To not understand the appeal of dogs as pets?

[Gardentiger]

I just don't get it and would love to understand! As much as I like certain dogs I meet and think they are cute, the list of downsides is massive

• they smell and make your house and car and clothes smell bad

-they can't be left alone for a length of a working day -behavioural problems and agression -if you get a barky one it can ruin your relationship with neighbours -the amount of time you have to spend training them -some seem to need constant supervision -chewing things and generally wrecking the housr -having to pick up warm freshly baked turds

I walked a friend of mines dog the other day and it was awful! He pulled on the lead the entire way, and kept trying to pee on people's doorsteps / flowerpots.

So what is the appeal!? I say this as an animal lover who has had pet rabbits, cats and hamsters in the past.

You don't see the attraction of living with a creature which absolutely adores you unconditionally? That wants to be near you, to touch you, to comfort you when you sad, to jump for joy with you when you're happy, to fight for you if you're attacked? To know that the genuine highlight of their day, every day, is the moment you walk in the door? I don't have a dog but think it's pretty easy to see what the attraction is.

@FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop

Dogs are amazing. They give you the kind of unconditional love and loyalty that very few humans, or animals, are capable of

I feel a bit sad when people say this, I get so much from my relationship with humans it's a shame other Miss out. A good friendship or marriage or parent/child relationship is absolutely unrivalled especially with animals, IMO.

And with humans the power balance isn't like it is with dogs. The "unconditional" love is unconditional at all. It's based on you feeding them and treating them well and that's why they love you (sorry)

Don't feel sad about it. Just enjoy your relationships and be happy. Don't be sad over others love for their pets!

@CharlieWorkCharlieSad you misunderstand - I'm not sad people get love from their pets, that's nice (and let's face it we all need to grab happiness from wherever we get it) I'm saying it's sad when people don't have that human connection because to me it's powerful and unparalleled.

Their loyalty and love. Ours guards my husband chair til he gets home. !! Op I get it its not for everybody. I dont like cats. Love my dog he great!

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

Sorry as great as cats are they do stink, probably worse than dogs too. The same goes for all animals. Birds are the worst IME!

Yes, goldfinches are notorious for being smelly.

😂😂

Domesticated birds obviously. Parrots and the like. I'm sure goldfinches smell like unicorns

There are some wind up merchants on here.

[quote FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop]@CharlieWorkCharlieSad you misunderstand - I'm not sad people get love from their pets, that's nice (and let's face it we all need to grab happiness from wherever we get it) I'm saying it's sad when people don't have that human connection because to me it's powerful and unparalleled. [/quote]
People do have that human connection. It's just they also have it with an animal too.

You just aren't a dog person op. And that's ok.

I feel the same about children. Horses fit courses and all that.

What gets me is on the childfree posts on here, I'm constantly told I should have them for x,y,z reasons. I'd never dream of telling someone who isn't a dog person to get a dog as it wouldn't be fair on them all the dog. So why do people insist on trying to persuade me to have kids. It's baffling.

I'm sure plenty of people have said this but it's a love thing. Nothing makes me happier than knowing my dogs love me and need me and they are so incredibly loyal. Plus, they are extremely cute and it gives me the warm fuzzies just looking at them.

Totally outweighs the negatives, which yes there are plenty!

Cats are an absolute disaster for wildlife; birds, frogs, slow worms, voles they'll kill anything that moves. Personally I think they should be banned completely.

People can like whatever they want, I don’t mind dogs or cats in small doses but wouldn’t have them because of everything listed here, tying, smell, picking up poo, accidents in the house, cost and time needed to look after them.

I also think there are far more people with dogs now than when I was younger, not that long ago, when I was at primary school hardly anyone had dogs whereas most people I know have dogs now

@CharlieWorkCharlieSad bit that particular poster said they didn't have that connection with humans. Hence my comment

@LibertyMole
^^On here there seem to be people who are constantly persecuted by gangs of marauding dogs every time they leave the house.

exactly. 30 years here of walking dogs and I have never had such incidents as posters describe.

Come on @Gardentiger

Tell us some things you like and we will judge whether or not they're acceptable

Because if you train a dog well from a puppy, you don't have any of the issues you've listed in your OP?

My dog doesn't smell, she's bathed every 2 months (or when she starts to smell) and doesn't roll in anything. I cannot abide the smell of dog, especially wet dog and so keep on top of keeping her clean!

She walks to heel so doesn't pull, she's fully house trained and never has any accidents. She doesn't chew anything because, again, we trained her not to.

She's absolutely gorgeous, has the softest fur the kindest soul and is brilliant for cuddling. I love walking her as it keeps me fit.

We can and have left her for up to 7 hours and she is absolutely fine so going out for the day isn't a problem. Yes we have to leave her with a family member or send her to the pet sitters when we go away but we only have 1 holiday a year generally where we can't take her.

So yes, YABU. Find some people that have well behaved, trained, clean dogs and perhaps you'd change your mind.

I never had any sort of pet as a child.
I never had any sort of pet until January this year. I am now besotted with a Westie.
It fulfills a gap in our lives to have something to nurture.
And is huge fun.

Why do you need to understand? Just ignore them if you don’t like them. Or are you just stirring the pot?

I feel the same. I once looked after my friends dog for a week and the smell was just horrific. I don’t think dog owners notice it as much because they are used to it.

I gave the dog a bath 3x that week and it still smelled like ‘dog smell’.

There are more dogs because there are more people. There are twenty million more people now that in the sixties which means if proportion of dogs owners remains the same we should expect there to be five million more dogs. That’s about right.

@spiderina lovely post. They great. The excitement when I put my key in door my husband same. Dog is so excited.

@User1357

I feel the same. I once looked after my friends dog for a week and the smell was just horrific. I don’t think dog owners notice it as much because they are used to it.

I gave the dog a bath 3x that week and it still smelled like ‘dog smell’.

Probably because it wet all the time.

Not all dogs smell, what breed was it?

My dogs make me smile every single day. Nothing and no one else has ever done that for me!

[quote Goldenfan]@LibertyMole
^^On here there seem to be people who are constantly persecuted by gangs of marauding dogs every time they leave the house.

exactly. 30 years here of walking dogs and I have never had such incidents as posters describe.[/quote]
Perhaps the fact you have a dog with you makes others off lead dogs less likely to come bounding up to you?

Yanbu not to mention issues going on holiday. And loads of dogs aren’t even cute to make it worthwhile! Like Jack Russells, Bichon frise, pugs/any with a shrivelled face, chihuahuas, Alsatians, westies, terriers, greyhounds etc all not even cute

@Mabelene

Why do you need to understand? Just ignore them if you don’t like them. Or are you just stirring the pot?

As I said in a previous post, I don't have the option to ignore them as there are digs around me at work and whenever I walk anywhere.

I just wanted to get perspectives from dog lovers, to try and understand. I didn't expect so many snarky responses