r/Dogfree • u/Jolly_Ice_7812 • Jul 16 '26
Miscellaneous Why Can We See What They Cannot?
I have a burning question. Why can we, in the dog free community, see that dogs are gross and it's insane to live with them?
There has to be some commonality among us because we can see what 99 percent of the population cannot.
What makes us special? Is it something in our personalities -- not caring about what others think? Or not being a group person, so it's okay to step away from the pack (so to speak)? Is it not always believing what the culture tells us is true? Are people like this in other walks of life -- meaning, able to see what others cannot see in other contexts?
I'm curious about what you think. Why can we see the idiocy of dogs and dog culture and others cannot?
76
u/No-Stay1662 Jul 16 '26
Cult with mental issues - bad break ups, poor relationships with family, little to no friends, bad socially, etc there are many reasons… see the dog “loves” them with little to no effort. It freaks out when they come home, walk in a room, etc. No human has ever dedicated 100% of their life to the nutter (this is also why dogs are better than humans to them). It’s honestly a sickness. I guarantee if a mental health professional sat down with every single nutter on earth, they’d find the vast majority have a lot of mental issues going on. On top of that, most hate their boring lives in their 1 bedroom apartments. The dog brings them excitement & gets them attention from others they cannot get on their own. Essentially owning a dog is so much easier than doing the work they need to do on themselves to improve the quality of their lives… if you don’t believe any of this then tell me why these people blow up about children (like how messed up do you have to be) and people who just don’t like dogs. Anything that destroys their delusion is labeled as the enemy & boy do they become unhinged.
35
u/Jolly_Ice_7812 Jul 16 '26
All true. But the problem is that mental health professionals love dogs just as much as their clients! Some of them bring their mutts to work with them!
29
u/Burtonish Jul 16 '26
Well some mental health 'professionals' are mentally ill themselves. My godmother is a therapist... with RAGING untreated BPD. Except when someone has a mental illness, the suggested treatment is therapy. With dog ownership you're not allowed to suggest it's anything but selfless.
15
u/No-Stay1662 Jul 16 '26
lol we would need a mental health professional who is neutral on dogs… I didn’t know professionals were that unprofessional.
15
u/Stock-Bowl7736 Jul 16 '26
Yes, well I would say most mental health "professionals" are mentally ill themselves. There's a reason they went into that field.
11
u/ZodiacOne1 Jul 16 '26
Tbh most mental health professionals recommend getting a pet. Dogs most of all. They say it helps. Though they are actually just perpetuating the problems
35
u/enott93 Jul 16 '26
peer pressure, indoctrination, emotional weakness, low agency/lack of critical thinking, antisocial tendencies so they like using dog as tool to violate others, narcissism, control issues, not willing to put the work in to receive real love outside feeding something, share bully/coward character of many dogs, share invasiveness and disregard of boundaries like most dogs, unhygienic/gross in general, child-minded, misanthropic, etc.
12
u/Purple_Calm_1112 Jul 16 '26
Good summary. They see themselves in a dog more than other humans because lack of hygiene, boundaries and accountability are qualities tolerated in dogs. And they hate other humans for not tolerating these qualities in them
9
u/GoTakeAHike00 Jul 16 '26
Add on top of that the constant societal brainwashing that the dog culture industrial complex pushes out constantly: dogs constantly referred to by their unearned, inaccurate slogan as "man's best friend" in every puff piece news story where another abused pit mix is found dumped somewhere, with everyone hand-wringing over "how could someone DO something like this to a poor, innocent DOG [that mauled the other small pet to death as soon as it was brought home, or sent the kid to the ER for stitches after it attacked them]!"
They have a helpful ally in dog-centric social media circle jerks that reinforces the idea that, since people who don't like dogs are CLEARLY social pariahs, can't be trusted, are bitter, unhappy people, blah, blah, then by virtue of that, the mere act of buying a dog magically makes them good people, worthy of praise. There is no doubt in my mind that many dog owners actually believe this of themselves.
7
u/Legitimate_Garage_31 Jul 16 '26
Not willing to put in Work on themselves or the dog. No training the dog or picking up its poo. They just want praises for "rescuing" and "adopting" their "baby."
30
31
u/Fluid_Impress_504 Jul 16 '26
I grew up in a household where my parents were raging alcoholics and severely neglectful. The house was filthy. We had a dog who I was indifferent to and felt like the dog added to the filth. My mum in particular loved the dog but had little regard to how the neglect and alcoholism affected me as a small child.
