's dog jumps up on me and owners say "don't worry he/she is really friendly" and I say please can you pull them away because I don't like dogs and some owners get really annoyed as if they can't understand why some people may be uncomfortable.

Any similar experiences?

@Huntswomanonthemove

On the other hand, we should be very grateful to dogs, for so many reasons:

Guide/assistance dogs - dogs can warn their owners of sudden severe illness, for example people who have fits
Police dogs
Army dogs
Dogs that sniff out bombs at venues we attend and on aeroplanes
Dogs that find drugs
Dogs that visit care homes
Therapy dogs
Search and rescue dogs

I'm sure there are more.

Dogs that can smell cancer Dogs that can find people buried in earthquakes Dogs that can help children with autism Reading dogs in schools

@firemeetgasoline

I 1000% agree with you. As a Muslim, we believe in treating animals with kindness and so on. We also believe in treating animals equal to humans. And never treating an animal bad.

WE are actually looking to get dogs to guard our new property and am looking for dogs that would be great around kids. But not vicious but still do a great job at protecting the property. We will feed them, play with them and they will have their own area in the big garden.

I just obviously wouldn't allow them in the home because I am concerned with their bums on the sofas and carpets where baby crawls and plays.

Growing up we had a border collie. He was the sweetest boy and even though he's an old dog now, he still charges around the beach giving the young dogs a run for their money. When my dad rings, I always ask after the dog, he was my boy. He loved the garden and charging about and he loved to watch the day go by in the garden and people couldn't resist the urge to pat him when they go past.

I hope you're well and having a good day.

@AndItDoesntSeemToMatter your comment about dog lovers not understanding and being offended about people not liking dogs. I have a friend who despises cats, I have a cat who I adore. I am not in the least bit offended she doesn’t like cats. She doesn’t actually harm them so I don’t care.

I think it’s fine to dislike any living creature as long as we don’t harm it.

Or just have a sign on the gate of the new house, 'Enter with caution, 6 massive rottweilers who are savage and wild and love to BITE' might do the trick. Haha. We will never see the postman and get post or takeaways every again hahaha

I understand people not liking dogs. I don’t understand people hating them.

I'm wary of dogs - I trust them like I trust sociopaths who grew up in good families :) My uncle had huge Alsatian on his ranch whose barking would curdle your blood. Villages would be full of loose watchdogs. "Please don't be scared, they can smell it" didn't help at all!

London parks are pretty tame. I'm fine with small lapdogs and even dog-sitted some, but I don't feel gushy love. Too slobbery and needy.

But give me a cat and I melt! Not rational at all.

@SuPerDoPer that is the most ridiculous post I've ever seen on Mumsnet 🤣 you are aware of humans?

@MagicKit

I don't like them. We have one and I find her a constant embarrassment. I hate the smell, I hate the mess ans I loathe how even thought we spent hundreds on training and constantly reinforce it, she is all over every visitor we ever have, demanding attention and shoving herself into the middle and whining. I hate it. Apparently that's just the way she is. Not what I signed up for! I agreed we could have a dog if the walking and cleaning up of mess didn't fall to me. I don't walk her, don't pick up poo, but every single mess she makes in the house is up to me, and I am always having to deodorise the home and wash things that shouldn't need it because of her. It's maybe not fair to say I hate her because I wouldn't ever see harm come to her and I care if she's healthy or happy. I just don't like her. At all. Or any dog. I look at them with new eyes after owning one. They're just smelly, needy, greedy money pits.

This is awful. Please re home the poor thing. Somebody will love them.

After multiple miscarriages I fell into depression and had lots of time off work.

I'd grown up with rescues and personally, I love dogs.

I went and bought an 8 week old Sprocker spaniel and we've been best friends ever since. I cannot explain how this dog saved my life. Having a reason to go outside and walk him was enough. The affection, pure love and adoration from him was another.

6 years later, he is still the same dopey, fun, well behaved, loving dog and I can't imagine life without him.

I don't hate dogs, but I do hate shit shit dog owners & there's plenty of those around, especially lately & they just think everyone loves their little badly trained pooch as much as they do & get offended when told to control their dog when people are eating.

I once got, "but I'm eating too" 😏

Well tough shit, you should have thought of that before getting & not properly training your dog around food

I like the look of cute, small dogs that look like toys. But I don’t like it trust dogs in general. I have had bad experiences and I think that mostly put me off. We are a family of cat lovers however.

