Anonymous wrote:I've read this thread and thought about it a lot, and I think I've figured it out.

It's not about loving dogs. As many posters have pointed out. People love dogs all over the world. Dogs are inherently lovable (not to everyone, but to many, many humans).

It's about Americaness. American individuality makes American dog owners more selfish and annoying than dog owners in other places.

In France, yes, people love their dogs. They bring them everywhere and also there are negative externalities from the dogs -- plenty of dog$hit on the street, dog hair in markets, etc. If you hate dogs, this is quite annoying. If you are indifferent to dogs, it might also be annoying, except...

In France they also take care of people, not just dogs. They have a government pension for retirees. They have free and heavily subsidized childcare, plus families who have kids get money from the government for their kids. They have generous unemployment for people who have lost jobs, and job retraining programs for people whose industries go obsolete. In France, there is a cultural imperative to care for people, so the fact that people ALSO care for dogs is not so annoying. (Yes, yes, I'm gliding over aspects of French government and society that aren't so great -- the racism, anti-immigrant stance, the misogyny built into their marital laws and culture, the high taxes and incredibly opaque administrative nonsense that everything requires -- I'm not a Francophile, but on balance, French people are more socialist than Americans, who are more individualist).

In America, we have very little collectivism. It's me, me, me. And when Americans love their dogs, it's my dog, my dog, my dog. This is why in the US, dogs and children are bizarrely pitted against each other for resources like public parks (why??? this is very weird -- there should be public spaces for children and people with dogs). This is why dog owners defy rules about not having dogs in certain places (in France these rules simply do not exist, it's a different set up entirely), and also why people get so angry at dog owners for doing it. It's an individualist culture where we are all pitted agains one another for the same resources. Dog owners are hostile in trying to claim some of those resources for their dogs, and people are hostile in return because when a dog is given a resource, it often means someone else loses a resources.

Many American problems can be traced back to a culture that values the individual over the group. Even the individual dog over the community.

Ok, you can all call me a Marxist idiot now! Enjoy!

You idea that you have "figured it out" is wrong totally wrong. What do you say about the tons of organizations and local governments whose sole purpose is to help humans? How can you say with wide sweaping generations that we have "very little collectivism?" When there is a natural disaster neighbors pull together.

How can you call dog owners in America more selfish than any other group? Even within Americans there are varying degrees. Lots of people defy rules not just dog owners. Heck sometimes the rules do need to be bent a little!

the part where you say "dog owners are hostle in trying to claim those resources and someone else loses one?" Please explain. How is having a dog park for example mean that someone else is losing? If kids have a playground how am I as a dog owner losing out? I think playgrounds are great for kids!

Anyway you are 1,000 percent wrong on your thoughts. Go back to the drawing board!

I've read this thread and thought about it a lot, and I think I've figured it out.

It's not about loving dogs. As many posters have pointed out. People love dogs all over the world. Dogs are inherently lovable (not to everyone, but to many, many humans).

It's about Americaness. American individuality makes American dog owners more selfish and annoying than dog owners in other places.

In France, yes, people love their dogs. They bring them everywhere and also there are negative externalities from the dogs -- plenty of dog$hit on the street, dog hair in markets, etc. If you hate dogs, this is quite annoying. If you are indifferent to dogs, it might also be annoying, except...

In France they also take care of people, not just dogs. They have a government pension for retirees. They have free and heavily subsidized childcare, plus families who have kids get money from the government for their kids. They have generous unemployment for people who have lost jobs, and job retraining programs for people whose industries go obsolete. In France, there is a cultural imperative to care for people, so the fact that people ALSO care for dogs is not so annoying. (Yes, yes, I'm gliding over aspects of French government and society that aren't so great -- the racism, anti-immigrant stance, the misogyny built into their marital laws and culture, the high taxes and incredibly opaque administrative nonsense that everything requires -- I'm not a Francophile, but on balance, French people are more socialist than Americans, who are more individualist).

In America, we have very little collectivism. It's me, me, me. And when Americans love their dogs, it's my dog, my dog, my dog. This is why in the US, dogs and children are bizarrely pitted against each other for resources like public parks (why??? this is very weird -- there should be public spaces for children and people with dogs). This is why dog owners defy rules about not having dogs in certain places (in France these rules simply do not exist, it's a different set up entirely), and also why people get so angry at dog owners for doing it. It's an individualist culture where we are all pitted agains one another for the same resources. Dog owners are hostile in trying to claim some of those resources for their dogs, and people are hostile in return because when a dog is given a resource, it often means someone else loses a resources.

Many American problems can be traced back to a culture that values the individual over the group. Even the individual dog over the community.

Ok, you can all call me a Marxist idiot now! Enjoy!

I love my dog. She loves me. Her unconditional love delights and comforts our family.
I do agree that dog owners can do better. My girl is a rescue and was hit and yelled at by a prior foster(s) and she is not good with other dogs. When I see another dog who she doesn’t know, I cross the street. But if I can’t do that quickly, I am amazed at how people just trot their dogs over anyway to say “hello” even after I’ve told them not to. Plus, people who don’t pick up after their dogs just suck.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like dogs perfectly fine, but I don’t get why it seems to be such a thing for Americans to be so enamored of dogs.
It seems like it’s more acceptable to say that you don’t like children than admit that you don’t care for dogs. This doesn’t seem to be as prevalent in other countries. Why is this?

Dogs are better than children. Every dog owner knows this.

I hope that after raising your fur baby, he grows up to be a fantastic doctor or teacher or architect for the betterment of our society. Best of luck.

Comparing dogs and kids are silly. My dogs don't need to be doctors etc to make my world a better place.

