For thinking my neighbours should not be buying her dog birthday presents ?

[DewdropSnowdrop]

I love animals , I really do. I had a dog and one day I hope to have another, so it's not that I don't understand animals are part of a family. They are.

But yesterday was. my neighbours dogs birthday. She's put it on Facebook. The dog was given wrapped gifts. A toy and some edible treats, as far as I can see.

She has a family, so not child substitutes. She treats her dogs well and isn't short of money so it's not as if she's saving up.

She's always celebrated the dogs' birthdays, there's more than one!

But this must be unusual. What is the point?

It's unusual, but, so long as the dog is not being given gifts like chocolates that could harm a dog, I don't see any harm in it.

I have 2 labs neice and uncle, yes neice and uncle.

You've clearly never seen an animal be given a present before - the sheer joy makes it obvious why people do it! YABU, and needlessly judgemental.

So what do you suggest she tells the poor dog if there are no presents next year?

I don’t have children. My pet isn’t a child substitute.

Neither is my parrot. The wee bastard is noiser, more demanding and even less grateful than ANY child.

YANBU. I think there’s something wrong; she’s clearly lacking something in her life to be acting like this.

Do you mean checking out the neighbour's FB page, checking up stuff neighbour has bought for a party to which OP was not invited, making sure neighbour can afford party and presents, doing this every year and being "baffled" every year by it, then starting a social media thread about it all looking for answers?!

There's something missing all right

My animals get gifts-doesn’t impact you does it?! How strange to be so invested in others!

We buy our dog birthday and Christmas presents, mainly because he gets ridiculously excited when he has a gift to open and we love to see him happy. My daughter moved out last year and sent him a birthday present and we did a FaceTime call so she could see him open it. Each to their own, but I welcome little moments of happiness in my life.

None of your business OP.

RoseDog Pets at Home also do cakes. I sometimes buy my dog one when it isn’t his birthday 😱. It’s very odd that OP has used ‘should not’ in the title. WTF does it have to do with anyone else?

[quote ColleagueFromMars]@WiddlinDiddlin she sounds like a huge loss to you. I'm so glad she has a great last birthday with you!

Mine didn't get birthday presents but she does get Christmas presents and a birthday and gotcha day Facebook post and special dinner [/quote]
She has left a huge huge hole (scottish deerhound sized!)... and we were lucky to have her for 13 years.

There is nowt quite like the joy of seeing a dog unwrap its own mcdonalds breakfast, or cheeseburger (no onions) and that FOR ME?! WOW! face... I feel sorry for those who do not have that joy in their lives.

I forgot, for one of our lurchers birthdays, we took him to the pub and he had steak pie (from a bowl we took with us, on the floor, before anyone has a huge pearl clutching attack) and chips... his little face when the waitress brought his dinner over - they'd chopped it all a bit smaller for him and let it cool a little before serving too - it was honestly magical!

I know someone who had a 25th birthday party for their fridge 😂

My cat gets birthday, Christmas and 'coming home day' presents - the anniversary of then I first got her.
Unfortunately this year because of lockdown, lack of going out shopping & generally being less aware of dates meant I forgot her birthday until the day.

Saved - a new box of worming tablets arrived in the post! I don't think she was impressed.

Our dog loved unwrapping presents.

Not food, though. Only toys. No idea why!

DD made Ddog pupcakes last year on her birthday and we shared with all of her dog walking friends.
Went down a treat

My teddy Bear celebrates his birthday, my cat does too.
I sent my friends toy zebra regular texts.

"Human's need fantasy to be human, to be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape" GNU Sir PTerry.

Well I buy my dog birthday presents. Who made the no presents for pets rule?

I buy my dog birthday and Xmas presents she has a stocking too she's a big part of the family. Don't really care what other people think tbh

From time immemorial all my pets have had Xmas presents, even my hamsters when I had them. My cats get a stocking at Xmas plus a treat on their birthday. My rescue cat gets gifts on his adoption anniversary.

They’re not child substitutes, they’re additional members of my family alongside my DC, why wouldn’t I want to express my love for them?

If you don’t understand it, fine, I think it’s a bit sad people who don’t get it (and IMO there is something missing from their lives) but it doesn’t move me enough to start a thread about it. Why do you care OP?

I would think that'a she's a person nice who loves her pets dearly, then I will would go on about my day.

@DewdropSnowdrop

I never said it was a bad thing, just it's pointless. Treat your animals well at all times and don't project human emotions on them.

I honestly don't think you are getting it. Most people don't think that "animals" have human emotions. But they certainly do have emotions. They feel pain, they experience happiness, they have fun.... if you say that you have had a dog previously and you think they have no emotions, then you don't seem to have been fulfilling their range of needs - needs that are driven by whatever emotions they have as (in this case) dogs.

My dog has favourite toys. How does he do that if he has no feelings about them? He has favourite food, he has activities he hates (baths often!)... and science says that he thinks, feels and experiences emotion. The fact you think that emotions are limited to "humans" suggests a sense of unwarranted superiority.

And by the way, my dog does love "unwrapping" parcels to get at what is inside, to see if it is for him. And from time to time he has had just as much fun "unwrapping" the toy and leaving the innards all over my carpets.

I buy all my pets birthday presents and the dogs get a little dog friendly cake made!

My dog loves 'gifts'. Sometimes these gifts weren't actually for her. She unwrapped a bath toy meant for my friend's toddler and tossed about the paw patrol ball i bought my niece. She gets pleasure from new things. Not sure why you'd think giving dogs nice things and using their birthday as the time to do it (because most people couldn't buy a new thing every day, as much as they may want to) is so weird. Dog enjoys it. Human enjoys it. Isn't that the fundamental basis of living with a non working animal?

I get all 3 of mine birthday and Christmas presents. They have a special dinner too.

Sometimes even a cake if I can be bothered to make a dog friendly one.

I have no children though. So that must be why I do it 🤦‍♀️

It's a bit of fun and no harm in it. My parents used to have a lab that understood the word "parcel" and would always loved to look for a treat in scrunched up paper if you said "what's in your parcel?"