Just a guy with a dog. So??

Question

If a dog is a dog and a baby is a baby, dont you think it is dangerous to treat a dog like a baby with all the privelegdges of a child or would you treat a child like a dog?

Answer 1

One should love their dogs like they would love any other member of the family, but the fact is, dogs are a different species, and no amount of jeweled collars, doggie clothing, and (eww) doggie strollers will turn that puppy into a baby. I love my dog like it was my child, but I understand that dogs have much different needs. Dogs (even those toy breeds) don't need constant attention, petting, and loving; they need exercise, training, and discipline, too. I would never dream of putting a child in a crate, yet I do that to my dog on a daily basis, because that's what's good for him.

In all honesty, though, if children were treated a bit more like a well loved dog (with affection AND discipline) I bet we'd have a lot more mannered children than right how, with the hordes of ill mannered brats who have never been taught rules or boundaries.

Answer 2

Kind of. I'd make the reverse argument that you should indeed treat a dog like a baby. Many people let puppies run around the house and get upset (or get out the rolled up newspaper) if the puppy pees on the floor. Well, if you let an 18-month old child run around with no diapers and minimal supervision, would you be upset if the toddler peed on the floor? Would you use rolled up newspaper to "show dominance" over the small child? Of course, not... that's silly. If the toddler pooped on the floor or chewed on or ripped up important papers it found on the coffee table, you'd kick yourself for not supervising! But so many people expect a 10-week old puppy to have some kind of magical knowledge of how to behave in a house and the self-control to do so.

Then the problem comes in when people try to treat their dogs as they would treat an *older* child. In that case, you're absolutely right -- dogs are dogs and not small furry humans, and it's a mistake to treat them as such.

Answer 3

A dog is a dog and should be treated like a dog. That means no baby clothes, no strollers, no sleeping on furniture or our bed. People do not want their human baby to sleep on their bed but, they let their dogs do it, unbelievable. You know it is illegal and immoral to treat a child leke a dog and no one in their right mind would do it, so what does that tell you about the peoole here who tell you that they do it. Dogs CRAVE pack order, discipline and respect. They need to know their place in the pack and where the boundaries are. They need a capable leader that they can look up to and RESPECT and they need to know when the hammer will fall, all the time. Children need a lot of the same things I just mentioned above, but in a different context. A human is not a dog and should not be treated like one, and the same thing goes for a dog, it should be treated like a dog. It is when people cross the line that we have the problems that we have with our dogs.

Answer 4

A dog is a part of the family and in many cases a dog is treated better than a human so it would be better to be treated like a dog

Answer 5

A lot of people complain about how too many dog owners treat their dogs like their children. In fact, they do the exact opposite, and the questions they ask on these boards are perfect evidence of that!

Parents rush their little babies and children to the doctor for the smallest sniffle. They read book after book on proper childcare. However, their dog could be bleeding from it's eyeballs, and do they rush to the vet? No, they ask a question on the Internet instead.

It is obvious to me that people take very different care of their children than they do their dogs.

Answer 6

I think the association is made this way for a lot of people because of how much they value their pets, and the things they will do for their pets. I'm not talking extremes, but just simple things like buying a good quality dog food, toys, and regular vet check ups. The things we do to raise children well are similar to what we do to provide a healthy happy life for our dogs. My kids eat well, my dogs eat well, my kids have toys, my dogs have toys, I play with my kids, I play with my dogs. No, they are not children, and it's not like they sit at the dinner table, but still a valued part of the family. Some people get a little overboard about their pets, but that's their choice and if it becomes a problem, then it's their problem. I train my dogs, expect them to respect me and my family, but still love them all the same.

I say live and let live. So what if someone pampers their dog. If it doesn't cause an issue, then who cares. Not like anyone here who have a problem with it will ever need to deal with it. It comes down here to personal choices and opinions, and there are plenty here who have issues with considering a dog part of the family.

Answer 7

hey let up. no one will treat their child bad and no one will treat the dog bad. the saying '' it's my baby'' is a statement use to explain that the dog is treated good. not like one would treat a child. it's a statement of love. and l treat my child great and my dogs great both just like my babies. see what l am saying. GUYS

Answer 8

whilst we treat our dog with same kinda respect
given to ALL family members she still knows her place,n even visiting aunts with young children our dog knows she isnt above the children all dogs should know from day one, just because there loved and treated with respect,they have still got there place within the pack "so to speak"

Answer 9

No I'd treat my dog better.. I really dont like childern much and as to the person above .. Umm yeah you have a point.. But most people dont teach thier lil brats thier place in the "PACK" either.. But that dosent make me responsible for putting up with other morons brats does it? I choose not to have em.. why should i have to put up with yers people?

Oh and dont get me wrong.. I like children.. but only if they are cooked right...

Answer 10

i think u may be a little off with ur question. many, many people accross the globe treat their dogs as family members. i am one of those people. my dog comes inside the house, i feed her, bathe her, excersise her and play with her just as a mother would a child. while i do consider my dog, Lilie a part of my family, i am not jaded enough to believe that she is a child.

i do not treat her like a 'baby' but i do give her the attention and love that she needs and deserves. she is my responsibility and i love her dearly.

i wonder if when u post questions such as this, u consider the massive responsibilities that come with having a dog - or a child for that matter. when u adopt a dog, u welcome it into ur home. when u have a baby, u welcome it into ur home. this isnt to say that people actually think their dogs are babies.

i dont have any children but if i were to ever have any i wouldnt treat them as 'dogs'. i would treat them as children and live up to my responsibilities as a mother. just as i currently live up to my responsibilities as a dog owner.

i do not view dogs as "just a pet". i view them as a member of the family. in reality, my dog is in fact a dog and i do not view her as a child, but she is a special little thing.

i honestly dont believe that people would treat their dogs as babies and their babies as dogs, but maybe u dont see that people actually dont view their dogs as just animals. in this day and age people look at their dogs and really care for them. that is not to say that they actually consider them babies. they may call them "their little babies" or "their little fur children", but i think u may misunderstand them.

do u have dogs? and if u do, do u not view them as important members of ur family? or r they "just dogs" to u?

PS- i am the "leader of the pack" with my dog. i love her and consider her a member of the family, but she doesnt walk all over me. she knows that i am the boss. she wont walk out the door in front of me, she listens to everything i say and is very obediant.