Dog lovers aren’t animal lovers

[Namechanger1993]

I’ve been lurking in various dog related threads recently and it’s become abundantly clear how few dog owners on MN actually love animals. Not all. But lots.

Posters not caring about health tests on parents, or the breeders experience or ability or what happens to the bitch (mother of the pups) after as their desire for expensive mix outweighs their ethics about puppy farming or dogs being born in pain with chronic health issues as a result of bad breeding. Posters admitting their dogs have soiled themselves for a year before they put their dog to sleep. No matter which way you look at it (and believe me, I understand how hard it is to say goodbye), people who love their dogs don’t let them sleep in their shit for a year. Posters not exercising their dog sufficiently or not giving it mental stimulation and then wondering why its badly behaved.

Time and time again I’ve seen posters put their desire for a dog above any morals they might have about animal welfare (including their own dogs). welfare. Honestly, it’s quite shocking how little so many posters care about their dogs, or indeed the dogs use to produce their cute puppy.

😆 🤣 I once had one of my previous labs nick a magnum ice lol out my out hand. I said you're just lucky I've got another one in the freezer. Bastard 😆

Dog owners and dog lovers aren't necessarily the same thing. I love dogs, but it would be cruel to keep one where I live. I love playing with my friends' rescue dogs though...

It's not clear what point you're making here. It does seem like a logical fallacy to describe yourself as an 'animal lover' when what you actually mean is that you have an identity based on adoration of a very small and specific subset of animals, domestic pets.

I love dogs and I have a cockapoo (amongst other breeds). When I managed to convince my partner we needed a another dog part of the deal was he picked the breed.

What's wrong with a cockapoo?

Good luck - you’ve just opened up a massive can of worms!

Do you breed malinoises?

How do you know that’s what they mean? Or are you just making assumptions?

You can love animals and be aware that they have another purpose other than to please us and look cute.

Golden Retrievers 😁

Sadly due to their popularity the parents are often highly abused to produce the litters to keep up with demand.

The puppies people buy will be well looked after and loved, I don’t deny that, but where those puppies come from won’t be a good life for the parents.

Yes, thank you. I wonder if the PP scrutinises every aspect of her life, to check whether her morals exactly align with everything she does in her life. I can only imagine how mentally exhausting that must be, not to mention very insular thinking.

And so much of it is cultural too - lots of the people commenting about how they’d never eat XYZ would have very different views had they been born and raised in Asia (for example).

Nobody is better than anyone else (or more of an animal lover than anyone else) just because they choose to not to eat cows or sheep.

I always find it frustrating when people say they “feel sorry” for indoor cats, especially when it’s said so dismissively.

The implication that anyone choosing to keep their cats indoors is somehow neglecting their wellbeing couldn’t be further from the truth.

Indoor cats, when properly cared for, live longer, healthier lives. They’re not at risk of being hit by cars, attacked by dogs or other cats, poisoned, or stolen. They also don’t decimate local wildlife populations, which is a major issue in many areas.

Keeping cats indoors isn’t just about protecting them, it’s about protecting the environment too. And it is also considerate to others. Have you seen the posts on here from upset OP's that their neighbours cats are pooping in their garden?

I have three indoor cats. They’re happy, healthy, and very much living their best lives. They get at least an hour of play every day, have cat trees, enrichment toys, interactive games, and plenty of space to roam and explore.

They’re all at ideal weights, full of energy, and show no stress or destructive behaviour whatsoever.

Being indoors doesn’t mean being deprived. it just means their needs are being met in a different (and, frankly, safer) way.

I agree that people shut their eyes to a lot, but that applies to absolutely everything we do. I think the only thing people can do is tread as lightly as we can.

I’ve only ever had rescue mutts, and I couldn’t go to a breeder, but he eats animal protein (plus a lot of sweet potato etc), and the poo bags (and contents), food packaging and transport, the medications that they take, all of that has an impact. I try to offset him (and me) by not over-consuming in other areas. He also has company all day every day, two walks and a fenced garden. I wouldn’t have a dog if it couldn’t have that.

Feeling sorry for indoor cats is plain bizarre.

