Dogs - fur babies or animals?

[TiersTiersTiers]

Genuine question.

I was reading the numerous threads on fireworks etc and the dogs with anxiety, really scared of the bangs and the various responses etc and wondered why do some owners personify their dogs. Why do they call their dogs 'fur babies'

So AIBU to think that dogs are pets and not 'fur babies' babies that are treated like actual children/babies - think sleeping in bed with the owner (yuck IMO), lick the face/kiss, dressed up in clothing, spray painted fancy colours and pampered to the nth degree ...

YABU - a dog is a fur baby
YANBU - a dog is an animal and much as I love it, it is a dog

@AgeLikeWine

Of course a dog is an animal, and should be treated as such. With kindness, fairness, consistency and discipline.

This ridiculous ‘fur baby’ nonsense is spouted by people who are trying to use animals to fill an emotional need or gap in their lives. It’s not healthy for either the owner or the animal.

This is what I wondered.

@BLASTPROCESSING

Why do you need to "understand"?

Why not..... it's just a question. This is a 'chat type' site and I wondered why.... I don't understand and so since having a boring evening wondered why. It's not a 'biggy' so to speak just wondering and that's what MN is all about - wondering/asking/questioning ... that's all really - nothing major

Lazy puppy, you are a lovely dog mum. Definite.ly agree with you.

I love my dog he sleeps under our bed etc but he is a dog.
However I will sometimes affectionately call him my fur baby. He's been with me for 10+ yrs and I get sad when I think about him dying

I don't think I am especially weird and not all people who call their pets fur babies are weird

My old friends sadly couldn't have children so they have 2 dogs and they love them to bits. In that case some might see it OTT but I see it as them getting to love where there was a void in their lives and probably helps ease the pain.

Tbh each to there own and doesn't bother me so long as people treat their pets well

My dog is my pet. Part of the family yes. Love him to bite? Yes. My furbaby? Blurgh no.

Sleeps in my room now, in a dog bed on the other side of the room. Sometimes gets on for a cuddle in the morning. Love weekend lie ins with him lying on my feet

But he's definitely a dog. Not a person and not a furbaby.

@chickychicchic

I love my dog he sleeps under our bed etc but he is a dog. However I will sometimes affectionately call him my fur baby. He's been with me for 10+ yrs and I get sad when I think about him dying

I don't think I am especially weird and not all people who call their pets fur babies are weird

My old friends sadly couldn't have children so they have 2 dogs and they love them to bits. In that case some might see it OTT but I see it as them getting to love where there was a void in their lives and probably helps ease the pain.

Tbh each to there own and doesn't bother me so long as people treat their pets well

Indeed fair point. I also have a friend that couldn't have children but has dogs and cats - they do fill a void somewhat.

*bits. Not bite. In this particular context, a very important distinction!!

@unchienandalusia

My dog is my pet. Part of the family yes. Love him to bite? Yes. My furbaby? Blurgh no.

Sleeps in my room now, in a dog bed on the other side of the room. Sometimes gets on for a cuddle in the morning. Love weekend lie ins with him lying on my feet

But he's definitely a dog. Not a person and not a furbaby.

I was wondering........ you love him to bite? obviously a typo

It’s a dog. Dogs trained prepare nice. Like children they need the security of boundaries.
Treating them as akin to humans is unkind and presents risks of aberrant behaviours developing. That might be manageable with a small dog but is dangerous with a large beast. Too many badly trained dogs left languishing in poor conditions - poor conditions for a dog with minimal exercise, silly clothes, excess treats etc.

I really hate it. I have pets (not dogs) and people have referred to me as their Mummy. I've gestated and given birth to humans. I'm not some kind of comic book mutant who has carried rodents around in my uterus and pushed them out of my vagina. Pets are loved and have their place in the family home, but they are in no way equal to humans.

On the other hand, I can bear this excess better than the opposite, which is people who have pets they don't care for at all. Neglecting animals is worse than silly language and fussing over them too much IMO. I have a cousin who includes the cat in all her family events, says she's got 3 children (the cat and 2 actual dc), she even sent a WhatsApp message saying that the family were praying for an aunt with cancer and signed it from the cat as well as the actual humans. The rest of the family (including me) think it's ridiculous but at least that cat is well fed and cared for.

Fur baby? Urgh. He's a dog - eats dog food, sleeps at night in the utility room.

He is allowed on my bed for a cuddle, and can rearrange a duvet to his own satisfaction without help- a baby couldn't do that.

@ErrolTheDragon

Fur baby? Urgh. He's a dog - eats dog food, sleeps at night in the utility room.

He is allowed on my bed for a cuddle, and can rearrange a duvet to his own satisfaction without help- a baby couldn't do that.

He did that himself? What!

I cannot do that!

Why does it bother you? It literally hurts no one. Totally harmless and probably brings a lot of pleasure to some dog owners.

You seem quite judgemental- I recognise you from other posts and you posted a particularly nasty one that got removed.

I call my dog my furbaby as a nickname, but I certainly don't think that she is the same as a human baby . Nevertheless, she is an important member of the family and I love her to bits.

It is down to each individual dog owner whether they let the dog sleep in the bed/lick faces etc. I personally let mine sleep in the bed/lick my face. That is my choice and it is not some stranger on the internet's place to tell me I am in the wrong or unreasonable. If you don't let your dog do this then fair enough. I respect that. I'm not going to look down my nose at you for that or tell you that you are wrong.

