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

[quote Goingdooolally]@TiersTiersTiers a simple question? Oh right - you should reread your OP. Not at all judgemental or loaded?! [/quote]
Fair enough. It wasn't intended though. I actually meant it as a discussion

I love my dog, he is allowed in my bed but sleeps in his crate at night, he does have jumpers because he’s a chihuahua cross so gets cold, he’s not my fur baby🤢🤢 and I don’t let him lick my face, he is a part of the family and is maybe a bit spoiled but he’s happy, well trained (he still pulls on the lead but we’re working on it) boy. My old dog was brain damaged so she did sleep in my bed because she panicked in a cage, I’m glad I let her because she passed away at 4 years old

@Lolwhat

I love my dog, he is allowed in my bed but sleeps in his crate at night, he does have jumpers because he’s a chihuahua cross so gets cold, he’s not my fur baby🤢🤢 and I don’t let him lick my face, he is a part of the family and is maybe a bit spoiled but he’s happy, well trained (he still pulls on the lead but we’re working on it) boy. My old dog was brain damaged so she did sleep in my bed because she panicked in a cage, I’m glad I let her because she passed away at 4 years old

My old dog was brain damaged so she did sleep in my bed because she panicked in a cage, I’m glad I let her because she passed away at 4 years old

sounds like she had a short but good life with you

I'm very fond of my cats and recognise that my life is enriched for having them BUT...
Dogs and cats are pets - they are not small people.
The term furbabies makes me want to vomit.

Hate the term fur baby.

I have a cat, she is an animal and a much loved pet. She has the run of the house and often sleeps on my bed.

She eats cat food, and is never dressed up or treated like a baby.

But I dislike the superior way some people look down their noses at people who adore their pets. What harm are they doing? So what if someone loves their dog and thinks of it as a child.

People do horrendous things to animals, let’s gang up on them. why be mean to people who love and spoil their pets?

I don’t like or use the term fur baby, but I don’t turn my nose up at other people using it.
The dog is definitely part of the family and we are his pack, the cat when she was alive was more of a pet that trained us to do her bidding!
The cat would sleep where she wanted, the dog usually sleeps in his own bed but I’m happy enough for him to sleep on the bed or the kids beds now.
I think at first I just see them as pets (with germs) and then they become family with family germs!
The dog kept my children sane through lockdown 1 as they had a ‘sibling’ that they didn’t fight with / a best friend to cuddle / dog to exercise and play with.
So I’m not voting as I think your dog can be more than a pet but I still wouldn’t call it a fur baby. He does have a clothes! A jumper for when he’s cold but he takes it off!

I dislike the superior way some people look down their noses at people who adore their pets. What harm are they doing? So what if someone loves their dog and thinks of it as a child

I don't actually have any pets but I do agree with you. Animals should be loved and cared for. They can't tell us what they want or how they feel therefore we owe it to them to do our very best for them. On the subject of clothes for dogs, it is recommended that certain shorthaired breeds do wear a coat outdoors, particularly if they have joint issues. Dogs can get cold too!

Suggesting that pets are child substitutes implies that a life with no children is a life with a void. That simply isn't the case. A pet is definitely a family member though, just as it deserves to be.

As for 'fur baby', it's just a name. Yes, it's a bit cringey but no more cringey than 'little man' (he's a small boy, not a man), 'baby girl' (she's 13 years old ffs) or 'er indoors' (how sexist?).

I don’t call my pets fur babies but couldn’t care less if others do. Why does it matter? I do have a variety of nicknames for them though including baby. All our pets are definitely pampered, but we don’t dress them up. Our dogs don’t even particularly like wearing a coat on walks when it’s cold so I think it’s distressing for animals who are dressed up for their owners amusement. Our pets are definitely part of the family and get treated as well as any of us, probably better. 😂

I haven't been able to have children, they're rabbits to most people. To me they are my fur babies, they bring me so much joy and have their own personalities. I'm unlikely to experience what it's like to be a mum, I know it's different to children but I love looking after them, having them come up to me for cuddles. They help ease a deep pain I could never tell my friends I feel. I honestly would have given up on life at one point when I was at my lowest. When I had a miscarriage last year my rabbit slept by side for three days and stayed by me. I cant describe the comfort of knowing he wanted to be near me the whole time. He's not just a rabbit to me he's my boy.

I don't get why people get so snobbish about people that lavish love on animals, better they are loved than neglected. It's not harming anyone, judge the arseholes who mistreat their animals.

When I had a miscarriage last year my rabbit slept by side for three days and stayed by me. I cant describe the comfort of knowing he wanted to be near me the whole time. He's not just a rabbit to me he's my boy.

He sounds like a very special boy. ❤️ We went through a bad time not too long ago and our pets really did help us all through it. Animals are amazing.

I love my dog, but the fact is I know he’d probably eat my corpse if I died in the house alone with him and wasn’t found for a while.

Animals are wonderful and can give such peace and solace.
However, I find myself disliking people who anthropomorphise and adore animals but have very little compassion for the struggles of other humans.
I find there’s a bit missing, emotionally, with people like that.

