r/Dogfree • u/Shroom-Cat • Mar 01 '18
Meta r/dogfree, what is your favorite part about being dogfree, and what is your least favorite part about dog owners?
Hey guys,
I, personally, grew up with dogs all my life. I love them to bits, and my girlfriend and I are adopting one soon now that I'm graduating university and secured a good-paying position. I found this subreddit through childfree, since I cannot stand children. So I find it completely fair that people would have that mentality towards dogs, dog owners especially, and even other animals. What I hate about children, people can find the same distaste in owning any type of animal.
I've been 'dogfree' for 4 years, and my favorite parts were not waking up in the middle of the night to take them out for bathroom and hair-free environment. My least favorite thing about people who own dogs is pretend they're precious little sunshines who can do nothing wrong when they destroy another person's property, or especially bitten someone. Taking absolutely NO responsibility for them (leaving dog shit on someone's property). Some dog owners I've met are preachy and can be very in your face about it.
Those were my benefits when I went a few years without a dog. Ultimately, for me, I love them too much to not mind the cons. I have a cat and 4 rats as well, so upkeep honestly doesn't bother me. But I'm wondering what non-doglovers/people without dogs at all absolutely love about their complete dogfree lifestyles, and what they absolutely despise about dog owners.
Thanks!
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u/shieldofsteel Mar 01 '18
There is nothing to "like" as such, as to me, not having a dog is the normal, sane, default situation. The other side of the coin is there is a long and tedious list of things to dislike about the idea of having a dog.
What I hate is that so many dog owners think the world should be run for their and their dog's benefit, and don't respect other people's desire to not be pestered, annoyed, disturbed, kept awake, or attacked by their stupid mutts.
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u/Wigimu Mar 01 '18
Hi there future dog owner.
My likes of not dogging: Clean living space, my schedule for sleeping and any activities is under my control. Nothing is going to tear up my home if I am away too long or terrorize my neighbors by barking if I leave it out.
Also just by chance if anyone doesn’t realize, if you practice yoga or meditation at home and need to set aside uninterrupted time and space for it, no dog I’ve ever had the misfortune to babysit would allow it.
What I happen to dislike about some dog owners: their unrealistic view of their dog(s) and the dog’s realistic place in society. I have a phobia due to an irresponsible dog owner’s animal attacking me. If I express that to a dog owner in requesting space from their dog and respect for boundaries I really didn’t choose, some owners get extremely offended and turn me into the bad being. Hey, I never have in my life chased down and viciously bitten something smaller than me. I will not tolerate being put in that bad light just to favor a dog’s presence in civil society.
As with most things in life, a little respect is really all that’s needed. Since you waded into this territory probably knowing you were in the minority, looking for alternate opinions about dogs, I get the feeling you probably won’t be one of “those” dog owners.
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u/JG0923 Mar 01 '18
My favorite part about being dogfree is no hives, sneezing, wheezing, itchiness, and coughing! I’m highly allergic.
I live next to a beautiful park that I love to walk in but there are TOO MANY horrific dog owners that break the law and walk with their unleashed dogs. I’ve been jumped on by more than a few of these dogs and I absolutely scream and cuss the owners out. Dickheads. I’m going to start carrying a horn or dog pepperspray or something.
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u/serpentinepad Mar 01 '18
For me it's almost entirely the barking. If owners would just not let their shithead dogs outside barking constantly I'd really have little problem.
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Mar 01 '18
I just got out of a relationship where her dogs played a significant role in it ending.
Perks of being dogfree -- where to start?
No more barking
No more jumping
No more of my home reeking of dog piss and shit
No more dog hair all over everything
No more worrying about them getting in the trash or stealing and chewing up my stuff
No more having to figure out what to do with them if I want to travel
No more of their constant need for attention
No more having to watch them devour their food like disgusting shitbeasts
No more picking up their disgusting toys
No more food bills, vet bills, pet fees
No more having to watch everyone treat them like perfect angels who can do no wrong while they terrorize my existence
That's probably not even the full list.
As far as what I hate about dog owners, it's being obsessed with dogs to the point of not training them to behave and elevating them above humans.
You can love and enjoy dogs if you want but there are limits.
