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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To thing the worlds gone dog mad...

270 replies

mrspotatohead21 · 10/02/2023 22:27

I just feel people put dogs on too much of a pedestal. I like dogs, but I just think people almost see them than more than they are, which is, let's be honest, an animal.

I understand how they can be an elderly persons only companion, can fit well into the right family, can help people in need in many ways I do, but just some examples.

I work in a cafe. When we say dog friendly area is outside we get looked at like we've said they can't bring their child in.

I live with my mum and my daughter who's 16 months. She bought a sprocker puppy, he's big, he's massively energetic and he play bites.
He bit her and made her cry, then knocked her over and jumped on her. She's heavier than him. When I asked her to put him behind the gate she said "he's only a baby" and "this is his home, it's not (my daughters) home) every time he's a little bugger she just says "he's only a baby"

People who will fully argue with that they they thing dogs are equally worth the same as children, like there is some comparison. I'm sorry but my own flesh and blood who literally grew in my is never a comparison to a dog?

I just don't go gooey over them. I like a cute dog as much as the next but I'd never seem them or put the trust in them around children like some people do, and recent news of a dog sadly killing a little girl doesn't seem to make people think twice even it's just "my dog would never do that"

AIBU to have that opinion?

OP posts:
Original poster
mrspotatohead21 · 10/02/2023 22:28

Think not thing!!! It's late!

OP posts:
UWhatNow · 10/02/2023 22:32

YANBU but all the dog lovers will come on and compare dogs to children and give a thousand reasons why their pet is more important than you or your child. Many of them are defensive, unreasonable and they have no empathy. “But they won’t hurt you”.

zurala · 10/02/2023 22:32

YANBU at all.

rothbury · 10/02/2023 22:35

I think you should probably move out from your mothers as she has a dog that bites your toddler.

Dacadactyl · 10/02/2023 22:36

YANBU. All this dog worship that goes on is ridiculous.

Original poster
mrspotatohead21 · 10/02/2023 22:37

@rothbury I'm working on it. Currently my choice is mums, with my abusive ex or emergency accommodation miles from my eldest DC school Sad

OP posts:
TanyaandGreg · 10/02/2023 22:37

YANBU. I saw recently a shopping centre rowing back on letting dogs in because they were making a mess and I thought it sounded a good idea - why do you have to take your dog everywhere? People are obsessed.

Boomboom22 · 10/02/2023 22:39

Yanbu and your mum needs to get a grip. What if her dog kills or seriously maims your child?

RatedAce · 10/02/2023 22:40

Yanbu

Original poster
mrspotatohead21 · 10/02/2023 22:41

Boomboom22 · 10/02/2023 22:39

Yanbu and your mum needs to get a grip. What if her dog kills or seriously maims your child?

Every time I ask her to put him behind the gate (he can literally see us but just couldn't get to my daughter) she says no and that he has more right to live here than we do. If I try to control him I get "he's only a baby" it's 6 months old now and he weighs more than she does!

OP posts:
CherLloydbyCherLloyd · 10/02/2023 22:41

Im on the fence.

We got our first dog as “adults” 6 months after moving in together - actually, a big factor in deciding to move in together was because we both wanted a dog.

We had around a week between our first dog dying and us bringing our second dog home.

It’s safe to say we are 100% dog people, our whole adult life has been based on dogs since we have always had one.

We also have two children. Child one met both dogs, child two only met current dog.

No smart person leaves a dog and a young child unattended. My eldest is 7 and we are okay with occasionally leaving her in the room with the dog, since they ignore each other completely, and my daughter is very dog savvy (attended dog training ran by behaviouralists with us for over two years, including 6 months of weekly 1:1 sessions working directly with my daughter and dog) - the baby (who is one) isn’t near dog at all unless an adult is literally between them.

It sounds like you might need to find somewhere else to live though. I’m presuming this is your mums house? Your mum is more than entitled to get her own dog, but it sounds like she isn’t taking the steps to protect your daughter. You need to not live with that dog.

