Dogs and Grandchildren

[Lucaslovesfelicity]

So, went to visit my mum yesterday who has two large dogs. She absolutely dotes on them and often refers to them has her babies ( she has 3 human babies, as well as 5 human grand children) ). I find this all very strange but go along with it.... It's her house, her rules. Anyway, the dogs have absolute free reign of the house and are allowed to sleep in bed at night with both herself and her husband. Everyday, the dogs are cooked a fresh roast chicken dinner..No dog food passes their lips), they are allowed on the furniture and often do try sit at the doing table during meals!! She passes food and drink down to them on plates and mugs from the table..... Ewwwww. I've even caught her emptying out my DD left over formula milk into a bowl to give to the dog, as her baby enjoys it too I have to watch my 4 month when we visit, has she doesn't discourage the dogs from going over to the baby to lick her face. She simply says the dogs think they are human and want to give my LO kiss.... definitely not!! Anyway, the news was on last night which spoke about the police dog that got blew up in Paris. I said to her that although it was sad, it would have been far worse if it had been another human that had been killed. She disagreed and said to me that to her, dogs are on the same level as humans and in fact better than some I told her that I didn't agree and asked if one of the grandchild was in a house fire along with her dogs or in a situation where a dog had to risk it's life to aid the family, surely the dogs life couldn't be put on the same level as her families? She didn't answer and just went quiet. She went on to say that unless I was a dog owner myself, I wouldn't understand the situation. AIBU to be offended that my kids and my mums dogs are views the same

Ok I find it rather absurd that I have to explain this but...we are humans. I am a human, you are a human. We are built to love, empathise and enjoy each other. We exist to make children. Children consume our whole lives, we carry them in our bodies, teach them to grow and learn, have an unbreakable natural bond. If a friend has a baby, their baby is an extension of them. I would include their child in things we do, growing a bond with that child. To dislike a whole set of your own species - the vast majority of whom you've never met - is strange, and to express that you don't like someone's child, that extension of themselves, is frankly twattish.

Dogs are not something we are naturally steered towards raising in the same way. They are also potentially dangerous, especially when raised in a babyfied way with no discipline.

The animals vs humans thread is a rather depressing read and i was quite down knowing there are people on the world who'd leave me to burn in a fire, leave my children without a mother etc to save an animal.

What Crabby said at 11.52.

People on here get outraged and offended when it's suggested that someone doesn't like a child.

Children are people and not all people are likeable

Mascara I find people get quite offended when they realise that not everyone likes their child, or children in general. Much the same thing, I'd imagine.

Oh I agree Some people think everyone should love their little darlings and coo over them. Not everyone wants to!
Although me personally, I do have a lot more patience and love for children than I do for dogs. I find it a lot more irritating when dog owners expect me to make a big fuss/talk to their dog when it comes sniffing around, then when a child runs over and talks to me.

Why did you push your mother into a conversation that clearly wasn't going to end well, the way you wanted it to.
I have children, grandchildren and pets, love them all and pray the house never burns down!

I said to her that although it was sad, it would have been far worse if it had been another human that had been killed. She disagreed and said to me that to her, dogs are on the same level as humans and in fact better than some

This is the part of the OPs statement that worries me most . If her mum wants to baby her dogs, then fine, let her get on with it.

But the fact that she thinks it's as tragic that a dog (unknown to her) died rather than a human (also unknown to her) worries me deeply.
That an unknown dog is as important to her as an uknown human. I'm sorry, but that's just wrong.

Why is it so wrong and worrying that she values one life as much as another. It is more worrying that some people don't.

It isn't a fucking competition.

Death is death.

It's all shit.

I don't find it wrong or worrying that the OPs mother was more moved by a dog. I get far more upset reading about cases of animal cruelty than most other things.
And it's every person's own business who or what they love best in the world (excluding parents and their children where they have a duty to prioritise them). Getting outraged about who would rescue who or what an a hypothetical fire is daft - it's a vanishingly unlikely scenario so who really cares if someone says Fido rather than Fiona?

op does your mother eat meat?

it's a vanishingly unlikely scenario so who really cares if someone says Fido rather than Fiona?

