To think dogs are..

[LookMaw]

Great

I love my dog, I walk her on the beach and off her lead in the park. I let small children pet her. She eats food off leftover plates and I don't care because she is such a positive, enriching part of my life.

So much dog hate on AIBU recently. I just wanted to spread a bit of smelly, furry, drooly love.

yeah I imagine people once convinced themselves that killer whales, dolphins, elephants and gorillas thrived on human contact in order to justify zoo's etc.

If dogs so naturally fit into human lifestyle then why all this talk of training and obedience instruction etc?

A well trained socialised dog would never bite (unless you brush past it while it's eating or something), which rather implies that without such training and socialisation dogs would be biting rather more?

Um...zoos are still open.

And I believe they now "justify" them on the grounds many have heavy duty breeding programmes with the aim of releasing the young back into the wild if possible.

I love mine too. She is fab.

But it's not a good idea to put our fingers in our ears and go "lalalalal not listening" when people talk about the dogs that are dangerous/annoying/mildly irritating. Or to call people who(like me) think dogs should be stopped from impacting on the lives of non dog owners, "haters"

My dog is great. Big, hairy, smelly, clumsy and totally devoted to all of us.
She comes everywhere with us. To the beach, to school everyday, on holidays...
We love her loads and couldn't care less about the opinions of any dog hating, sour faced old misery guts.

I like dogs because dogs are interesting. It's great now so much more research has been done into dogs and very interesting.

Turns out dogs are natures cock lodgers. But with charm.

Do their natural instinct is to fit in and appease.

I love dogs. And cats.

I miss having a smelly furry bundle of noise and wagging backside knocking glasses off tables and trying to beg for food, but I am in no position time wise and space wise to have a dog again. So I have to make do with my equally adored felines.

I love dogs. And cats.

I miss having a smelly furry bundle of noise and wagging backside knocking glasses off tables and trying to beg for food, but I am in no position time wise and space wise to have a dog again. So I have to make do with my equally adored felines.

Personally, the ideal is both.

Clara

I'm seeing double

Err that's utter bollocks. A well trained, well socialised dog won't bite if you take it's food away, never mind brushing past it.

And I'd much rather share my bed with LittleDog than any human, bar a poorly DD. He's adorable, doesn't smell at all (gets in the shower every day, and the sea at least 3 times a week), doesn't lie, whinge, bitch, or moan.

Most humans aren't half what he is.

Most feral dogs would not bite either unless they were in danger. It is always a last resort for a dog.

When I was a toddler, I used to insist on picking out the 'orange' biscuits from my dogs food bowl. Whilst she was eating her dinner. Never got bitten. Infact, she just used to move over so we both had access to the bowl.

Another thing I forgot to mention is how safe I feel with my 8st ball of love. We moved onto quite a rough estate when I fell PG with DD which has quite a high petty crime rate, and it really does reassure me to know that she would be the first thing they encountered.

I utterly adore my dog. She's a rescue dog who's nervous, but is the most trustworthy* creature ever. She had no training and didn't even know how to play with a ball when I got her.

*Unless you're carrying a surfboard, in which case, she'll chew your surfboard. Apologies to all on Shell Beach in Woolacombe.

I used to be a zoo keeper

Conservation, that's all.

My dog wouldn't bite if anyone brushed past him when he was eating. Have you come into contact with lots of dogs who do that? Mine has been taught (yes, taught. But then I also had to teach my babies as they grew) to be very gentle when taking food from people. It's comical just how gentle he is, given his size.

I've not once, ever, seen any aggression in him.

Oh and I love my large, stinky, licking, overly energetic, friendly, insane beast.

Any creature that can understand and obey when told "Kaos, oranges belong outside" or "if you're going to watch tv, do it from over here or you will damage your eyes" deserves to be treated with love and respect.

Stratters your back!

Owning a dog isnt ethical?well you git me there,i have not the foggiest why youd say that.

Morning.

We can see that this thread has become rather emotive but we'd be grateful if you could remember our talk guidelines before you post, that would be grand.

MNHQ

Surely the people who hate dogs could leave it for the dog lovers, after all there are so many haterz threads around they can spew their bile on .
I bloody love my dog I do.

You'd have thought, wouldn't you?

Dogs in their 'natural' state would be wolves. Canis Lupis Familiaris is a creature co-evolved with humankind. We've made them - and there are indications that they helped make us. The ancestors of dogs chose to hang out with humans - a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Anyway... yesterday we were canoeing on Coniston, parked next to a van logoe'd Newfoundland Show Dogs. Down on the shore the contents of the van plus some friends - 7 newfies plus (looking small by comparison) a Bernese. Gorgeous - just lying around placidly, DD and I went to admire and spend some time burying our hands in their fur. They'd been swimming earlier, I wonder if any boaters did a and wondered if they were bears! There were lots of other happy dogs and people there too.

In the defence of the haterz, this thread lures you in. If the title was "To think that dogs are great" I would not have opened it...

but you have to open it to see if it is pro or anti dog ownership...and once you have the hyperbole drags you in further...etc etc.

If you want to have a dog lovers only thread then make it clear in the title and maybe put it in the dog house or something?

HTH

Good advice for future reference - an ambiguous title in AIBU is rather asking for dissent.

LittleDog loves me unconditionally, and it's nothing to do with food as feeding isn't on my chore list, it's on DD2's. So his love is unequivocally not cupboard love, unless he is able to reason that I actually pay for his food.

In which case, he impresses me with his intelligence even more than usual.

He is also a very clean dog, he showers daily (his choice entirely), swims 3-4 times a week, and has never eaten shit. He is called LittleBro by the DDs, who love him as much as I do, and is, quite simply, a joy to be around. I've never met anyone, dog haterz included, who hasn't loved him once meeting him.

He's a tiny, 8" high, somewhat bizarre looking, bundle of love and joy, who enhances everyone's lives. He is also considerably nicer than most humans. The world would be a better place if everyone had a LittleDog to love them.

Oh, and he has his teeth brushed every day. He has far better teeth than a lot of people too, and his breath doesn't smell at all.