Using bitch for a dog

[Dunarunner]

Probably going to be told to get a grip but AIBU to think this is a little bit odd. Have been having work done on house and also have a relatively new Labrador puppy.

On Monday a man came in to do some plastering and we had a brief chat in the kitchen about dogs. I mentioned ours is a girl and he sort of looked me in the eye and said ‘yeah, bitches are best. Less trouble.’ I was a bit but told myself he was just using the correct terminology.

But on Friday, electrician was patting the dog and said ‘I’ve got a couple of bitches too’ or something to that effect.

I’m no prude (and rather too fond of the c word in the right situation)
But couldn’t help but feel the men were enjoying being able to use the word ‘bitch’ legitimately, to a woman at home alone and was, if not creeped out, then just a touch unsettled

FrancisCrawford, I'm in a similar/same area as the OP and I've yet to meet anyone about the age of at least 10, who doesn't know a bitch is a female dog.

*over the age of 10

Oh perlease! My Jack Russell bitch is mortified for you.

Different exposure to the world

@WorraLiberty I mean my experience with teenage boys/young adult men is that ‘bitch’ is usually, if not exclusively, used to belittle, demean, objectify and threaten women.

A female dog is a bitch, jeez 🙄

You’re off your head!

I say bitches in reference to my dogs all the time. I wouldn't think it unusual at all.

🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

I just texted my friend, TA at local primary, about this and her response was. ‘Well, if I asked the class what the correct term for a female dog was, I’d get a room of blank faces’ (she does however think I’m being ridic about the workmen, so there you go).

I have to double check but I think she teaches year one or two

and most people of a certain age round here probably aren’t even aware bitch was ever used to mean female dog (and I’m not exaggerating, they really wouldn’t!)

Of a certain age? What age? Everyone I know, including the children, know and call a female dog a bitch. Even the ones who don't have their own pets.

Given that it was two different workmen on different days I think you are overreacting. Especially since you admit to "being rather too fond of" the 'c' word which, in many people's eyes is vile.

Are you really saying that the area you live in, OP, is so poorly educated that the people there don't know something as common as a female dog is a bitch? Really??

Of course the word bitch, applied to a woman, is offensive. I highly doubt those workmen were doing that to you. It sounds as though they are normal people. You really need to get a grip.

There is a problem here, but it is your problem, not the problem of the people using the correct terminology. If you really want to 'muse' and 'unpick' why this made you uncomfortable then you need to recognise the transference and explore why men using this word in your safe space makes you so uncomfortable - hint... It's you, not them.

But your point about people not knowing that a bitch is a female dog is completely irrelevant in this case isn’t it, as the 18 year old in question did know.

My 4 and 6 year old know what a bitch is, I'm sure many other children do as well.

Op, you really make me despair. What with your brother's apparent total lack of general knowledge, you stating that using a correct term for a female dog is 'triggering' just makes me wonder what on earth is going on in the world. I feel sorry for the poor workman who you are implying have been inappropriate . This totally takes away from people who have been genuinely insulted/assaulted . Get a grip

I am trying to come up with a term that could be used for someone, male or female, of over sensitive predisposition and not an overly high IQ level that wouldn’t be considered rampantly sexist.

Cuckoo is all that springs to mind at the moment.

I just texted my friend, TA at local primary, about this and her response was. ‘Well, if I asked the class what the correct term for a female dog was, I’d get a room of blank faces’ (she does however think I’m being ridic about the workmen, so there you go).

I have to double check but I think she teaches year one or two

Can't see the point you are trying to make. It was adults not year 1/2 kids. Who cares what the kids know. At year 1/2 there is a shitload of vocabulary still to pick up

LittleCandle I don’t even know if it’s poorly educated. It’s the fact that they would not know it until they were taught it. Ie it’s not coming up for them outside of an educational context. And my nearest primaries are both outstanding.

@rainbowcase well that is true

@Mydogmylife I didn’t say anywhere that my brother didn’t know the correct terminology, just that he’d be mindful of using it. Also, you know nothing about me to make your final sentence.

Penultimate, even

I just texted my friend, TA at local primary, about this and her response was. ‘Well, if I asked the class what the correct term for a female dog was, I’d get a room of blank faces’

How on earth does she know that if she's never asked them?

Worra also true.