To think that if you're single and have a dog...

[QuattroFormaggio]

you shouldn't describe yourself as a 'single parent'?

Someone I know is single. She has just got a puppy and keeps going on about how hard it is being a 'single parent' (to the dog, she has no kids). I'm disproportionately offended by this. I'm not even a single parent, but my sister is and I know how hard it is for her. Heck, I find it hard enough with two parents around.

Is this expression normal for pet lovers now?! I have no pets so willing to be educated but can't promise that it'll stop me feeling offended by how it minimises how hard parenting actually is Just to clarify, I'm sure having a puppy is very hard work, it's the expression I'm offended by.

My first AIBU, I await the flaming.

How could anyone get offended at this? Surely everyone just thinks it's nonsensical?

Oh for goodness sake, some people will be offended by anything.

She's clearly not serious, like she's saying she gave birth to it and breast fed it.

I don't think its so much offensive as bloody daft. Not easy owning a Dog alone if you work though.

I want to be a stay at home mother...

to my pet parrots.

Your friend is NBU in the slightest.

Next we'll have dog owners getting offended by this

My sister won't look for full time work........because of the dogs schedule.

I keep my mouth shut.

Worra - well she does carry it around in a sling. Like a doggy-bjorn type thing...

It seems silly but I couldn't get offended, more wondering if the dogs are filling an emotional gap.

Haha! And good luck to her

It doesn't add or remove anything from your sister's life though.

I adopted ddog and for 3 years was just me and him before ds was born in 2015. He is my dog and i love him very much but he isnt a child he is a dog. But if it makes your friend happy then thats fine

I might one day Quattro but at this point in time I don't think I'm emotionally robust enough!

And he did fill a gap as id been told id struggle to have children so he helped me through a really hard time

Yanbu, but it may well be an insecurity thing on her part.

My sister jokes about this with her dog, but it's because she's been made to feel less than because she doesn't have children by some of our family.

Ah what a joke. Some of these comments have made me laugh. On our 3rd dog, second one from a puppy. The first puppy was hard work because he needed a lot of training, being a soppy, big, farting, snoring lab, who loved life and didn't give a shit about discipline. The second was a breeze to train. But none of them took anything like the energy of a child. For starters, as a woman, you have to incubate said child. That bit for me for starters was harder than having any puppy... silly woman.

Dog in sling 😂

Undoubtedly for me and perhaps others, being single without children or other family, a dog does fill an emotional void in their lives but I'd never describe myself as a single parent!

Disclaimer: single, childless.

Even if I wasn't I can't imagine I'd have the energy to even care one iota about this, much less get offended by it.

No YANBU.

Irritates the hell out of me when pet owners (with no kids) refer to themselves as parents. I mean ffs get a grip!

Eh, I'd probably think she was a bit of a tit if she were serious and thank god she didn't have an actual kid if she finds a dog hard work.

Ddog and Dcat amuse me immensely 😂

Oh no, I think I'd be more concerned than offended. That is very strange, baby sling and all? 😱

Ddog and Dcat amuse me immensely 😂

You should meet my Dparrot1 and Dparrot2.

When I see ppl refer to DP on here, the word "partner" isn't necessarily what springs to mind...

👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻

😂😂😂

Yabu for being remotely interested in what she considers her own relationship status with her pet.

Maybe it bothers her when parents describe themselves as 'single parents' when they're actually not or when they're co-parenting or staying with a new partner.

She obviously means she is the only person to care for the dog.
Why do people have to be so judgey

My dogs would have a fuckin shit fit if I tried to put them in any kind of carrying device 😂