@JuergenSchwarzwald

I dislike people who dislike dogs. Something nasty about these people I'd never trust them

A completely stupid point of view that you'd never dare say to anyone in real life.

Anyway, why do you think having dogs for your own amusement is a good thing?

I say it to plenty of people thanks. I gave my dog a home who was a stray and nearly starved to death and gave him a lovely life so I can't see how that's for my own amusement but nice try

I like dogs in general but there are too may owners who don't train them / let them run off-lead in public spaces / don't pick up.

[quote Buildingthefuture]@SuPerDoPer does the same apply to having kids then?[/quote]
Not really, because children grow up to become useful members of society in the main. We don't keep them as pets for our own amusement? I did exclude working dogs from my rant.

I don't really like dogs.

I don't want them to touch me, smell me and I certainly don't want them to smell me. I don't want them to jump up at me or bark at me. I don't want to step in their poo.

I don't want to have dog owners tell me insistently that they are just being friendly, they don't mean any harm or even worse try to persuade me that all that is missing in my life is a dog.

@TabbyM

I like dogs in general but there are too may owners who don't train them / let them run off-lead in public spaces / don't pick up.

They are allowed off lead in public places unless stated otherwise. They just need to be under control. FYI.

@SuPerDoPer a lot of people do not grow up to be useful members of society. It's not amusement I keep a dog for. What a weird word to use

I'm not at all keen and I'm very nervous around some. They all smell and slobber. And they're dirty.

I'm not keen on dogs at all. I'm a bit scared of them, but they also just don't appeal to me, with all the dribbling and hairs and weeing and pooing everywhere. Generally they don't come up to me though, they must sense that I'm not a dog person, but I often have a packed lunch in the park and they hover around sniffing out my food. I just tell them to shoo and put my food out of reach.

Even well trained dogs don't appeal to me, although if it belongs to a friend I've sometimes politely petted it.

I love dogs but I HATE owners who say ‘don’t worry they’re friendly’. No. Learn to control your damn dog!

It's been really interesting to read PPs responses

I think OP started a great thread. As it is hard to admit you aren't a fan of dogs- not in U.K. anyway here is such a high % of dog lovers and I wonder what % is in other countries?

. Not that if you aren't a dog lover it means you want dogs mistreated in any way or wouldn't save a doggie in trouble, but that some owners don't train dogs well and it can have a huge impact on disabled people or children or other dog owners that some dogs jump up at. And tbh the smell is quite something for some dogs!!

And besides that point m, not everyone feels the love dog owners feel but may like another type of pet more. Or no pets.

I do hope everyone remembers it's just an anonymous chat thread and no one is suggesting dogs are treated unkindly even if you don't particularly love them. But we can't admit it to you!!!

@CounsellorTroi

I understand people not liking dogs. I don’t understand people hating them.

Hate would be a strong word but the increase in ownership certainly starts to to impinge on other peoples' quality of life if you are scared to go for a walk in case a dog jumps up at you or don't want to go into a cafe in case a dog shoves its head in your groin while you are sitting there. And I would have hated dogs being in school.

It's fine for people to have dogs but not if their ownership has a negative impact on other peoples' lives. As with everything, really.

But I'm a bit baffled why so many people have them. All that enforced walking twice a day, picking up poo, getting back early "for the dog", stressing about them when they're puppies and then when they're old and doddery, what to do when on holiday. All that love, care, and effort going into an animal instead of a human. I get it if you're doing that instead of having children (very sensible!), or if you don't have many humans around. But otherwise, I'm just baffled

Me too, I just think people need to be needed.

All that love, care, and effort going into an animal instead of a human.

People are complex, dogs are simple. If I pour love, care and effort into any humans, anything could happen. With a dog, it will come right back.

I love having a dog. Having to go out twice a day to walk her, is so good for me. I went for a period without a dog and walking without a dog felt odd and pointless, so I didn't go.

She always barks if someone comes to the door, which I like. She always knows if I'm feeling sad and will come for a cuddle. She never answers back and always does as she's told unlike DH

I pick up the poo because the thought of someone, especially a child, walking in it, is an extremely uncomfortable thought. You get used to it and it really doesn't bother you.

All the love and care going into an animal, rather than a human is an interesting statement! On the whole, I find animals, especially dogs much more lovable than humans. Our dog has devoted her life to us, yet she asks for so little in return.

She always comes on holiday with us and having her is an important part of our holiday.

I guess if you're not an animal person, you just don't understand. A dog enhances my life far more than any human does.