Although I agree that dressing them up and using spray paints is going too far. It is unnatural for them and they don't like it. They are animals at the end of the day (so are we but a different species of animal)

@Goingdooolally

Why does it bother you? It literally hurts no one. Totally harmless and probably brings a lot of pleasure to some dog owners.

You seem quite judgemental- I recognise you from other posts and you posted a particularly nasty one that got removed.

It doesn't bother me at all. I was wondering and posted a simple question, that's all really. I am allowed to ask a simple question just like anyone else.

No need to reply if you 'recognise me' or don't like me, no big deal.

@Fieldofyellowflowers

I call my dog my furbaby as a nickname, but I certainly don't think that she is the same as a human baby . Nevertheless, she is an important member of the family and I love her to bits.

It is down to each individual dog owner whether they let the dog sleep in the bed/lick faces etc. I personally let mine sleep in the bed/lick my face. That is my choice and it is not some stranger on the internet's place to tell me I am in the wrong or unreasonable. If you don't let your dog do this then fair enough. I respect that. I'm not going to look down my nose at you for that or tell you that you are wrong.

Although I agree that dressing them up and using spray paints is going too far. It is unnatural for them and they don't like it. They are animals at the end of the day (so are we but a different species of animal)

👍

Don't have dogs at the moment but have cats. My mum refers to them as her grandcats and I couldn't love them any more if I had birthed them, to be honest.

But I have zero desire for human children and also don't much like the term furbabies.

They sleep where they want - sometimes curled up in my bed with me, sometimes in their own beds round the house, sometimes in a cardboard box waiting to be recycled.

I'm neither sad nor lonely, although quite happy to be described as crazy

I just love them - and they love me - and we are a happy little family who appreciate our freedom and what we get from each other, I guess! (Me - cuddles and love, minimal faff compared to a child or a boyfriend which people think I should want, and extra hoovering, them - food and cuddles 😂)

@chickychicchic

I love my dog he sleeps under our bed etc but he is a dog. However I will sometimes affectionately call him my fur baby. He's been with me for 10+ yrs and I get sad when I think about him dying

I don't think I am especially weird and not all people who call their pets fur babies are weird

My old friends sadly couldn't have children so they have 2 dogs and they love them to bits. In that case some might see it OTT but I see it as them getting to love where there was a void in their lives and probably helps ease the pain.

Tbh each to there own and doesn't bother me so long as people treat their pets well

Totally understand this.

I am also against animal cruelty in all forms.

@TiersTiersTiers a simple question? Oh right - you should reread your OP. Not at all judgemental or loaded?!

When you refer to “personification” I think there are levels. Animals being scared, distressed or in pain is just as awful as a person being so. Often this distress is caused by people and is entirely avoidable but because they don’t have agency it is considered less important than a persons brief enjoyment (in this case I’m thinking about fireworks). In my opinion this this viewpoint is entirely unreasonable and is not personification but is just respect and understanding.
With regards to calling them fur-babies, some people choose to have children or are people persons and others choose to have pets or prefer animal company. Many people with children actually prefer raising pets than raising children. They are easy, good company and give unconditional love. If you’ve not experienced this or don’t appreciate it in the same way then that’s fine but those who do are lucky and also deserving of respect. I have some personal objections to the babying of dogs as I don’t feel it is healthy for them and it can impact how secure they feel but so long as the welfare of the animal is at the core of people’s actions I think they are a joy and I am happy that they are considered a part of the family.

I love my dogs, but I'm not convinced the sort of anthropomorphising that seems to happen with pets now is actually good for the pets.

@hilariousnamehere

Don't have dogs at the moment but have cats. My mum refers to them as her grandcats and I couldn't love them any more if I had birthed them, to be honest.

But I have zero desire for human children and also don't much like the term furbabies.

They sleep where they want - sometimes curled up in my bed with me, sometimes in their own beds round the house, sometimes in a cardboard box waiting to be recycled.

I'm neither sad nor lonely, although quite happy to be described as crazy

I just love them - and they love me - and we are a happy little family who appreciate our freedom and what we get from each other, I guess! (Me - cuddles and love, minimal faff compared to a child or a boyfriend which people think I should want, and extra hoovering, them - food and cuddles 😂)

There is a term I like .... I'm not sure if some think it is rude or odd but I personally like it...

when I grow old I want to wear purple and have lots of cats..... I would substitute dogs since I don't particularly have a love or affinity for cats... but I do quite like the idea of older crazy lady wearing purple being original and loving lots of animals

@Goosefoot - word of the day!

@RoseTintedAtuin

When you refer to “personification” I think there are levels. Animals being scared, distressed or in pain is just as awful as a person being so. Often this distress is caused by people and is entirely avoidable but because they don’t have agency it is considered less important than a persons brief enjoyment (in this case I’m thinking about fireworks). In my opinion this this viewpoint is entirely unreasonable and is not personification but is just respect and understanding. With regards to calling them fur-babies, some people choose to have children or are people persons and others choose to have pets or prefer animal company. Many people with children actually prefer raising pets than raising children. They are easy, good company and give unconditional love. If you’ve not experienced this or don’t appreciate it in the same way then that’s fine but those who do are lucky and also deserving of respect. I have some personal objections to the babying of dogs as I don’t feel it is healthy for them and it can impact how secure they feel but so long as the welfare of the animal is at the core of people’s actions I think they are a joy and I am happy that they are considered a part of the family.

Great points

I do consider my dog to be part of the family. She is a lovely dog.

@Goosefoot

I love my dogs, but I'm not convinced the sort of anthropomorphising that seems to happen with pets now is actually good for the pets.

wow - longest word of the day.... I agree with you though