The KC's job is to force dog breeds into very restrictive molds often at the expense of their health & longevity but to the HUGE benefit of breeders.

Frenchies can't even breed naturally or give birth naturally in the majority of cases for 'pedigree' examples. How grotesque is that? We've rendered an animal utterly useless.

I personally don’t think you can give a cat a proper life when it’s trapped inside your home. It’s no different to locking a rabbit inside a hutch or a bird inside a cage.

And I say that as someone who used to have indoor cats as I felt they were safer inside - they were - but they also had a poor life locked up indoors - never feeling the sun on their faces, the wind in their fur or the grass on their paws. Two of those cats now go outside and are a million times happier - one sadly passed away unexpectedly and my biggest regret is not allowing her to go outside.

Well my identity includes "feeding the flies to feed the birds" - everybody feeds the damn bees, but I feed the uglier critters too.

I've kept hens, and they're rather brutish animals - being hen-pecked is not a pretty sight, they almost killed each other if you don't intervene!

I grow my own veg, and do compost cycling to get a good worm population in. I chuck the attendant robin a few worms whilst I do so.

I own a rescue cat, who tackles the bigger, uglier rats in the garden, and I keep my cat away from the fox cubs living in the shed.

But I also eat meat.

Why? I also feel sorry for rabbits kept in hutches and birds locked in cages - it’s cruel. If you’re not willing to let your cat be a cat then you shouldn’t have one.

My cat was injured recently so we kept him inside for a couple of days, he was very upset being stuck indoors and couldn’t wait to go outside again.

Keeping them inside when injured or new to an area is sensible, but I feel they get enjoyment from freedom.

Yes - keeping them in for health reasons or during a storm etc. is one thing, but never allowing them outside is just awful IMO - why would you get an animal designed to hunt and roam and just keep it locked up inside? I don’t get it.

There are some cats who don't like the outside.

A 'sausage dog' is not a designer breed. It was bred for hunting. I own one and he doesn't have a jumper, I don't carry him in a handbag and he needs exercise and mental exercise daily. (I can just imagine the side eye from him if I tried to pop him in my handbag or dress him up 😂). He walks for miles.
The problem we have is people suddenly see them (Dachshunds) as cute - which they are - but they are not a dog for the faint hearted, they are a hound with hound traits. They have big attitude and personality, so whatever you think of a Dachshund, they do not come under a designer breed.

However there will be some that will be bred for people who want one because they think they're cute (and no doubt in a variety of coat colours 🙄) & they will be badly bred to meet demand, owned by people who don't do their research into what a Dachshund needs in terms of exercise etc, which is what happened to the French Bulldog sadly.

I agree that dogs that are bred who can't breathe, or not able to manage long walks, or just not fully function as a dog should be phased out. Dogs are not and should never be a fashion accessory.
I also agree re cats being kept inside, to me that is cruel (edited to add: Unless for health reasons)

I don't understand why anyone would choose a breed known to have health issues. There are plenty of well rounded healthy breeds out there. I have known several pug owners who had had to put them through operations so they can breath properly, some who who stand there and laugh when their dogs pass out when they get excited. And they are all very overweight too.

My dog does sometime poo in her sleep (the long night time sleep). She is not distressed by it (she is fast asleep and does not notice), and we have regular quality of life checks with the vet. So I don't think that point is fair at all. You need to look at the bigger picture on that.

*Stellaris22 *
I couldn't agree more. I used to have dogs, but l'm currently doggy sitting a little dog (favour to a friend, not a business) and l feel so sorry for him.
He's very flat faced, obviously brachycephalic, and he's very snorty at the best of times. But when he's eating, it's horrendous. He struggles to breathe, and food goes all over the place, l suspect because he's trying to eat with his mouth open.
It concerns me, especially when he's in my care, l keep thinking he's going to choke.

I can't imagine ever having another dog myself, but there's no way on this earth that l'd consider a breed like this if l did.
His owner is lovely, he's very much loved and looked after, but l'm pretty sure his quality of life is affected by the way he's been bred.

The dog I look after is fed vegan food.
I thought that was awful, so did some research to convince the owner. There wasn't one reason not to, which surprised me. Shouldn't have, as he loves his grub and is very healthy.