Anyone else read stuff and want to shout "But what about the dog?"

[hiredandsqueak]

Having two kids with autism I'm a member of various support groups online. I'm really struggling with people asking for breed suggestions and then adding they want a pup because their child is aggressive so the pup will need to grow up knowing that the child has aggressive outbursts.
Now I don't judge the children for their behaviour because my own son was a nightmare until he was about eight or nine but I do judge the parents who get a dog to see if it will calm the child knowing full well that the dog is likely going to be hit, kicked, punched by the child.
Bella is wonderful with my two she is a very calming presence and they both love nothing more than her sitting or laying with them. But I would never have had a dog if there was a chance either of them would hurt her however unintentionally it might be. Rant over just seen too many posts in the same vein today.

It’s worse when they don’t ask for breed advice and get a cockerpoo puppy 😖

You are not wrong. It must often be disastrous for everyone involved, including the poor dog.

How did you guess? Yes today's thread is a cockerpoo because it's hypoallergenic, she's off work and will crate train it before she returns to work!!!! That poor dog, makes me want to weep.

Have you ever tried to rescue a dog ? Nine times out of ten the animal you like cannot be housed with another dog or cats or children or for some reason - men.
I cannot for the life of me understand why people with little children get puppies.
I can't understand breeders who sell puppies to people with little children.

Yes I have a rescue but my ASD children were teens and adult when I got her. I tend to think if a rescue thinks that your family set up isn't right for a dog then you probably shouldn't get a dog if you consider the dog's needs as well.

I agree. I also find the commodification of dogs (and animals in general) and the lack of responsibility to this dogs really sad. So often on these boards I see comments of I got a pet and now so and so is allergic, or it’s hard work or mouthing and dozens of people pile on saying “rehome it”.
i find the use of the word “it” particularly distasteful. But it’s the way this is seen as an easy and acceptable solution. Rescue centres are overwhelmed at the moment, and there is never any suggestion of find a rehoming centre and pay for their upkeep until a new home can be found.
there is never any question on the OP of why they got a pet when they had so little exposure to that animal before that they didn’t know a family member had an allergy.
these people who take on animals and then look to give them up because they don’t fit in with their family lives shouldn’t be protected from understanding that they are making a shit decision. When you take on a defensless animal with no agency or control in our world you take on responsibility for it for its lifetime. It is shit to hand it over or give it up when it turns out not to be what you expected- as far as I see it that’s always a risk and if you aren’t prepared to accept that then you don’t get an animal

Having seen hundreds of meltdowns from a sibling growing up, no way would I advise someone to get a dog in that situation. Different if the dog and child have grown up together as a baby though.