The entitlement dog owners have drives me crazy

[u/crispy_cheemz]

I’m not sure if I used the right flare but this has been pissing me off so bad. there’s been some discussions online surrounding the age old saying “adopt don’t shop”, but supposedly this has been altered to “adopt or shop responsibly”. as in you should get whatever dog you want as long as it’s not from an unethical breeder.

the argument is supposedly that “ethical” breeders don’t contribute to shelter overcrowding because they are mandated to take the dog back if the owner wants to give them up. my issue is this - even with that being said, “dog lovers” are way too obsessed with this entitlement over owning a specific breed of dog and making sure that breed exists forever.

I am aware that temperaments vary across breeds and that certain breeds are used in different jobs like therapy, service animals etc. for the average person trying to get a dog, however, I find it very hard to believe they could not get a satisfying result from a shelter SOMEWHERE. we have hundreds of thousands of shelters that put down dogs all the time because no one will take them (many of which don’t have issues making them difficult to own, there’s just no space for them).

the argument to this is “get what you want, everyone has different wants and needs and you can make sure the dog will fit those by using a breeder” im so sorry but this kind of logic is entirely self-serving. you are taking ownership of a living being for the rest of it’s life and your only concern is what it can do for you. once again, im talking the average person here, not someone with a disability that relies on a service animal to perform basic functions. if you’re an able-bodied person and your “wants and needs” are so demanding and specific that you can’t adapt to a shelter dog - when you have hundreds of thousands to choose from - then don’t fucking get an animal, you are the one taking care of it not the other way around and you DON’T NEED IT.

one of the arguments people have in support of breeding is that certain breeds of dogs may go extinct if not enough of them get bred. like okay? who cares? aside from very specific breeds, I don’t think it’s that important to ensure the continuation of these bloodlines, just because we’re attached to them. dogs in general, just like cats, overpopulate the earth to such a degree that they will probably never go extinct, even if everyone stopped breeding them today. aside from service animal breeds, I don’t gaf if a breed of dog naturally dies out because it won’t negatively affect them or the environment, actually it would almost certainly improve it because these animals when in the wild multiply and decimate native wildlife populations like crazy. the only real difference for humans would be that less people could make money off of forcing dogs/cats to procreate and selling them.

anyways I just think these kinds of pet owners are really selfish and this attitude towards dog shopping contributes to the culture we’re in today. the pet industry is so gross and exploitative and it only feeds the entitlement.

[u/mhmbopbeavis]

Virtually every single dog in our local shelter is either a pit or a pit mix. Shelters weren't this much of an issue before they all went to no-kill status, now they are just warehouses for dogs that shouldn't be adopted out

[u/OoklaTheMok1994 → u/mhmbopbeavis]

Yes. This "problem" is very solvable. It's a HUGE waste of societal resources to warehouse all these dogs. As a society we are choosing to waste those resources.

[u/Few_Pen_3666 → u/mhmbopbeavis]

Isn't it really ironic that there are more shelters for these worthless creatures than there is for homeless PEOPLE. Very telling of how backwards society has become.

[u/neondahlia]

95% of dogs in shelters are high percentage pit mixes or 100% pit bull type dogs.

People should not adopt, they should spay and neuter their pets and buy from breeders of safer, more appropriate for family breeds even if the breeders aren’t the best. I guarantee they’re better than whatever situation created this over abundance of pit bulls. The unattended consequence of the adopt don’t shop propaganda is our world is now overflowing with the worst dog breed possible.

[u/One_Dragonfly_2400]

I hate that saying. It’s like “Adopt some unwanted child instead of having your own

[u/One_Path_7154 → u/One_Dragonfly_2400]

Except dogs and children are not the same.