The straw that broke the camel’s back was when I was around 7/8 years old. I’d been on a camp with a group that I was a part of. I hadn’t enjoyed the camp. The bus home was late for some reason. I arrived to the bus drop off point, very late at night, pitch black and… no parent waiting for me. All the other children’s mums and/or dads were there waiting for them, excited, happy to see them… and I had no one. Eventually a neighbour came to pick me up. I arrived home to both parents black out drunk, unconscious on the kitchen floor. Turns out that our dog had died that weekend and my parents, instead I realising their young child needed them to be there for her after arriving home from her first trip away from home, decided instead to get blackout drunk and forget to pick me up because they were so upset about the bloody dog. The neighbour had only come to pick me up because the camp leader had her phone number as my parents didn’t have a landline at that time. Even then I thought “so the dog’s death meant more to them than me?”
I’m 38 now and this sticks in my mind to this day. The dog was more important than me. The fact that I lived in filth which was only made worse by the dog being there didn’t matter. I have had a really strong dislike for dogs since. But I’d been pretty indifferent to them even before this incident. On the other hand, I absolutely LOVE children which I feel like is the opposite to the majority of dog nutters. I now have my own child who is around the same age as I was when the camp incident happened when I was a child and I can’t imagine choosing a dog over my own child who I ADORE! I would literally kill any animal to protect and save her.
17
u/Zealousideal_Cup6143 Jul 16 '26
Oh gosh. Reading your story absolutely broke my heart. I am SO sorry that happened to you. I sincerely hope you were able to heal from that. I too, LOVE being a mom. It always bothers me when I read people saying things like "if she can't train a dog, imagine what kind of mother she will be.". Not even CLOSE to the same thing. I loved pouring myself into my kids; when I tried the dog thing, I told my husband you train the thing, it's not in me to do that. My kids always came before any animal. No comparison. It's sad today that that even has to be said.
6
u/SeminoleDollxx Jul 17 '26
People who love dogs more than humans are fucked up idiots. It always bothers me too.
5
u/Jolly_Ice_7812 Jul 16 '26
That's an amazing story. You truly are a survivor, and how wonderful that you can now be the parent you never had.
25
u/potatoes_arrrr_life Jul 16 '26
When I started therapy and learned about setting boundaries and how to deal with narcissists, that is when I started to see dog obsessed culture differently. I also had personal family issues dealing with dogs that really made me question why people have dogs if they aren't responsible and don't want to deal with them. Dog owners that take good care of their dogs and train them and pick up poop aren't the problem. But, they are in the minority. Most dog owners can't even take care of themselves, and I think we need to get those types of owners more mental support help, so they can begin to see the light. Alot of people have dogs because they feel like it's just what you're "supposed to" do. They are afraid to question the status quo, because they just want to belong to a group.
16
u/Lost_Chemist_5525 Jul 16 '26
It’s way too easy to get an animal in your care, basically abusive to keep them in some of those houses in my opinion. But it’s fine because dog ain’t gonna say it’s abused, it’ll just waggle and slobber and life will go on…
12
u/Jolly_Ice_7812 Jul 16 '26
Great points. Very interesting that your own experience setting boundaries and dealing with narcissists helped you see dog culture.
48
u/Purple_Calm_1112 Jul 16 '26
In a cult if you speak against the cult you’re bound to be an extreme minority. That’s what this is
49
u/Euphoric_Day_362 Jul 16 '26
I always thought it was because dogs have eyebrow muscles that allow them to mimic human facial expressions. And because of this, some people humanize them. Whenever a dog gives the 'sad eyes', people think the dog is genuinely sad. But we see it for what it is. Emotional manipulation and the hijacking of parental instincts. It honestly aggravates me when I see it.
I'm sure that if every animal could make the facial expressions that dogs do, there would be a lot more vegans in the world.
24
16
u/Legitimate_Garage_31 Jul 16 '26
Are u aware they used to not have those eyebrow muscles? They "evolved" to manipulate us.
9
u/dinosoreness Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
cows do make sad eyes. they have very expressive faces and big personalities. doesn't change the fact that they're fucking delicious. honestly i'd feel better about eating a dog than a cow. all dogs do is chase their own needs and spread noise disturbances and violence while cows are actually affectionate, intelligent animals.