FlamingoFlock · 10/02/2023 22:42

Yanbu but most of mumsnet put their dogs on pedestals so you'll get a barrage of people along soon telling you that dogs are the most important things ever

XenoBitch · 10/02/2023 22:43

My dog is my family and is more important to me than your child. I don't even know your child.

MelaniesFlowers · 10/02/2023 22:43

YANBU. People are unhealthily obsessed with their dogs and treat them as children. They’re just pets.

It’s indicative that something else is wrong and/or missing in their life.

CherLloydbyCherLloyd · 10/02/2023 22:44

On another note, is the dog biting or mouthing? Does the dog have a safe space to go away from baby? Does the baby have safe places to go away from dog?

SheilaWilcox · 10/02/2023 22:44

YABU to not understand why people love dogs more than people. I would generally must rather walk my dog in the rain and clear up their shit, than spend time with many people.

YANBU to never trust an animal around your (or anyone else's) child. They ARE animals and communicate differently and even the softies can harm whether they mean to or not.

Dogcafedreamer · 10/02/2023 22:44

Oh dear god! Another dog in cafe thread!

💤

MajorCarolDanvers · 10/02/2023 22:45

YANBU but it's only dog people who are like this.

Rest of the world is normal

UWhatNow · 10/02/2023 22:45

XenoBitch · 10/02/2023 22:43

My dog is my family and is more important to me than your child. I don't even know your child.

But actually it’s not. Morally, legally or in any reasonable world would your dog, or any animal, be more important than a stranger’s human child

This is the sort of batshit thinking we are living with in our society now… 🙄

Jazzy21 · 10/02/2023 22:46

YANBU some people are just bizarre when it comes to their dogs. It’s honestly weird.

I prefer dogs to cats and enjoy visiting friends who own dogs. A very dear friend of mine was devastated when her dog died, had counselling because she was bereft, she’s still gutted two years on. I don’t judge her for it, although I don’t pretend to understand it either. But I can see how some dogs mean alot to some people.

But the people claiming their dogs are their babies are completely batshit.

Calistan · 10/02/2023 22:46

Yanbu. The world has gone mad.

Rememberal · 10/02/2023 22:46

YANBU. I live in Scotland so we have the right to roam. Love the right to roam. Right to roam is amazing. But imagine being a dog walker with the right to roam literally anywhere you want and choosing to let your dog roam on an archery course... the entitlement of some of them is unreal.

BloomingXmas · 10/02/2023 22:46

is the dog not crate trained? If your mum can’t control him now and is not training him, then how is he ever going to learn appropriate behaviour?

XenoBitch · 10/02/2023 22:47

UWhatNow · 10/02/2023 22:45

But actually it’s not. Morally, legally or in any reasonable world would your dog, or any animal, be more important than a stranger’s human child

This is the sort of batshit thinking we are living with in our society now… 🙄

Show quote history

I said they are more important to me.

Original poster
mrspotatohead21 · 10/02/2023 22:47

@CherLloydbyCherLloyd I completely understand and you sound like very responsible and knowledgeable dog owners. The type of people I'm not referring to in this post actually!
I asked mum to consider not getting a dog while we were staying here, or until my daughter was older whichever comes first. I wouldn't mind but she's had him since October and only walked him once! I said if she got him I couldn't help as I work and have both DC here. She's out all day when I'm not working so I separate them then which is fine, but when she's home on an evening (and usually drunk) she insists that the dog has to be in the living room with us. I'm sure he is a nice natured dog as are most spaniels but he is massive for his age and very boisterous and my daughter is very petite for her age. I honestly feel like he could draw blood and mum would say "he's only a baby" yet my daughter could say spill something and she's tell her off when she is actually a real human baby!

I might have to look into emergency accommodation which sounds extreme for a dog but we can't carry on like this. X

OP posts: