If I see any more comments on Mumsnet of it's just a dog

[Lifeneedsaresetagain]

Do people not realise that for those who welcome them into the family they are part of the family. And if you have a dog and say it's just a dog, I'm not sure you should have one.

I love dogs but know that they are animals and should be treated as such.
Cant stand this 'fur baby' culture.
They certainly shouldnt be sitting up at tables with humans in restaurants 😷
And while we are on the subject, those dogs which are bred to have flat faces are so because humans want them to look like human babies. gross

I know that some people do struggle to tell the difference between a pet and a child, and to be frank, those people worry me.

If you tell me you wouldn't know which to rescue first from a burning building, your dog or your child, then you probably shouldn't have a child.

I agree with this so much I had to repost it!

I have children and a dog. I wouldn't say my feelings towards my dog were on par with my feelings towards my children, but they're of a similar nature - things I love and look after. A part of my family. Yes I do place a higher value on my children than my dog, but I do love my dog. The idea of something happening to him makes me very upset. I try my best to make sure he has a happy and complete life, it is relatively short after all.

My children feel the dog is a family member, the dog brings them huge joy. When my son was having some emotional problems he would curl up with the dog. Animals can have a huge role in people's lives.

I think the issue basically is that people are unnecessarily nasty about loving a dog. There's nothing wrong with seeing your dog as a family member, it's not hurting anyone else to feel that way. It's not for one person to tell another their feelings are wrong or to belittle something something feel they love.

I will leave my dog at home for the half the day on Christmas day because my in-laws have very poor health and he's too rambunctious. My children are also rambunctious, but I wouldn't leave them at home.

I'd also never leave my dog in kennels because of the type of dog he is - he'd be utterly bereft and absolutely would not be OK. He gets upset when one of us stays away from the house one night. I'm lucky in that he can stay with my mum if we go on holiday, he's upset but OK. So it's about having a reasonable balance. My children are also upset when I go away for work, but I have to do it anyway.

So it's not quite the same with chilren and dogs, but I also can't see why we can't just respect the feelings of other people. If they feel their feelings for their dog are on-par with the feelings for their children - who are you to tell them otherwise?

I don’t think any animal should be seen as “just” and anyone who thinks like that is very simply not my type of person

I’d rather hang around with pigeons than the majority of humans I come across

Breeds differ- hugely! I’d say working dogs which aren’t working can be some of the most badly behaved dogs- nipping ankles, herding other dogs and humans.

And re not belonging in cages they do belong ifthe owners are operating as dog friendly and actively trying to attract owners and their dogs in. Sitting under a table or chair in a cafe is no different to sitting under a table or chair at home. Our dog spends half her life sleeping and doesn’t care where so sleeping under a cafe chair with her family is where she belongs and wants to be.

I’m not sure many children belong in cafes. Expecting 2 year olds to sit still for a couple of hours without disrupting other customers is ludicrous particularly if there is gentle parenting in the mix.

I have experience of dog ownership. I know the difference between a family member and a pack animal. Family members love each other, with dogs the love is one way. Dogs will be loyal and protective to their pack, especially the pack leader. That is not love.

Our dog sees us as her pack and we all seem to have differing roles. I do think I’m the spare but I can live with that, she gives so much back.

That says more about you than the dogs. If your dog dies you can replace it. You can’t replace a human.

FFS, you're equating a dog with a CHILD? Jesus. Fucking. Christ.

Why not?

Why not?

Don’t come on here asking for responses.

You can’t replace a dog. They’re not clones.

When the FireBrigade visited my Cubs, we were told not to worry about Dogs and Cats as they have extremely good survival instincts and will get themselves out.

As for the "Hes just been friendly" twats"...
They are the ones making children scared of dogs.

However they do bring a lot of joy to their owners. Some of the owners just need more training. (Like the country whose just started exams for dog ownership!)

Maybe calm down a tad. You sound kind of over invested and angry.

Everyone in the world knows a dog is not a human, but a dog can be their person. I work in a checkout and the amount of people who live in a situation just them and their dog. Why would you take away from that- their dog is who they see, talk to and sit down with. Their dog is there for them, and they’re there for him/her. The ‘they need to know’ ness of this thread is horrible. We can all demean something for someone because it’s not our situation, we don’t need to. Leave people alone.

That's utterly ridiculous, a dog will never be on a par with a human.

🤣

Yes. When I had my beloved dog (and cats} there were many things we, as a family, accepted we couldn't do. Everyone has to accept this when they decide to bring a dog into their life. Your dog is your responsibility, not anyone else's. I never expected other people to welcome him into their homes or into spaces where dogs don't belong. If being unable to take him meant I also couldn't go, then I didn't go, and I didn't feel resentful about it. I was the one who'd made the choice to have a dog.

People who use dogs as substitute friends or children aren't really fit to have the care of a dog, imho.

That’s how I feel about people’s kids.

My dogs are central to my world. I don’t expect other people to feel that way about them, but just to understand that to me they are everything.

I love dogs. I don’t have one of my own because I cannot bear it when they are sick or in pain and can’t communicate the problem to me. I ‘don’t do’ pets because I don’t think it is fair to leave them when I have things to do that don’t involve them, the pet doesn’t know when(or if) I will return because I can’t explain it to them.
These are my own issues, but they do not mean that I don’t adore animals and nature as much as someone who keeps pets.

You understand your dog!

They give so much in terms of companionship, comfort, guardianship, protection and service. A dog isn’t an accessory.

My daughter is perfectly fit to care for her dog. She has autism and her dog is her world, she’s not into people so in someways her dog is a friend( she has human friends too) and in other ways her child. She doesn’t want kids ,just a pack of dogs. She is an amazing owner which is commmeted on by the vet every time we visit.

I don't think that's true. You can "replace" a human in the sense that you can have another child or marry another husband, but of course you can never replace that unique human individual in your life or use someone else to fill the hole they left in your heart. In my experience, it's the same with dogs (and cats). You can get a new dog, but you don't give the love you had for your old dog to the new dog. You grow new love for the new dog. But you don't forget the old dog. The love for the old dog, and the grief at its loss, remains, though it eases with time, just as grief for a beloved human does. At least, this has been the case in my experience.