Gender neutral language and dogs - FFS

[BlackSwan]

A teacher type person at kids holiday activity saw me/my dog waiting at collection time today & started a friendly chat. I may or may not have already referred to DDog as 'he' but in any event, the person asked me "What's their name?".

I said "His name is DDog" but i'm pretty sure i looked at her like WTF - can't you just say 'What's it's name?" rather than making a point about being conscious of gender neutrality... because 'It' is gender neutral too.. so enough with the faux virtue signalling (because that's what i was thinking).

Didn't phase DDog, who is, ironically, about to become gender neutral, when he undergoes involuntary testicular removal in 2 weeks, poor pup.

I would say “their” rather than “its” about an animal without it having any additional meaning!

i think I’ve worked out what was bothering me - rightly or wrongly I took this as a cue that at this school holiday activity my child would be indoctrinated to use gender neutral language. Yes- this is a leap... she was likely just being polite and not wanting to assume the sex of my dog.

The more interesting thing to come out of this thread is that some people insist all dogs are male and cats are female. Which is weird.,,

I look for clues if I can't see its penis like any ghastly pink collar or similar. Otherwise I might say "what's your name?" and talk directly to the dog expecting the owner to fill in the answer. Or desperately hoping that the dog will answer

It was to avoid saying 'it' which some people dislike rather than pandering to free sex.

I would assume they just didn’t catch your dog’s sex and didn’t want to objectify it. Maybe they were actually trying to discern the sex without outright asking. I do the same with pets and young babies. I just don’t think it’s acceptable to call a much loved creature ‘it’.

Agree that you're overthinking this
People dont like to use it about pets

They has always been for unknown genders as its neutral, doesnt mean they are making a political stance eg oh no ive found a jumper "they will be really upset when they find out they've lost their jumper"

It

I wouldn't call a dog 'it'. Seems more polite to say 'their'

Many people don't like to refer to anything alive as IT and find it offensive. I doubt its about being gender neutral 🙄

I would never call a dog it.

I knew an expat English woman in Greece who, about 15 years ago, adopted one of my neighbour's kittens, a male, and insisted on referring to it as "she" and named it Minx (which is definitely only a female name in my opinion).

I think the are just trying to be polite. Some people get upset if you call their pet an it.
This. I sort of say, “
What’s its name? Sorry to call your dog ‘it’!” I wouldn’t have thought of using ‘their’. Sounds unnatural.

'They' is perfectly acceptable as a third person singular pronoun for a person (or animal) of unknown sex. You'll find this usage in Shakespeare and Austen etc.

You're overthinking this one, as I think you've now realised.

I do quite often ask the sex of a dog when I'm out with mine, if I can't tell (from a glance at the undercarriage or inferred from gendered collar colour) as it frequently makes a difference to the way they interact.

I also say "their" until the owner says "his/her name is.." and then use the correct term. Nothing to do with being gender neutral!

I would not call a cat or dog “it” so unless afforded a clear view of the animal’s rear end “their” is the easiest option. Works for babies too.

I've always thought it strange that some people get a bit offended if you get their dog's sex wrong.
Me What's his name?
Owner: HER name is Rosie

I sometimes might give a bit of a Paddington stare at someone who calls my dog 'she', but merely reflecting my surprise at their lack of observational skill.

I would say their too - it’s rude to call someone’s dog “it” imo. You’re making a lot of assumptions here

@Teacakeandalatte I remember me and dh howling with laughter when someone called mine “she”. Cbb was on at the time with India willoughby and I remember the woman walked away and dh turned to me and said in a super serious voice “she’s just misgendered our dog”

I just had the sense that this was more of a pointed reference to the need not to assume the gender of anything anymore
Or you could be massively projecting.

Most of the time, if a dog has its nuts chopped off, it is hit and miss with he/she.
Whenever anyone asked what my dogs name was or how old he was, quite often referring to him as her, I always put the emphasis on HIS name is... or HE is... although one lady I met regularly referred to him as her, to the point where I would always jokingly ask when she would remember that Morris is a Male name.

I would use their too, it sounds wrong.

I really doubt it. It hasn’t spread to dogs.

More just avoidance of it. Same way all pregnancy books shy away from using it for babies. Or asking what a baby’s name is. I wouldn’t say it.

As for 'it' when my ds1 was born his grandmother spent weeks referring to him as 'it' he wasnt an inanimate object either. Because I dont like it I dont call animate beings 'it' either.

I often use ''gender neutral'' language when asking other dog owners about their dog, not because it's something I'm passionate about (I'm not!) just I don't know if the dog is a boy or a girl. Once I know, I'll refer to them as he or she.