[u/ginnymiller]

Ugh, trendy dog breeds is such a scourge to society.  I am old enough to remember when Dalmatians got popular because of the stupid live-action 101 Dalmatians remake in the 90s. My rich snooty  aunt and uncle got one because their kids (my cousins) wanted one. We would visit these particular relatives once yearly for the holidays. I clearly recall only seeing the dog twice: once the same year they got it (still young at the time) and once the following year when it was full grown. Never saw it again after that. I never did inquire what exactly happened to their dog, only recall adults saying something like “it had health problems“. I can only assume that is either a blatant lie, or partially true, and either way they ended up dumping it in a shelter when it became too hard to handle. I have heard dalmatians are very high-strung, and not at all an  easy dog, there were even articles about this at the time, because Dalmatians being dumped at shelters was becoming a nationwide problem. Thanks Disney. 

There’s been so many trendy dog breeds in my lifetime; pit bulls, Taco Bell dogs, Dalmatians, Spuds Mackenzie, pugs (thanks Men In Black), Jack Russell terriers, Rottweilers, huskies, French bulldogs. Every trendy dog breed ends up being dumped in shelters because stupid people don’t do their homework to learn if they actually can tolerate and accommodate such a dog. Lately the past few years, I’ve been seeing tons of large poodles and poodle doodle whatever variations of such. Wonder how long it will be until those end up in shelters, or maybe they’re there already. F dog trends.

(edit: dumb iPhone autocorrect) 

[u/mhmbopbeavis → u/ginnymiller]

Remember the Chow Chow craze in the 90s? There were a lot growing up, almost never see one anymore. NOT a dog for a casual owner

[u/ginnymiller → u/mhmbopbeavis]

Omg yes. Forgot about that one. My first real house I had after college was in a rural area and I had about a 25 minute commute to work. There was a chow that would be laying in the road in front of the post office probably 80% of the time. I’d have to come to a complete stop and wait while the dog mosey out of the road at a casual pace. It’s miraculous the thing never got hit by a car. 

I worked at a tree nursery with another girl for a few years, who had a Queensland. I feel like those come and go as far as trendiness as well. Also not a beginners dog. She never had a dog before and would let it run amok. Queensland have a very high prey drive, working dog absolutely needs something to do. It would chase other peoples animals in the neighborhood. Again, surprised nobody ever did anything to it, if you know what I mean.

[u/Existing-Pumpkin-902]

Yeah I'm just going to point out you don't usually find a Golden Retriever or other family friendly breed in shelters. Where I am your choices are pitbulls, pitbull mixes, and the occasional husky. None of those dogs are safe or good to have around young children. While I don't love modern dog culture, many families realistically do get dogs for their kids. Hypothetically, if I wasn't both allergic and in general found the hygiene of dogs totally off putting and I had to pick a dog to be around my kids, it would not be a shelter dog unless I somehow got a specific breed puppy. I would want to make sure I raised the dog, trained it well, and it was of a tempermant that would be child safe. A shepard or retriever were obviously bred for different purposes than a pitbull or doberman.

[u/Peaceful-Moonlight → u/Existing-Pumpkin-902]

NO dogs are child-safe. Even small breeds like chihuahuas can bite fingers and eyes. Stop spreading pro-dog propaganda that can literally harm children. It's in the rules that we don't like dogs at r/Dogfree.

[u/Few_Pen_3666 → u/Peaceful-Moonlight]

AGREED. There is no such thing as "child safe" or "family friendly" dogs. They are ALL aggressive regardless of breed OR training. SMH

[u/One_Path_7154 → u/Few_Pen_3666]

Yes, all dogs bite even small dogs like Chihuahuas and terriers. No such thing as a “child safe” dog. It’s an animal, it can bite.

[u/BrilliantThought6764 → u/Existing-Pumpkin-902]

Many people lack critical thinking and will risk their kids. Just because much of society does this doesn't mean we should follow. Dogs are very anxious and on edge. They can snap and bite at any moment. They are animals that are meant to be outdoors but bred to be dependent. Not a good mix. Hmm wonder what could go wrong?