Do you like dogs more than people and treat them better than people ?

[tvluv]

It seems to me there are a lot of people who value dogs higher than they do people and treat them better ?

Do you agree ? Do you do this ?

What’s your child age cut off for this?

The problem is for people who don't 'get' dogs, it's inexplicable why we value them so much. But the bond between people and humans is unique. Dogs have evolved over millennia to live with humans. There's no other example of interspecies communication on the same level as that between human and dog, even among more intelligent animals. So, when you have a dog you bond with, then you communicate with them on a very personal level. Not all dogs, granted. But I can tell how my dog feels by her body language; she can tell how I feel by my smell and sound. She has learned what I mean when I point or nod, which is mind-blowing when you think about it (as dogs don't point or nod when they communicate with each other!!). She comes to me for comfort. I turn to her for comfort. And we both do so in a way that is entirely different to any other interaction: it is a relationship that's much easier than the complicated ones we have with people.

But I love people, my people, too - deeply. I am capable of loving both. So would I say I'd save my dog over a human? I don't honestly know. Does a human life have more value than a dog's? Again, I don't know - because like all things it's not black and white.

The people saying "I hate dogs" are to me the same as those saying "I hate people". These are reductive and slightly stupid things to say. They don't help anyone, they're just statements designed to hurt or to polarize. Something you'd never find a dog setting out to do, now I think about it...

I was in two minds when I opened the thread but I now know I’m saving my dog over the majority of people. Dogs wouldn’t get so worked up over hypothetical questions.

Leaving aside societal taboo, there's a high risk of contracting serious diseases from eating other human beings. With animals, there are only a limited number of zoonoses that can cross-infect, but you don't have that barrier with humans - any disease your human meal might be harbouring, you've got it too once you've eaten the person. Unless it was that or starvation, it would be very foolish to eat another human being.

To be honest I've never actually answered the original question. I'm a nice person who tends to treat humans and pets the same.

The eating animals is something I question a lot.

If I had to choose to save MY dogs or a human it would depend on who the human was. Obviously if I didn't know the person it would be harder to decide.

I really hope I don't have to face this though, it would be far too stressful.

I love dogs, don't have one because I work too much and don't live in a suitable house for a dog, but I grew up with pet dogs and I loved them a great deal. I was very sad when they died. It's easy to love dogs because they are very simple and unchallenging creatures. They can calm you, cheer you up and will never judge you because they don't have the emotional complexity of humans or any opinions or understanding of human society.

I agree with you OP. Live and let live, though, some people are nuts but they're not harming anyone (well, unless they leave you to burn or drown in one of these unlikely hypotheticals).

I like this post.

I like dogs more than people. The average dog is way nicer than the average person.

I suppose I'd feel obliged <deep sigh> to save a human over a dog though. If it was one of my parrots, however, nah, human be fucked.

U ok hun?

No. Because I’m not a psychopath.

They’re animals. The reason we have so many untrained, poorly behaved dogs and entitles owners is because they don’t train them or treat them as dogs but as their “fur babies” and all that bollocks.

If it was my dog or a stranger I'd save my dog first.

I honestly could not think of any scenario where I would have to choose to save my dog or a stranger.

I can't swim, and I wont go in a burning house because that is bat shit. Why would a strange child be in my house with my dog to begin with? Where are the parents?
Who is this crowd of people who will be watching and judging me for my choice?

People who ask who you would pick just try and use it as a 'gotcha' to have a go at those awful people hating dog owners.

I can probably count on one hand the number of dogs I’ve met that I haven’t liked. People though, very rarely met one I do like. Would definitely save my dog over a stranger any day.

Our dogs are apart of our family, and while we completely understand that they are animals and not human's, we see them as our children in terms of we made the same commitments to them when we got them as we did when we decided to have children.
For me it goes:

• DH and DC
• DDogs
• Parents and Nieces and Nephews and BF
• Rest of the extended family and in laws
• The rest

Dogs aren't born with an ability to understand good and bad, it entirely depends on how they were raised (by humans) as to what behaviour they think is acceptable. So while id steer clear of aggressive dogs, I could never blame them as it's not usually their fault 😢

It’s quite odd how some of those that think badly of people saying they prefer dogs to humans, have had racist comments about black people deleted. So they treat black people worse than white people and that’s ok???? Weird logic.

The people saying "I hate dogs" are to me the same as those saying "I hate people". These are reductive and slightly stupid things to say. They don't help anyone, they're just statements designed to hurt or to polarize. Something you'd never find a dog setting out to do, now I think about it...

The good thing is that dogs are fairly easily avoided. But you can't avoid all people, so it's not the same at all. I think it's entirely possible to hate dogs, some people hate cats, some people hate horses
As for dogs not setting out to hurt (or polarize) what about the biting and killing? I'm fairly sure the dog that had his jaws around my ankle set out to hurt me.

But put aside the actual eating of humans versus the eating of animals. People still wear animal skin or kill animals they see as pests - even those who profess to love animals. They wouldn't live with cockroaches in their kitchens or rats in their lofts. But they wouldn't exterminate people. Is it just societal tabboo and fear of law that stops this or do we have an innate sense that human life is sacrosanct? So if we switched the thought experiment from "you have to save either a baby or a puppy" to "you have to kill a baby or a puppy", I think everyone on this thread would choose puppy? Because ultimately no matter how people feel about their dogs and cats on a personal level, I don't believe for a second that they honestly value the life of any animal over that of a human - despite their misanthropic protestations.

Yes, I have a cat and agree most people, though I'd imagine I'd also feel the same about my dog (I plan to get a dog after retirement).

Interesting question!
My personal opinion on this is influenced by the fact that I have autism and find interacting with "new" people, acquaintances or strangers very taxing and difficult. I can do it, but it's exhausting. I value my family members and friends over dogs, as I can share laughs, conversations, experiences, days out etc with them.
I do adore dogs (and cats) though, and I would much prefer a dog I'd never met before coming up to me rather than a person I'd never met before trying to spark up a conversation. Dogs don't maintain those social constructs that I find difficult to navigate, I also don't have to worry about whether a dog likes me or not or if it thinks I'm weird/dressed weirdly, they're unconditionally friendly as long as you are too. I certainly feel more relaxed around dogs than humans.

I value my dog above pretty much any person, and I value all dogs above strangers. I would always save my dog over a person.

I love my dog and would save it over the life of a stranger.

I wouldn’t save it over the life of a family member though.

SparklingBrook No idea, hadn't given it much/any thought other than when I read the thread 😁 Of the age where they would find it difficult to save themselves, because either they were too little or too scared, so I suppose anything up to around 16 possibly. Very doubtful I'll ever find myself in that situation though, thank goodness!

Lol at all of these people saying they’d save their dog first. No you wouldn’t 😂

You would feel morally compelled to save a human life over an animal because they are worth more.

So you can say and think it and protest it (as I’m sure you’re all going to 😂) as much as you want but it’s entirely rubbish.

It's very difficult to gauge age in a life or death situation. Hopefully if it ever happens you'll make the right decision and not save an adult's life accidentally.

In all likeliness, I would save no one and collapse in a panicked heap on the floor.

No one really knows what would happen until it happens. Instinct kicks in. Unless you are trained in any sort of rescue operation, then you don't know what you would do.