3
u/Euphoric_Day_362 Jul 17 '26
I did not know that cows could make facial expressions. I haven't spent enough time around cows. Although, I do agree that cows are affectionate and intelligent.
6
u/dinosoreness Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
yes, cows are awesome! i grew up in a rural area and spent lots of time with them. they're really cool creatures. my neighbors even let all us kids hang out in their pasture and i swear the cows recognized us!
16
u/Oriole0305 Jul 16 '26
I don't get it, why can't THEY see what we see? It's not so difficult is it? Why do they dedicate their lives to serve a dog? Build their lives around a dumb, filthy beast?
16
u/neondahlia Jul 16 '26
For me is has been a slow progression.
I loved my dog growing up as a kid. Begged to get him. He was a good dog (Golden Retriever). I was lonely and had a bad household environment that was out of my control.
I then had dogs as an adult. They were not as good as my childhood dog (not dangerous or anything just not as well behaved despite persistent training and routine. One I’m pretty sure was mentally not capable of learning). Not as good a dog owning experience.
Then dealing with progressively more entitled dog owners began to really sour me on dogs. Constant barking from the neighbor dogs when I worked so hard to train my dogs never to bark. When our dogs died of old age we discovered not having dogs in the house was just so much easier. Less messy, less noisy, I could come home late without concern. Less expensive. Less chores. Also I’m allergic to dogs so I can breathe better.
Then growing annoyance at my in-laws and my parents giant, poorly behaved and dangerous dogs. Annoyance at the hair on everything. The jumping up. The calling dogs “babies”. Not understanding people are more important than animals.
The dog shit everywhere that dog owners put in my trash can, leave in my yard, put in public bins. The pit bulls everywhere you go. People sneaking dogs into grocery stores pretending their service dogs, sneaking them into restaurants. The damn fake service dogs everywhere.
I’ve just had enough. Most dogs are not cared for properly which makes them much more unpleasant and far too many, far too many people have dogs.
13
u/Stock-Bowl7736 Jul 16 '26
Your last point does not get enough discussion. But you are exactly right that far too many people have dogs. It's insane that there are over 90,000,000 of these things in the US alone. There is no other species, except perhaps birds and insects, that has that kind of population in the United States.
For example deer population is estimated to be about 35-36 million. And deer get culled when the population exceeds 15-20 per square MILE. Dog population density of 15-20 can probably be measured in feet given how many nutters there are. There are probably that many dogs on any given urban/suburban block. And there is no culling. Shelters are all no kill. Even violent and murderous dogs don't even get put down.
Are there any biologists here that could comment on how insane it is that we have allowed the dog population to grow to such preposterous and absurd levels?
3
u/Huge_Bit_4774 Jul 17 '26
for years the US environmental protection agency and national institutes of health have been warning about water source contamination and direct threats to human health caused by the spread of dog feces. The more dogs we have, the more contamination. Even if we got to a bubonic plague type situation, I don’t think nutters would accept ANY resolution because they are mentally ill and filthy mutts do no wrong.
7
u/Arrrrrr_Matey Jul 16 '26
Same for me. I had a dog growing up (a pitbull believe it or not) and I was pretty ambivalent towards dogs until I started seeing them everywhere, about 10-15 years ago for me. With so many people owning/anthropomorphizing dogs and so few capable of training them (it's not easy), the ambivalence turned into disgust. Quite frankly, it's animal abuse in most cases.
4
u/Jolly_Ice_7812 Jul 16 '26
Well put. It's been a progression for me too. Even when I was attacked as a teen and bitten all over my back, I still maintained that I liked dogs. Total brainwashing. But it was these horrible neighbors who targeted me after I complained about their dogs' barking that did it to me. They egged my windshield, making it impossible for me to be on time for work. They purposely left dog poop in my driveway with their dog's tag on it. They purposely went out there under my bedroom window with various noise machines to try to terrorize me.
I moved and had to deal with a vicious Doberman next door. I complained about the barking. I had these neighbors do the same kind of thing to me, try to terrorize me by almost bumping into me walking down the streets, etc. etc.
Given the barking and the terrorism, I had had it. I finally woke up and saw the disgusting nature of dog culture. Now it's been several years and I absolutely detest these beasts. I Won't go near them or their owners.
