To think most people shouldn't own dogs

[JamSandle]

I love dogs but I think a lot of owners:

• infantalise their dogs and treat them like babies, not animals who have instincts and needs.

• don't train them. Let their dogs bark, howl and growl all day long.

• don't look them properly. Walk them, trim nails, clean them, look after teeth.

Good dog owners are amazing people. But so many people have dogs and don't put the effort into training them or understanding the animals needs.

I dont really think most people should be dog owners.

I know someone who goes to work and leaves their dog in a crate all day.

I like to think I’m a good owner. I get up at six in the morning so we could get a good run in before it gets hot. Last night I roasted a chicken for dog snacks for the week. Never left alone for more than five hours. Doesn’t bark apart from one warning woof that tells me a stranger is coming up the drive. Bit bouncy but always on a leash in town to make sure she behaves.

Brilliant family dog loves the children, free run of the house. Generally

I am a bit bemused by this talk of groomers as a measure of well-being though. Pretty sure my poor dog would be traumatised. I didn’t think you washed dogs unless they rolled in something putrid. Nails are kept trim because they are worn down by walking, surely? Maybe it’s a breed thing but I don’t think the dog I grew up with ( Labrador as well) ever went to the groomers either.

That is such a crying shame. Dogs are sociable animals and should not be left like this. Poor creatures.

It's becoming less and less common I think, but it certainly happens.

A crate (used properly) can be really beneficial, but too many people use them as the easy option and just leave their dogs in them all day. It's really horrible to see.

I am a bit bemused by this talk of groomers as a measure of well-being though. Pretty sure my poor dog would be traumatised. I didn’t think you washed dogs unless they rolled in something putrid. Nails are kept trim because they are worn down by walking, surely? Maybe it’s a breed thing but I don’t think the dog I grew up with ( Labrador as well) ever went to the groomers either

This depends on the breed. My dog has to be groomed regularly otherwise her fur gets matted and causes skin irritations and it hurts her. I brush her daily but her fur is just that type that needs grooming. So, yes, it is important for health for some breeds.

I am a bit bemused by this talk of groomers as a measure of well-being though. Pretty sure my poor dog would be traumatised. I didn’t think you washed dogs unless they rolled in something putrid. Nails are kept trim because they are worn down by walking, surely? Maybe it’s a breed thing but I don’t think the dog I grew up with ( Labrador as well) ever went to the groomers either.

Some dogs need the groomer (or to be clipped at home) otherwise their coats matt and grow so long that it becomes a welfare issue. Labradors don't generally need it as they have fur rather than hair (so don't need clipping). A poodle (for example) or a spaniel or a terrier would be a different story altogether.

As for nails - my dog goes to the groomer to get his nails clipped because, despite getting adequate exercise, they still end up too long and they hurt him.

Nails are kept trim because they are worn down by walking, surely?

My dog's claws get worn down by walking, but her dew claws don't get the same wear as they don't touch the ground. She doesn't like having them clipped so I file them with an emery board while she sprawls out on the sofa. Does that count as infantalizing? Hope not.

I don’t think it’s very common to leave dogs in crates. I have one and she travels in it in the boot as it’s safer. Door to crate never gets closed when at home.

You'd be surprised.

As a dog walker I see a LOT of dogs left in crates all day while their owners are out at work. Owners leave around 8.30am, I pop in at lunchtime, owners aren't back until 4-5pm. Apart from the hour so they're out with me, the dogs are shut in crates.

Many are also shut back in them overnight.

Definitely not infantalising, this sounds lovely - so sweet 😍

People have different thresholds for what they consider babying dogs though.

We sometimes have relatives comment that we baby our dogs. I don't think we do. We just chose to have dogs and part of that means we've chosen a lifestyle that is dog friendly. That means we don't do lots of random weekends away, don't plan long days out over the weekend that aren't dog friendly, and don't believe that 'just put them in a kennels' / 'can you not give them a run outside' is an acceptable solution.

Would we pass the puritan cat's bum face types on here who think everyone should WFH every day, walk 10 miles a day, never leave them for more than an hour? Of course not. But I think like most owners we do a reasonable job and are responsible.

That is so sad actually. My dog would be really upset at being shut away.

As someone who has 3 dogs and works with dogs I 100% agree with you!
I see about 50 dogs a week and at least half of them have at least one of the following:
Never go out for walks
Are overweight
Have terrible teeth
Are matted
Have infected ears
Have weeks worth of eye boogies
Have no training
Have poo and or wee caked to their fur

These people would absolutely claim to love their dogs 😢

My dog wouldn’t mind being dressed up because that involves being touched, which is his favourite thing. I don’t though, I just stroke him a lot.

I bloody love my dogs, and cat. I wouldn’t ever call them furbabies, but they are very much part of my family.

I do agree on nail clipping/grooming/feeding/walking and the other important stuff though.

Theres some failure to imagine situations outside your personal experience here.

A labrador walked on pavement probably will self trim except for the dew claws and some will nibble them down themselves. One of my dogs does this, she chews down her own claws or they're taken care of by pavement walks.

