To think in MN land no one should have a dog?

[bluesapphirestars]

The only acceptable dog is a rescue, with a few exceptions, and rescues won’t rehome to people who WOTH or who have children, so that immediately rules most of mn out.

The only other acceptable alternative is to make the dog more than a pet, it’s a lifestyle, involving intensive breed research and so on. Again, not conducive to homes with children.

So in short - the verdict on MN is no dog.

(Semi light hearted!)

Yes ... that would worry me I must admit but will reserve judgement!

I do think it would be enormously helpful to have someone knowledgeable post about this. Commercial puppy farms (where the puppies are kept in pens and then taken to a family home in which the bitch masquerades as a pet) are awful but not as common as MN thinks either. There is a grey space between registered breeder and puppy farm too which doesn’t help. Often people who ask are shouted at to adopt which again doesn’t help!

We could do with a list of actual breeders.

Is it dog weekend on here or something? The top 3 posts in active when I came here were about dogs!

Anyway, my opinion is as long as you don't buy a dog from an abusive breeder or a dog bred to have traits which cause it suffering, and as a dog owner you care for the animal well and respect that there are plenty of people who don't like dogs so you don't have your running off lead everywhere and get irate when people say they don't want to be around yours, have at it. Be happy. I don't want a dog, I don't want to be around your dog, I wish your dog a happy life regardless.

@SimonJT

That (very cute) puppy looks like a fox! I bet you’ve been supporting a puppy farmer who breeds anything and everything! Keep it chained up - just in case it moves on from crisps to eating whole children 🤭

Puppy teeth though - ouch! 😫

You're probably right that MN makes out that dog ownership is worse than it really is, BUT, I don't actually think your 'lighthearted', 🤣😂 peppered posts are funny. The irony is that if you were a dog lover, in that you cared about their wellbeing, you probably wouldn't be on here grinning inanely at the idea that puppy farms, overbreeding, unsuitable people owning dogs are a very real problem.

It's a bit like starting a 'lighthearted' thread about abuse or domestic violence.

So you know, take your silly faces and "bingo rofl, aren't I a right larf" and have one of these .

And we now have a cockerpoo! Was an expensive purchase from Pets4Homes. Got from a nice lady in Wales who lived on a farm. He’s turned out great

Breeders initials AJ by any chance?

I don't get the rescue a greyhound thing?
Surely this just perpetuates the abuses of the racing industry?
They would be better closing down the dog tracks.

Hes from Yorkshire, puppy farm central! He was sold as a Shiba Inu, but the naughty puppy farmer had given me a baby fox.

You ok there clara

I agree serin

I have cats too and for all people insist some greyhounds are fine round cats I would never take that chance and I wish people wouldn’t push greyhounds at cat owners.

@mencken

the 'oh they all chase runners' brigade need to read up on the dangerous dogs act. And yes it does apply to you and ickle-poochy-woo.

I know fuckers with out of control dogs don't do anything, but eventually the police will. Hopefully the person injured or killed is you or one of your kids, not some innocent passer by.

They do mostly chase runners. Ours definitely does which is why she’s put on lead instantly if I see one. There’s not a lot I can do when the fuckers run up behind me, biology having not thoughtfully provided me with eyes in the back of my head.

Can we have just one thread without your hysteria? It’s tedious.

There are definitely a few who think that only a select few are allowed to rescue only a greyhound or lurcher but on the other hand I do think it's best that people are honest and upfront and get people to think carefully. The puppy survival thread shows how unprepared some people are (understandably- puppies are far hard work than most could imagine if they're never had one before). I'd fail getting a rescue on every count. I live in a city flat, have 2 primary age dc, don't have an enclosed garden and work 5 days a week however my puppy has an amazing, exciting life and is never left alone. We simply keep her on a lead or long tether in the gardens, we live on a network of bike paths that allows you to walk for miles to woods, beaches, parks etc without ever coming across a road, dc are very experienced with dogs and dpup goes to my parents while I work who she adores. I work term time so have loads of time for fun and pup has just completed her first camping trip . My girls have ponies so we spend several days a week down the yard which she loves. It's a shame we wouldn't be able to offer a rescue the same wonderful life.

@bluesapphirestars

You ok there clara

Aha. Ahahahahahaha. Another GREAT JOKE op. You are SO FUNNY.

(I don't think you are and neither is your thread. You clearly think you're being totes hilar and clever. I disagree).

totes hilar?! Seriously?

Doggy daycare is new though, isn't it? I'd certainly never heard of it before a couple of years ago when we thought we might get a job and I started following trainers etc on YouTube. But I assumed it was an American thing because I'd never seen it in the UK. Now more recently a friend of mine who started out as a dog trainer is running one and seems to be quite successful. It seems like a good idea to me actually! Leaving a dog alone at home for hours just isn't fair on them and feels like quite an outdated thing to do now. It's good that there are new options. I hope it's cheaper than child daycare, though.

Calm down

To be honest although some posters are OTT, MN had made me think more carefully about getting a dog. So I don't think it's a bad thing.

If you read through the thread I’m not advocating puppy farming. The opposite. It’s a disgusting and cruel trade and one that happens primarily due to ignorance. There are very few people who wish to support such a horrific industry.

Barking at people (pun unintentional) who ask questions about dog ownership and making them out to be idiots unsuited for dogs does not do anything to shut down the puppy farms. Rather, people log off, confused and wrong footed and look for a dog anyway.

Perhaps you think these people should nobly think wow, the people yelling at me are right and they don’t because often they are not.

Depends on the dog bertie but yes, it’s a good idea.

People absolutely should think carefully about having a dog. I’m 100% behind that. But the fact is, just like children, a dog will be with you for a long time and life can change.
Far more sensible IMO to be prepared to adapt and adjust and compromise as you go along rather than to have perfection in place at all times.

Tbh a lot of ppl have dogs that shouldn't (I see it all the time IRL) so if MN makes ppl think about it more then that's a good thing. In fact that goes for all pets; I see lots of threads where ppl want to rehome their cats as soon as they have a kid and it makes me sad.

@Alsohuman

totes hilar?! Seriously?

Yes, I said that in all seriousness, with no sense of irony or hint of sarcasm.

There's a current thread about dog owners who let their dog piss on other dogs and children. So we can add that to the "well of course they bite kids sometimes. it's not my problem"

Of course there are responsible dog owners, but there's always been this attitude of "if it makes life harder or even more dangerous for others than tough because I WANNA GET ONE!" and of course that's the kind of person who really should stick with a pet rock.

In any case dogs don't need to be owned at all. We've come to realise that keeping animals in cages and zoos is immoral, but too few take a hard look at their pets and realise that this is about the owner's pleasure not the animal. Those who do look after an animal well are probably the ones who deep down realise how wrong it is.

How do you feel when you see an elephant chained to a post on some documentary? outraged I imagine.

I gather some people have trained their dogs to fetch their own chain for the occasions when they are allowed outside to look.

I think you need to step back clara. I haven’t used those peculiar laughing faces at all.

Seriously, are you all right?

People do confuse getting answers they don't like with being unpleasant though. There's currently a thread in doghouse where someone has listed some pretty unrealistic expectations re being incredibly house proud and wanting a large, lively and typically messy/hairy breed. Anyone that points this out is being told they are aggressive/negative and suggestions for smaller less messy dogs ignored while the OP carry's on planning the dog who hopefully will become the model dog immediately and never rub mud on the walls and jump on sofa with dirty feet.