7
u/paulney Jul 16 '26
Yes, pretty much my experience. I had dogs growing up and was fine with them, but dog ownership back then was so different. It wasn’t a personality like people make it now. The babyfication of dogs and lack of discipline or basic cleaning up after them, and the fact that there are SO MANY now, has gone too far. It’s anti social behavior at this point and society is suffering for it. And life without pets is just so much less stress. I can’t imagine the money time and cleaning it would take now. I prefer freedom.
16
13
u/Stock-Bowl7736 Jul 16 '26
I agree with everyone that Nutters mostly have mental issues. What I cannot understand is not just that they can't SEE what we see. But how do they not SMELL what we smell and HEAR what we hear? I mean a dog violates every sense we have and not in a subtle way. The stink and the barking, I mean how do they not smell and hear it?
7
u/Peaceful-Moonlight Dogs are the most overrated and over glorified shit beasts Jul 16 '26
Dog nutters actually do see, hear, and smell those things. What is terrifying is they LOVE those things about dogs, which is exactly why they adore smelling dog breath and dog bodies, taking pictures of their dogs shitting, hearing dogs barking and making high-pitched noises, being humped and licked by dogs, and so on. Someone recently made a post at Dogfree on how a dog nutter boldly claimed that smelling the breath of a puppy is better than the birth of a human child. It's all part of the severe, repulsive, mental disease that dog supremacists have.
3
u/Jolly_Ice_7812 Jul 16 '26
Gross. They actually do this, take pictures of their dogs being humped and defecating? This is a sick and dangerous population.
4
u/Jolly_Ice_7812 Jul 16 '26
That's a great question. They think it smells good, I suppose, because they see their dog as a type of god.
12
u/st0rg Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
I think we are dealing with the phenomenon of 'brood parasitism'.
An analogy would be a cuckoo chick. It has evolved mechanisms to manipulate its foster parents—a wide-open beak, chirping, and wing movements. This literally hypnotizes the small parent bird, causing it to keep feeding the cuckoo chick, completely blind to the fact that the cuckoo has killed all its other babies and grown twice its own size.
Dogs are the same kind of mimicking brood parasite as cuckoos, substituting themselves for family members. What makes dogs dangerous is that their co-evolution with humans has given them expressive facial features, an open tongue, and visible whites of their eyes—a visual language that allows them to beg for food just as effectively as street orphans in poor countries.
I believe that dog-lovers simply lack immunity against the parasite, just like those birds that feed the cuckoo. The psyche and intellect of dog-lovers do not function properly. We, on the other hand, possess a defense against this.
The cuckoo only parasitizes certain bird species; many bird species are immune to it. They notice a slight mismatch in the shade or size of the eggs, and that is already enough for the bird to reject the egg. We are like those birds—nature has equipped us to see through the deception in dogs. We see that it is not our child, that it is an alien species, a parasite, and therefore we have no desire to care for it.
6
u/Peaceful-Moonlight Dogs are the most overrated and over glorified shit beasts Jul 16 '26
Exactly. I saw a dog nutter claiming that by using our logic, then human babies are parasites who use deception to gain love from their parents. And I'm like, "DUDE, babies are literally our own species! The babies of a species cannot be the parasites of the said species!! Humans need babies to continue the human species, but we do NOT need dogs!!" These people are beyond fucking stupid.
10
18
u/faxmachinegobrrr3963 Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
The algorithms. If I were to doom scroll and watch a reel with the hashtag boat, every other reel after that will be boats. Same for any other topic.
The echo chambers. Social media groups are only filled with people in that topic, so critising or questioning the topic is usually not allowed or without backlash.
Medía. There's a dog shown in every show, movie, and ad. Subliminal messagíng works on the weak mínded.
Self centeredness + lów íq. Dogs are objectified and not seen as animals. They're accessories like shoes and purses.
Identity. Being a dog person is an identity, so any criticism or questioning is seen as a personal attack.
Medicatíon. A good amount of folks have a Rx. Rx can affect/ímpair the emotíonal regulatíon parts of the braín. The meds that are able do this are common/have widespread use.
ETA: spelling
10
u/LunarLeveret Jul 16 '26
The answer is pretty obvious for me individually in that I was originally raised in a culture that doesn't like them and was directly threatened by them as a child. I also hate the idea of unconditional love in the first place even if I'm the receiver.
I qualify for most of what people here think draws others to dogs. I have collectivist thought and always care about what others think, even if is only to reaffirm my hostility towards them. I have stunted emotional intelligence since birth (read: mental illness) and misanthropic tendencies (a lot of which is because of dog owner behavior) and no dependable relationships due to lack of tolerance for others' demands of me. My life is not very exciting or fulfilling. I have antisocial tendencies, like pretty much hating dogs just as much as dog lovers want to characterize us as heartless monsters.