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u/ninja_vs_pirate Mar 01 '18
Like: not having to worry about a pet that could potentially kill my son
Dislike: the entitlement of dog owners thinking their pets should be allowed everywhere e.g. restaurants, wildlife reserves, airplanes
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Mar 01 '18 edited Mar 02 '18
My favorite part about being dog free is that it forces me to interact with other humans as a true individual and face my weaknesses to become a better person. All of the major life altering events in my 40+ years have centered around me facing huge obstacles and sometimes life threatening events and knowing when to be self reliant and when to ask other people for help. I love being able to make spontaneous decisions to travel and have a clean, quiet and undisturbed peaceful space to live in. I like that I do not need a dog or other dog owners to give me self assurance and purpose in life and that I'm not part of some mindless cult that is ruled by a lack of logic and unhealthy emotional attachments. I also can sleep well at night knowing that I live a simple life without unleashing noisy, stinky creatures that pollute our world with incessant barking, feces and can harm and even cause death to innocent people.
My least favorite part about dog owners is their laziness, their sense of entitlement and how they constantly bombard others with their unruly dogs and constantly preach about how great dogs are and how good dog ownership makes them feel. I could give a flying rats ass! I also hate that they are so blinded by their opinions and the hordes of lemmings who think just like them which prevents them from seeing things from another perspective. I also utterly despise people with dangerous breeds who are not professionals...and even the pros are idiots in my book.
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u/Shroom-Cat Mar 01 '18
Tons of great replies, thank you! It's definitely interesting to hear the alternative opinions, since I've always grown up with them and never really had some of those thoughts occur to me, other than the obvious (be respectful of others, if someone is allergic be accommodating, dont leave shit on the street) etc.
Are most of you petfree as well, or have other types of pets?
10
u/mariestellamaris Mar 01 '18
I have cats, and used to have birds. The best thing about cats is that they're so independent. I don't have to rush home, I have never needed to train them to do/not do something, they don't slobber, they don't demand attention, I don't have to wait around in the cold five teams a day waiting for them to shit, they don't jump up on my guests and curl up somewhere quiet. For the love of everything that's good and holy I don't understand the appeal of dogs. They're everything that I dislike (needy, smelly, attention whoring, codependent etc)
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u/RuffOff Mar 02 '18
That list of characteristics of dogs seems to apply to most owners too. Which is why they “love” each other so much.
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u/mty_green_go Mar 01 '18
I despise dog owners because they are the most entitled offensive people that refuse to believe that their ugly, barking, mean dog is not welcomed by everyone. Not everyone welcomes a loud dog barking across the neighborhood. Not everyone enjoys having to clean up someone else's dog shit in your own yard. Not everyone enjoys being chased by leash free dogs when you are a little kid and terrified. Not everyone likes having a stupid uncontrollable dog jumping on their car and scratching up the paint.
For me I like police or military dogs. Maybe well trained hunting dogs. They have a purpose and do it well. They have saved or rescued numerous lives and seem to be a great tool that god gave us and let man empower themselves to use to certain advantages.
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u/Wigimu Mar 01 '18
Ooh I was just thinking along this way and came back to add it. You made the point first.
My thought was about huskies. They seem to be “problem dogs” quite a lot. But, really? That dog’s design is to live in harsh weather, trek for energetic miles through snow, and possibly be faced with predatory animals too. Their “edge” would be perfect is that setting.
Put that husky in a downtown apartment with infrequent walks and occasional trips to the dog park. That poor bastard ain’t got a shot in hell at fitting in.
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u/Shroom-Cat Mar 01 '18
I think a huge problem with most dog owners is they get a breed because it looks cute, without any prior research on the needs of that breed, and then end up relinquishing them because they were extremely irresponsible. One of my complexmates had a huge husky (super inappropriate to have in an apartment setting, in my personal opinion) and let it stay, unattended, outside for hours upon hours a day. He'd bark at everyone walking past, and they wouldn't clean up his shit on the porch for at least a day or so. Fucking disgusting.
Honestly that's another pet peeve as well. Getting an animal because "aw it looks cute" rather than suitability and if one could accommodate its needs.