I don't like the phrase, but I don't think people who use it are generally anthromorphising their animals. It's just a term.

I’m a cat lover and I have three furry friends at the moment. I wouldn’t think of referring to them as ‘fur babies’ and find the term a bit daft, but it doesn’t bother me if other people do.

My cat is also not a fur baby. I chat to him, stroke him, feed him and he’s asleep on the bed with me right now but he is a CAT. Not a version of a human. The fur baby thing is sick.

I love cats but a cat is a pet same with any animal, sure I would love to have a pet and I am working up to wanting a dog and if I do I will love them but they are still not human so not a baby

Wolfiefan
I'm with you, all the way!

I love my hamster and therefore I hate it when she is shaking and skittish due to the fireworks. He is most definitely not a child, he lives in a cage for a start.

I love my hamster precisely because he is an animal who is fluffy and cute but doesn't encroach on my personal space like a dog or cat. I wash my hands immediately every time i touch an animal, and I can do that easily with a hamster, I don't see how I can do that with a dog or cat. I mean, I guess you could, but you would have to wash your hands every time it licks you and that would probably result in very dry hands. No to mention the constant cleaning of the house.

I have 6 dogs, 3 of them are show dogs. Most of my revolves around caring for them and training them. I don’t have kids, I wouldn’t call the dogs furbaby but I do call them baby/dogchild/stupid baby talk type words. And I love them all like mad, they’re my family.

They are very much dogs though and get treated like dogs, not allowed upstairs, not allowed to lick my face, no crazy jumping around, walked often and allowed to get messy, fed a high quality dog food, taken to training and to shows.

But they do have raincoats, the smallest one has some cutesy jumpers, they often get human leftovers or snacks, get sent to the groomer, get taken to dog events/meet-ups to socialise, some of them go to doggy daycare for fun with other dogs.

It doesn’t have to be 1 extreme or the other as the OP makes it sound. I’m very aware that they’re dogs and not babies or children, but they get cared for and loved as much as one!

I'm not fond of the name furbabies, but each to their own.
However.

I do regard the keeping of an animal akin to that of having child, i.e. they did not ask to be with you, so you owe them.

To answer the OP, my dog sleeps on my bed because that is where I want him to be, not because he is human, but a dog on the bed. I sometimes allow him to lick my face because I know he's acknowledging my position, It pleases him and doesn't bother me.

. A dog licking others, unpermitted, is a training issue. A dog licking an owner's face is no-one's business, unless they have face-licking privileges too. Spare me the dog/arsehole debate: you never know that a human has washed their hands after the toilet. :o

We love our dog, cuddle him and let him sit on the sofa with us and he did wear a party hat on his birthday. But he's trained to sit, lie, come back, crated etc and he sleeps in his bed. He eats dog food, not our food. 2 of my children let him lick their faces which is disgusting but the rest of us don't let him.

These threads always have a tone of "I'm a superior pet owner and everyone who doesn't treat their dog in the same way as me is just stupid".

I hate the term fur baby but my dog is certainly part of the family. He sleeps in my bed every night. He gets my toast crusts every morning. He has multiple blankets to snuggle in on the sofa. When DH is out he sleeps like a person and uses his pillow.

He also comes to work with me (I'm a dog walker) and runs and gets filthy with other dogs. He eats dog food out of a bowl and has to sit and wait nicely before he gets fed. I don't let him run up to people or jump at them - he's well trained but he still loves a snuggle 🥰

Why is there a need by some pet owners to judge what everyone else does in such a sneery way? As long as the dog isn't bothering you, why do you care?

I could come on and judge the way you treat your dog, but as long as she's happy it's literally none of my business.

It's just a nickname/fond expression ffs 🙄. It does bare any relation to how the dogs life is. Sounds like you want a little pat on the back for being a superior owner of a pet though.

P.s I call mine chicken and refer to her as the little chicken often, doesn't mean I scatter her grain and keep her in a hutch

Mine are my fur babies - I don't want to have children but I really wanted my dogs, and they're basically treated as members of the family. Own presents at Christmas, have been sleeping on my bed the past two nights because they're terrified of the fireworks, get their own mini roast dinners on Sundays if we visit my parents for a family roast, I take them on very varied off lead walks as I pay attention to their health and fitness and boredom levels. It's fun having dogs as family members. They're smarter and nicer than a lot of people and very entertaining.

It's not crazy, I just view them as having personalities and emotional needs I take seriously as a responsible pet owner. You might just as well label people crazy for wanting one child or multiple children or whatever doesn't float your personal boat - you choose what you choose because it's what you want and it's really none of anyone else's business.

I hate the fur baby term, but can't get wound up by it. One of my friends uses it in jest and doesn't treat her dog as a surrogate child or any of the other things people seem to think automatically go hand in hand with using it. She's also not sad, lonely or trying to use her dog as an emotional crutch. She just uses a cheesy term for her pet and who really cares?

I love my dogs dearly, they are not 'just animals', nor are they called fur babies. They're part of our family and are well loved pets.