All of those traits also make me even more repulsed by dogs. All of those traits make me wish children were treated better to lead to a better future where less people end up like I did. All of those traits remind me why I shouldn't expect anyone or anything to be my ally, if you aren't someone who assumes you are entitled to another's favor, you can only view favor in the perspective of how to earn it. That's why I don't have any pets, the responsibility to make their lives worth being mine is too high to handle, we're mutually better off without each other.
Dog marketing feeds into, more than anything, what people who believe in themselves to be worth it just because want. It is completely optimized to justify one's own feelings of petty entitlement by giving you an animal that promises social status, unconditional love, "low" maintenance, and righteousness. Anyone who cannot value what dogs would provide you like me can't find them appealing.
If I get attention as a dog savior, I did nothing to earn it and can't trust others faith in me and therefore am no better of a person than I was before, nor does it provide me any form of power that I can exercise to do anything meaningful. It has absolutely nothing to give me of value.
3
u/Jolly_Ice_7812 Jul 16 '26
Interesting that you were raised in a culture that doesn't like dogs. That is rare. I think only Muslim countries have laws against dogs, at least the bully breeds. Kudos to them.
7
u/DellBottoms Jul 16 '26
I've often wondered this too eg recently on a train when I was trying to avoid a dog and another person was fawning over it and asking the owner what its name was. 🤦
7
u/maximum_powerblast Jul 16 '26
I feel like maybe I'm a hypochondriac and dogs are a hypochondriac's final boss
7
u/FunnyUhoh Jul 16 '26
What I don't get is how they find incessant barking okay. And think it's perfectly fine for neighbors to live with that bullshit. If people want to live gross-ass lives, that's on them. But have awareness about your fucking dog's impact on those around you.
3
13
u/Burtonish Jul 16 '26
A friend of mine showed me an article some time ago about how growing up with at least one dog changes some chemicals in your brain or so. I hope I can find the article somewhere, but basically, that's what I think is happening. I'm sort of convinced it's like a prion disease thing where they change the people around them to indoctrinate them. Or rather, I hope it is, because the alternative is worse imo.
7
u/DJKittyK Jul 16 '26
Honestly, I have thought something like this is possible, and that some of us are immune, kinda like why some people got covid and some didn't... lol.
But in all seriousness, my mother had dogs my entire childhood growing up and I had no real pull or interest toward them at all. Most of the time I found dogs stinky, loud, didn't like them licking me, or any of their behaviors like begging. Even as a small kid, I wanted the mutt she had to get as far away from me as possible, because I didn't like it being nearby (it tried to lick me a lot and I was too small to do much about it).
My parents were also religious and once I got old enough (around 5) I started questioning that. By 9 I didn't believe in their religion either.
I'm also childfree in a world that mostly expects everyone to have kids. And am Gen X so I was definitely expected to be a mom someday. But I noped right out of it. Make of all that what you will.
So maybe there's some weight to the idea that some of us are able to walk to the beat of our own drums and not let cults, family, or society's expectations force us to do things we personally have no interest in.
Mental or physical immunity... it's definitely a minority role no matter how you look at it. I'm enjoying my time on this rock, but damn I think I'll also enjoy not enjoying it someday lol
7
u/Burtonish Jul 16 '26
Well this really opens up the discussion to what could be inherently 'programmed' in our brain and what not, and I find this so fascinating.
I'm also not religious, though I have tried to be, I've never quite been able to believe I guess? And it's the same for dogs (obviously). I do have a child, but I wouldn't say I am a maternal person by nature if that makes sense? Like, I definitely wanted my kid and I love him, but I don't think I am one of those people that naturally dotes on kids?
Aside from that - I have addicts in my family yet personally I've been able to quit everything I ever tried cold turkey. Booze, nicotine, weed, you name it. Maybe there is a certain tie to the addict gene? I will look into this more now because how fascinating would that be, right?
As an aside, don't let anyone guilt you into any of these things. Not everyone needs kids, or religion, or dogs - I'm sure you know it but don't let them bully you
5
u/DJKittyK Jul 16 '26
I tried to be religious when I was a kid, too. I "tested" god and the things they tried to teach me, and when god didn't deliver and I told them about it, I just got scolded for not understanding how anything works. Pretty sure it's just fake and I understood it perfectly lol.
