posted June 28, 2024 05:03 AM
I don't recall when things changed exactly, but when I was growing up in the 90s most dogs were kept outside of homes in back yards or fenced in areas. You might occasionally see a small breed like a shih tzu or dachsund kept indoors but even that seemed rare as far as I can recall. Fast forward to the 2020s and seemingly every woman I see on dating apps like Tinder and Bumble advertise that they are "dog moms looking for dog dads." People also keep multiple large dogs in the house and some openly flout rules and keep them in dog free communities. It's also become more and more common to see people bringing their dogs to stores and even restaurants. And my response to that last phenomenon is why???? Why would anyone feel the need to bring their dogs to Walmart?
I'm not talking about service dogs either. Service dogs behave in very specific ways and usually have the vest on. I'm talking about people who just decide to bring their pets to the store. This is problematic for a lot of reasons. A lot of people are allergic to them and just as many have trauma around being attacked by dogs. So needless to say, being around dogs can create a lot of stress for such people.
Me personally? I am not a dog person. And I know that is taboo to even voice in the current culture where dogs have been elevated to almost above human status. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate dogs and can enjoy well behaved trained ones in small doses. But as far as I can tell, those are like 1 out of 10 dogs that I encounter. Most owners aren't responsible and you could even argue that most dog lovers are abusers because they will often keep large dogs locked in kennels or crates in their small apartments. And those dogs usually lash out by barking excessively and bothering everyone in the neighborhood. Barking is what irritates me the most. Hearing dogs bark makes me want to gouge my eyes out. That and how they are invasive and will keep trying to jump on you and lick you when you've made it very clear that you don't like that.
I'm on the autism spectrum and I've seen a lot of other autistic people complain about the same things I've mentioned. If you are sensitive to noise and touch, dogs are sensory hell lol.
The thing that irritates me more than anything else about the current dog culture is how it's assumed that you're a bad person if you don't share this crazy obsession with dogs. I would never harm a dog or any animal unless it was in self defense, but that doesn't mean I want a future where me and my wife or girlfriend are sharing our bed with dogs either.
This is such a multifaceted issue. There's the noise pollution that comes with having a lot of dogs in the neighborhood. Another issue is all the dog poop everywhere being an ecological hazard. And then you have irresponsible dog owners who insist on having dangerous breeds but don't take proper precautions to keep them from getting loose and attacking people. And then finally, it's just the fact that dog ownership has become such a polarizing thing that is breaking up potential friendships and relationships. Oh, and then there's all the unethical dog breeds that are bred into misery and poor health in the name of being cute. I could go on and on.
I hope this is all just a weird phase in history and people eventually go back to a healthier framework for dog ownership where dogs are, well, dogs. And not fur babies and fur children etc. I don't begrudge people for loving their pets at all. I love mine (which are not dogs), but I don't force my animals on others and assume they are bad people if they have different preferences for the kind of animals they enjoy and feel comfortable with.
And P.S. I would even compromise on having a dog for the right woman, but I would see to it that it was actually well trained and behaved and taken care of. I wouldn't have an out of control demon that craps and pees everywhere and jumps on people and starts humping them.
Lindaland
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posted June 28, 2024 05:03 AM
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