While I agree that in this case it's hypothetical, I'd be furious if my parents said they'd rescue their dog before my children, if I thought they meant it. I'd actually find it hard to be civil to them after that!! Of course, what they would actually do if it were to happen may be different. Let's hope I never have to find out.

If I found out that an adult put children and animals on the same level, I would not consider that adult to be a fit person to look after my (or any) children. Honestly, I think excessive love of animals, as in treating them as a person, is a mental health issue. And I like animals. But they're not people - they are cute and easy and loyal and fun, but they lack the depth and intellectual capacity to be considered on a level with a person. Any person.

Just wanted to comment that I would not try to save any of my cats in a fire or emergency situation because cats, I can't speak of dogs, get hysterical and are impossible to catch in those circumstances.

I think it is extremely important to tell your children not to try to save their beloved pet or anyone else if there is a fire.

I live in an earthquake zone and everytime there is a tremor I run out and leave the doors and windows open for the cats to escape.

I'm breastfeeding my newborn as I type this - with my one year old dog asleep in a little ball on my knee. So yes, both perspectives and all.

I'm impressed at your faith in humanity that you know for sure that animals are beneath humans and that you know, point blank, that a human life is more valuable than an animals.

I will believe you. I will believe you the day I meet an animal answering back, manipulating, lying, cheating, rifling down unarmed civilians, plotting international warfare, developing grandiose schemes to systematically slaughter other animals (or humans).

Find me one such animal and I will, then on, rate human lives beyond animal lives without batting an eyelid.

Itmustbebedtime I far prefer dogs to children. This doesn't mean I have mental issues. It just means I find dogs better company.
I don't agree with anyone stating as a fact that humans are more important. That's just from our perspective as we're human so we would think that really wouldn't we.

I also prefer animals to many (not all) children. If that makes me mentally ill then that's fine by me!

That's just from our perspective as we're human so we would think that really wouldn't we

You would think so, wouldn't you? But it would appear from this thread that there are plenty that don't.

do people who think dogs are equal to or better than humans eat meat?

focus round of applause

These threads are always very depressing.

I will believe you. I will believe you the day I meet an animal answering back, manipulating, lying, cheating, rifling down unarmed civilians, plotting international warfare, developing grandiose schemes to systematically slaughter other animals (or humans

This always comes up in these debates - "my animal would never hurt anyone yet humans do X y and z". You can't use that as a reason to say animals are better than humans as animals are not capable of doing the things humans do. It's like me saying "well I prefer humans as a human would never bite my child, shit on my carpet, stink, bring fleas into the house and lick it's arse". Totally missing the point.

Also no one is saying that pet owners should prefer Random Human Stranger to their dog, and love an acquaintance more than their pet. Of course not. I had a dog who died 2 years ago and cried for days I loved her so much. However it's completely ridiculous to favour a pet over your own children, grandchildren and immediate famly - and to imply you'd save the former over the latter. It doesn't matter that the situation is hypothetical, the OPs mum would leave her daughter childless, have her baby die and that loss carried with her forever to save 2 dogs. Of course the OP isn't BU and I think people who think what the mum said is fine need to give themselves a long hard talk!

amarmi good point those people are vegan I'm assuming!

Piper you're spot on there!

Piper in fact all of my friends who are huge animal lovers and very committed to animal rights, are vegan.

^^ This ! Well said paper

And to those who think that animals can do no harm, the natural world is a very cruel and violent world. Of course , much of this is for survival, but has no-one ever seen a cat torment a mouse, just for fun? Or a whale bat a seal with its tail, just because it can? Humans are not the only species that can inflict cruelty on its own kind.

Oops, sorry, piper, not paper!

Just to quote the original post:

asked if one of the grandchild was in a house fire along with her dogs or in a situation where a dog had to risk it's life to aid the family, surely the dogs life couldn't be put on the same level as her families? She didn't answer and just went quiet.

She didn't say she would chose the dogs over the children. She probably didn't answer because it's a stupid question.

I love my kid and dog exactly the same but I would save my son first and then go back for the dog. If someone asked me this question though in person I wouldn't dignify it with an answer either.