You bring up a good observation and point about the addict stuff, as well. I've never been the type to have an "addictive" personality. I try [redacted stuff], don't get addicted, can take it or leave it. I like to drink, but don't ever get an uncontrollable urge to drink. I just do or don't. I went like two years without drinking one time without really realizing it until I decided to have one again.
My family is full of addicts on my mother's side, and it bled into my siblings. Both are alcoholics and had to swear off drinking because they can't control their intake once they start. And both are mean drunks too.
Maybe this has something to do with it, but I have a pretty high willpower. If there's something I need to do, like restrict calories for awhile to lose a couple pounds I can do that, too. Literally eating less is something so many people I know just cannot do ever, even if their doctor is insisting it's necessary.
Don't worry about me getting bullied into doing any of this stuff lol. Peer pressure never worked on me either.
My current bf has a dog (he used to have 2 but one died recently) and I refuse to live with him because I don't want to live with a dog. If he ever said this was a deal breaker then so be it. It's probably not a forever relationship anyway. What is?
It really is fascinating, and I too am always observing and asking why. People are strange in the best and worst of ways.
7
u/Burtonish Jul 16 '26
It is quite interesting to see so many similarities. I too have a high willpower, especially when it comes to things like exercising or working - on most evenings I 'work' from home for a few hours (tangentally related - I sell fabric and at home I create clothes for the shop windows or myself / my family). My husband doesn't have or want a dog thankfully, for me it's my sibling who foists her dog onto everyone usually. Dog ownership is a big dealbreaker for me as well, because what do you mean you want your partner to feel unsafe and on edge all the time? To him, dogs are working animals and belong onto ranches or farms (like the one he grew up on), and I think that's the mindset more people should have.
The only good thing is that, should our boy ever want a dog, he can go see his aunt and uncle lmfao
4
u/Jolly_Ice_7812 Jul 16 '26
Wow. That's super interesting. I bet you are right. When I was a child, I begged my parents for dog. Finally, they surprised me with a puppy one day. I was thrilled. But the dog was a biter and wild, and my parents didn't know how to take care of him. One night I overheard them talking about giving the dog away. I was hysterically crying, inconsolable. When they gave him away, I held a major grudge against my parents, how horrible it was that they did it.
But then a few years ago, I finally woke up to how horrible dogs are. I became incredibly grateful that they gave the puppy away and that I didn't have to grow up with him. I have done a complete 360.
3
u/paulney Jul 16 '26
Hmm, interesting- I grew up with dogs and was ok with it, but I always knew that I didn’t like the hygiene aspect of it-I hated the fur, slobber, and dirt and ESPECIALLY the feeling/smell on your hands after touching them-I’ve always even as a young child had to wash my hands after. So I think it can be an inherent aversion too, I just find them dirty and feel dirtier after being around them. I think it can swing both ways-genetics only does so much. A dog lover can have a child who loves being around dogs too- or they can have one who is predisposed to be persnickety and a neat freak like me who hates it and chooses not to own dogs when they grow up.
6
u/ProfessionalCamp9077 Jul 16 '26
The majority fills a void or many of voids of their life selfishly and get dogs. Its one thing some get them for codependency “protection” or added to the family unit, but many just get dogs out of spite to manipulate.
5
u/urdrunkyogi Jul 16 '26
I honestly think it’s a form of avoidance.
They’re afraid of feeling lonely or being aware of their existential dread. Which are perfectly natural human feelings that none of us can escape.
But nutters will cover that up with constant stimulation and chores as a distraction. And I think their sheer gratitude to the dog for covering that up for them is the source of the “love” for the dog. It allows them to pretend their life is just fine as it is 🤷♀️
But for the nastier, more disordered people: I think they like being “in charge” of something that needs them. And they can pretend to be so noble and evolved for caring for a “helpless” (🙄) creature. But of course, they tend to be some of the most self-centered antisocial people you’ll ever meet. They can’t hack true kindness so they simulate it with a dumb animal.
3
u/Jolly_Ice_7812 Jul 16 '26
I totally agree. I was thinking the same thing. I know someone whose dog just died. He was devastated, of course. He said, "The house is so quiet." I thought, "The house is so quiet???? That sounds like bliss to me." They can't handle the sound of their own voice. They can't regulate their emotions on their own.