Two of my dogs do not - they both have rather flat feet and the nails grow almost straight out, not down to the ground. Combine that with much of our walking being on soft grass/forest floor, and their nails NEVER get worn down and easily over-grow. So I clip them myself, but then I have a grooming table and I taught them from an early age to stand on it or to lie upside down in my lap for that.

My partner is absolutely useless at nails, hes terrified of catching the quick so is quite panicky about doing it and as a result is more likely to catch the quick or worry the dog - he would be better having a groomer do it.

Some dogs coats really need a proper bath, blaster dryer to remove undercoat, professional dryer etc, or they will take DAYS to fully dry. Lots of the very popular poodle mixes fall into this category, having coats the owners were not expecting/could not predict.

I wash our hound, he is a stinky bastard if I don't and no amount of brushing fixes that, he dribbles on himself and delights in developing revolting stalactites round his face-flaps. It's only once every six weeks or so, and he is outraged by it but also really likes the treats and also the paw massage (getting the matted bits of crap from between his pads) that goes with it!

I have taught my dogs to enjoy grooming though - many people don't bother, assuming that the groomer will do it and that is unfair and unkind, and leaves dogs suffering. Of course the groomer says 'Oh yes Fido was fine' to their client... unless Fido has actually taken off a few fingers... because they know thats what the client wants to hear. They'd have no business if they said 'well actually, Fido was fucking terrified, tense and uncomfortable the whole time and we did worry at one point if he'd have a heart attack in the bath, he also tried to bite a few times so we strapped his face shut and suspended him in a sling so he couldn't throw himself around'...

I wouldn't say most dog owners shouldn't own dogs. You tend not to notice the ones who have been trained to a high standard and treated like an animal as opposed to a child.

That said, I think a lot of people are in over their heads and have chosen breeds based on appearance or status. A busy family in a small home without time for long walks have no business getting a Border Collie, a Husky, or a German Shepherd. A family with small excitable children should not have an American Bully or a Cane Corso. A family who love hiking and biking with their dog shouldn't have a chihuahua.

There are loads of dogs with anxiety and poor recall because they've never been socialised or trained

I agree op but I generally think there are far too many dogs now and they are far too easily accessed. As another poster pointed out it should be far more stringently monitored and licensed. Make it as expensive and as inconvenient as possible and then you could possibly be left with those who are willing to actually spend the time and money needed to look after a dog.

Haven't rtft sorry if it's been said but I'm so sick of everywhere being bloody dog friendly too. I don't want to go to a meal in a restaurant full of dogs no matter how cute they are

I'm probably guilty of 'babying' my dog when we're at home, in that I talk and sing to him in a soft voice and have lots of silly nicknames for him. He also seems to enjoy a fuss on a night (face, ear and belly rubs) before he settles down to sleep. He's an older greyhound and feels the cold in winter, so he does wear a sweater when it's very cold and likes to be covered in a blanket. He will literally whine and try to pick the blanket up with his teeth to try to cover himself up.

He's rarely left alone for more then a couple of hours, only if we go out to eat or something, otherwise he's always with me or DH. We've never allowed him to bark endlessly and disturb the neighbours.

I do wonder about one of our neighbours who seems to have several dogs that seem to stress him out a great deal. He's always yelling at them to shut up when they're out in the garden barking and he just doesn't seem to enjoy having them!

Well we pass on all of these, except the training. He did go to classes but absolutely refused to learn reliable recall. Therefore he is only off lead where there is absolutely no chance of him absconding.

I kindof agree. I train my dogs and I hate when people let them howl or jump on you if you don't know there dogs or latest one I was walking with hubby in a field with our dog on lead and next thing 2 dogs came charging over from nowhere growling and owner eventually appeared and no recall whatsoever

I dislike dogs bu this is a refreshing read. Clearly there are lots of good dog owners around who take responsibility and don’t let their dogs run and jump at others. It restores my faith a bit!!

I would also argue that lots of dogs are anxious because other people don't recall or train their dogs. I see so many badly trained dogs bombing around and running up to other dogs whose body language is screaming "please leave me alone".

Only a few weeks ago I was out with two on-lead dogs when an out-of-control terrier ran up to them and bit my dog on the back of the neck. He was very good and didn't respond in kind, but it still terrified him.

The thing is, absolutely nothing can prepare you for dog ownership in the same way that nothing can prepare you for parenthood.

I know they are not children - but the commitment SHOULD be the same. Unfortunately, when people realise what hard work dogs are, it's very easy to either mistreat with with neglect, or fob them off to a rescue centre.

There should be stricter rules. A licence. Insurance should be mandatory, and maybe something along the lines of a healthy pet plan, so that they are checked 6 monthly by a vet and parasite treatments are kept up to date.

My dog is not perfect - unfortunately I over socialised him as a pup, and now he expects attention from everyone. However, I'm not a member of the 'he's friendly' gang - I stick to 'I'm really sorry, he's over friendly' as he anchors himself to the ground in front of them if they do much as maintain 3 seconds of eye contact with him.

He's a work in progress.