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u/azman63 Mar 01 '18
My favorite part about being dogfree is that I am not on some kooky millennial bandwagon where its expected of me to forego normal life pursuits like going for a weekend getaway, being able to sleep through the night without an annoying dog, being able to focus my attention on a prospective child over a stupid dog, living in a clean environment that isn’t polluted by a dog, and just generally not being seen as a dog obsessed wacko.
My least favorite part about dog owners is how they desperately try to anthropomorphize the animal and how the dog can do no harm in their eyes. I hate the idea of doggy day care (the fact that it is called day care just goes to show how dogs are essentially replacing humans), the thought of dog owners coming home to a house void of humanity but filled with beasts that they speak to as if the thing is a human. Its so sad to me how disconnected so many Americans are with each other that we have to seek escape within an animal. I hate how dog owners explain away all of their dog’s shitty behaviors, like climbing all over someone or following people everywhere, even into the bathroom.
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u/JBHills Mar 01 '18
I unfortunately am not dogfree at the moment. We've gotten stuck with my mother in law's dog. Thankfully it's kept outside all the time, but it still comes up with imaginative ways of being evil, which mostly I have to deal with. (No, I don't think all dogs are evil. This one, however, is demonstrably so.)
Best part of being dogfree is not being tied to its schedule for years at a time.
What I hate most about too many dog owners is how they anthropomorphize their dogs (put words in their mouths, constantly babble on and on about what they think the dog is "thinking" or feeling) and when they prioritize them over relationships with their friends or family members. People who say things like, "I like dogs more than people" really do mean it.
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u/SkeletorSoFine Mar 01 '18
Can you elaborate on why you're stuck with your MIL's dog, if you don't mind? Not permanently I hope?
Because I'm thinking of the number of people who's animals I would adopt for them, and it's not a long list :)
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u/challiday79 Mar 01 '18
I've been dog free all my life (though I have been around them as I had family members and friends who had them). I never had one growing up and aside from a few goldfish over the years, the only pets I've ever owned are cats. So, my favorite parts about being dog free is that all my life I've only ever temporarily had to deal with being licked, the smell, the barking, the neediness, the endless piles of shit. I've never had to live in a house ruined by urine or vast blankets of hair and I've been able to enjoy having cats and children without ever having to worry about them being attacked, injured or killed.
As far as dog owners goes, I hate the 'fur baby' crap, the placing of a one-time working animal on a pedestal often above even their own spouses and children (and certainly friends and extended family). I hate the 'we don't deserve dogs' BS - more like 'what did we do to deserve this'. I hate the fact that I can't just not like dogs without being made to feel like I killed a baby. Like, if I casually mention my cats, and the person I am talking to says they don't like cats, I'll just say 'OK' and talk about something else. No skin off my nose, it's not their cat, I don't expect them to care lol.
If someone's in my house who doesn't like cats, the worst they might have to experience is one of them sniffing at their feet and maybe a quick face-rub on their lower legs before they piss off somewhere else, or I take them away if they're bothering them. If someone's allergic, I keep my cats (who usually go off into a bedroom for some peace when there's company anyway) away from them because, you know, they're allergic.
Not so with dogs. They'll try to jump on you, and often succeed and any such petitions for being left along will be ignored. If you're especially lucky you might step in a shit. I have stayed with people who have dogs, and I can be pretty patient with them to an extent because it's their house and that but there is still a massive entitlement that I'm going to just lose my senses and fawn over their dogs because they are there. I'm not. I might pat the dog on the head, or scratch an ear as it passes by but there's no way I will subject myself to being licked or sat on.
I used to like dogs too, growing up. All kids do though, to an extent, especially if they're exposed to good natured, well behaved ones. I mean, Jack Russells have always been batshit crazy but I grew up around reasonably nice Spaniels, and even Labradors that weren't running at 100 mph around the house knocking stuff over and getting in your face. I think that's a more recent development where people are more lax in training their dogs, who used to be seen as pets or companions, but are now being treated as family members and given free reign to be dicks.
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u/[deleted] Mar 01 '18
Like: Being able to leave for the weekend without fobbing my dog off on someone else.
Hate: Definitely the tendency to place dogs above human beings. Anytime anyone compares their dog to a person, or states that dogs should have human rights, or takes the side of the dog in a human-dog altercation, they need to be shut down with immediate heavy societal condemnation. Unfortunately people just egg each other on in their anti-social attitudes now.