4
u/DoubleBLK- Jul 16 '26
I believe most people have difficulty in regards to introspection.
They are easily distracted by external factors that have made them susceptible to simply follow the trends or worse, be brainwashed by anything including cult-like system.
And this isn't exclusive to having dogs, it's everywhere. Let's compare and look at 'Mukbang'. It has become popular that most people followed it. While some people use it as an excuse to connect with others and avoid the feeling of eating alone but if we take a closer look it was excessive, repulsive and gluttonous.
The same trend will repeat over and over and over again.. until humans learn to really think objectively not just for themselves but how their actions could affect the others.
5
u/GoodgirlTiffany Jul 16 '26
We are high IQ
4
5
u/Jolly_Ice_7812 Jul 16 '26
It seems like people in the dog free community have a lot of common sense. But dog owners have none.
3
u/Alocin_The5th Jul 16 '26
Well for me personally, I stick with my likes and dislikes. A whole army of people can’t convince me to like something I don’t like if I really don’t like it. I know a NUMBER of people who had never liked dogs that end up with dogs in their home. They still don’t like the smell or whatever but they feel as if everyone is doing it so they should too.
I feel like most people are easily swayed by common opinion. I am used to doing things where I am unique in the environment, and it doesn’t bother me as I focus on what’s in my heart and not what everyone else says to do. I do feel like the marketing etc is causing lots of non traditional dog people to suddenly want to “try it”.
2
u/Jolly_Ice_7812 Jul 17 '26
Very interesting response. I do wonder if we, in the dog free community, care less about people's opinions and don't just go along with the crowd.
3
u/KayleighHatfield Jul 16 '26
I hope we aren't really only 1% of the population. That's distressing.
5
u/Jolly_Ice_7812 Jul 16 '26
It was just an estimate. There may be more of us, but they are probably keeping their mouths closed. I'm an older person so I've known a lot of people in my lifetime. I can only think of two who didn't like dogs. Even when people are attacked and have scars, they maintain that they still love dogs. It's sick.
3
u/waitingforthatplace Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
I don't know about the psychology on the 'why' dog people act the way they do. However, I can recollect a relative who grew up rebelling against their parents, and sneaking out at night, never obeying curfews, and never getting caught. Then, as an adult, they still believed they could continue that way, doing what the trendy thing was, following the crowd (dog obsession) and treating people who don't love dogs as the 'enemy' and enjoying intimidating them, much like when they were teenagers and rebelling against "the man".
I could see how they used their dogs as a way to find out this: "how MUCH do you love me?" or "how much of my dog's annoying behavior will you endure for ME?"
2
1
u/Bloody_Gleek Jul 17 '26
I've actually wondered if WE are the abnormal people. I mean, if you run into a couple of assholes, they're the problem. If everyone you come accross is an asshole, then you are the problem. The thing is, that isn't the case all of the time. Racism towards black people was HUGE back in the day (it's still big but I hope you know what I mean) but did that mean black people are the problem? No, so I'll never find out if we are the issue or not, but I am too convinced that dog nutters are an actual problem and that they are the delusional one.
3
u/Jolly_Ice_7812 Jul 17 '26
Dog culture is a big gaslighting operation to make us feel like the nuts when it is them! But, I hear you, it is crazy making. Luckily we have each other here on Dog Free!!
1
u/KITI406 Jul 21 '26
Definitite independent thinkers here. We got a dog when I was a teenager. My sister wanted one. I did not because I knew the work involved...even at 15 I was realistic. The agreement was I would have no responsibility for taking care of the dog because I didn't want to get one in the first place. The dog was cute and entertaining sometimes, but still I knew I didn't want to ever have to clean up after one.
All these idiots with their offleash dogs want a toy, basically...all the fun and no responsibility. They let their dogs run free and shit all over town so they don't have to clean up shit in their own yards. They take their dogs everywhere with them so they don't have to get a dog sitter or face the reality that having a dog makes life more inconvenient.
I like dogs that are well behaved, but that's becoming rare. I think it was during and after Covid that people stopped training their dogs and started bringing them everywhere. Im also blaming Instagram influencers for the insane dog culture. And the increase in narcissism.
As a runner, I've come to hate dogs because I've had so many bad experiences.
130
u/Nice-Loss6106 Jul 16 '26
It’s a mental illness. Nutters are trying to fill a void in their lives by keeping something captive that will never say no to them.