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

@WiddlinDiddlin I know someone with five dogs and every time a dog comes on tv they all go mad barking at it. 😂

I used to think that dogs were indeed 'jyst' pets and I am shocking myself to the fact that my new dog is really much more a fur baby! I'm still coming to terms with it!

Saying that, I don't treat him like a vulnerable defenceless baby. Fireworks are part of life. My puppy was unsurprisingly startled and a but upset but we used that time to talk to him, reassure and distract him and it worked. I don't believe in wrapping them in cotton wool any more than I did with my kids. They need to adapt to the real life but one where they are the centre of the world!

[quote SockDrawer]@WiddlinDiddlin I know someone with five dogs and every time a dog comes on tv they all go mad barking at it. 😂[/quote]
Our previous dog used to be interested when crufts was on - I think it was the barking rather than the images he responded to.

@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.

Absolutely this.

Ours was never going to be allowed on the bed ..

She sleeps downstairs but hurtles up the stairs and burrows under the duvet every morning when one of us takes the tea up. That’s as close as she comes to “fur baby”.

I don't have a dog I'm not an animal lover. I can totally understand the term fur baby.
I cried reading a post that mentioned the reaction on the dog when the OP's partner died suddenly.
Dogs are amazing they're in tune with their owners and bring so much joy they're woman/man's best friend.

I love my dogs to bits but they're not coming on my bed. I've seen what filthy mud they roll in and the water they swim in 😂

I mean, mine gets filthy too, but I just wash him before he's allowed back in the house

Ours goes in the sink when she comes in muddy - the joy of a tiny JRT.

I always liked dogs and grew up with them as pets, but we lived in the country and the dogs were out on the fields most days, getting dirty and smelly! They lived mostly in the outbuildings.

I now have a dog and I know MN hate cross breads but we got a cockapoo as they suited our family. He is the most loving living thing I've ever met. Yes he is a dog but he's part of our family and we include him in everything when we can. He does sleep on top of our bed and after suffering insomnia for years I now sleep better than I ever have with the dog perched on my legs :-). After not being able to have a second child due to infertility he has completed our family.

And my dh grooms our dog regularly and he is cleaned daily so yes of course he may smell a bit (to other people 😂), but he's clean!

I've got two dogs and would never refer to them as fur babies. They do sleep in my bed though - saves on heating in my draughty victorian home.

They can be both. Mine are furbabies, they sleep in our bed and are treated very well/spoilt. They eat dog food, and I don't dress them up, paint them or let them luck my face. I'm in the veterinary industry though and a lot of people I know have furbabies. Some people just have animals. It's personal preference and I don't think either side should judge. I don't have human children, so it's not harming anyone by me treating my dogs as my kids.

I have two spaniels, I am very aware they are dogs, but they are also a huge part of our family and I love them dearly. Yes, they're dogs, but their not 'just' dogs.

Don't call the dog a fur baby, but he sleeps on the bed and is spoilt rotten and yes he licks my face, my face is still intact, it's not dropped off yet, don't see the issue 🤷‍♂️

Ours goes in the sink when she comes in muddy - the joy of a tiny JRT.

My jrt does not get muddy, like never! She's like a duck and water and mud seem to just slide off her. She jumped in a pond the other week and was bone dry 5 minutes later, she doesn't particularly like wet or mud so avoids when she can. I've never actually bathed her so wonder if it's the natural oils. She'd be horrified if she could t sleep on a bed though. She usually sleeps with dd2 but bed hops as she's an early riser and ddog is not so when dd gets up she moves on until the last person in the house is up (then she comes and sleeps on the sofa)

I live in a very unposh city, very working class. And just this week, while taking my baby out in the park, I've seen 4 different individuals or couples with tiny little prams for their tiny little dogs.

I don't have an issue with it, but it's kind of funny

You don't need to understand.
I don't at all but each to their own
As long as the dog is being looked after none of that is harmful.

It's an animal.

The reason there's so many dogs with problems is because owners treat them like humans, fur babies lol tragic.