Doctors help so many people. Your dumb dog only helps one stunted individual aka you so relatively speaking, the dog is worthless.

Forgot to add doctors can also do a lot of harm.

Anonymous wrote:Why do people even mention children when the subject of pets comes up?

We were all children once. I'd hate to think that my parents would rather have had a dog than me. Some of you posters comparing animals to children should think about that.

Maybe some people should only have pets and some people should have neither!

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Anonymous wrote:What’s not to love? They love their families unconditionally.

This. Plus it's not specific to Americans.

Only stupid people use this argument.

Only cold-hearted people without a soul consider unconditional love to be stupid.

You are emotionally stunted, if you're dependent on your dog for validation and love. Time to work on your relationship with humans.

Nobody said that we are looking for validation from our dogs. Just that dogs give us unconditional love. Unlike most humans who put conditions on love ' if you are thin' or ' if you are a doctor than you are worthy of love'

Got it?

So you're seeking unconditional love from your dog, but that's not validation? Huh?

It does sound like you can't connect with humans, and are using your dog to fill that void. That isn't normal.

You mind works in mysterious ways! My dog gives me unconditional love. Dogs love you whether rich or poor, old or young, black or white, male or female. Humans don't always do that.

I have enough human friends. I don't know why you would assume I don't. There is no void to fill. It is the pleasure of having a dog as a companion!

It is very normal. Unlike your twisted warped way of thinking!

As long as you treat your dog with love and compassion as well as physical needs than you do have unconditional love for as long as they live

Why do people even mention children when the subject of pets comes up?

We were all children once. I'd hate to think that my parents would rather have had a dog than me. Some of you posters comparing animals to children should think about that.

Anonymous wrote:
Clearly you've never seen the signs in some pubs in the UK: pets allowed, no children.

I think it's the Anglo-Saxon culture, OP, exported across continents by the British: Americans, Australians, etc...

Continental Europe and Asia prioritize kids over pets. I assume the African continent does too.

When I lived in England, it used to be the law of the land that children were not allowed in pubs due to the alcohol being sold. Not because they preferred animals to children.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like dogs perfectly fine, but I don’t get why it seems to be such a thing for Americans to be so enamored of dogs.
It seems like it’s more acceptable to say that you don’t like children than admit that you don’t care for dogs. This doesn’t seem to be as prevalent in other countries. Why is this?

Dogs are better than children. Every dog owner knows this.

I hope that after raising your fur baby, he grows up to be a fantastic doctor or teacher or architect for the betterment of our society. Best of luck.

Comparing dogs and kids are silly. My dogs don't need to be doctors etc to make my world a better place.

Doctors help so many people. Your dumb dog only helps one stunted individual aka you so relatively speaking, the dog is worthless.

So if you are not a human doctor than you are worthless? I know whi is emotionally stunted but it ain't my dog nor me!

My dog helps my whole family, not just me. But since you are emotionally snd intellectually stunted you can't see that. Pity

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like dogs perfectly fine, but I don’t get why it seems to be such a thing for Americans to be so enamored of dogs.
It seems like it’s more acceptable to say that you don’t like children than admit that you don’t care for dogs. This doesn’t seem to be as prevalent in other countries. Why is this?

Dogs are better than children. Every dog owner knows this.

I hope that after raising your fur baby, he grows up to be a fantastic doctor or teacher or architect for the betterment of our society. Best of luck.

Comparing dogs and kids are silly. My dogs don't need to be doctors etc to make my world a better place.

Doctors help so many people. Your dumb dog only helps one stunted individual aka you so relatively speaking, the dog is worthless.

NP. This is how you spent your Saturday night, eh

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s not to love? They love their families unconditionally.

This. Plus it's not specific to Americans.

Only stupid people use this argument.

Only cold-hearted people without a soul consider unconditional love to be stupid.

You are emotionally stunted, if you're dependent on your dog for validation and love. Time to work on your relationship with humans.

Nobody said that we are looking for validation from our dogs. Just that dogs give us unconditional love. Unlike most humans who put conditions on love ' if you are thin' or ' if you are a doctor than you are worthy of love'

Got it?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s not to love? They love their families unconditionally.

This. Plus it's not specific to Americans.

Only stupid people use this argument.

Only cold-hearted people without a soul consider unconditional love to be stupid.

You are emotionally stunted, if you're dependent on your dog for validation and love. Time to work on your relationship with humans.

Nobody said that we are looking for validation from our dogs. Just that dogs give us unconditional love. Unlike most humans who put conditions on love ' if you are thin' or ' if you are a doctor than you are worthy of love'

Got it?

So you're seeking unconditional love from your dog, but that's not validation? Huh?

It does sound like you can't connect with humans, and are using your dog to fill that void. That isn't normal.

Anonymous wrote:"They’re for the feeble minded or anxious who are unable to meaningfully connect with other humans. The dumb animal is more “on their level” and simpler to interact with. That’s a lot of people nowadays."
Nailed it. Hence the claim of seeking "unconditional love" from an animal.

Lots and lots of people have pets that they love and care for, but still understand the boundaries and differences between human and pet.

But there are a lot of dog owners who cannot comprehend the differences and put their pet on an equal pedestal. You don't see this in any other for of pet owner.

Somewhat agree, but not about the feeble minded part. What I've seen is that some owners are really lonely or need some sort of triangulation figure if they are in an unsatisfying marriage.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like dogs perfectly fine, but I don’t get why it seems to be such a thing for Americans to be so enamored of dogs.
It seems like it’s more acceptable to say that you don’t like children than admit that you don’t care for dogs. This doesn’t seem to be as prevalent in other countries. Why is this?

Dogs are better than children. Every dog owner knows this.

I hope that after raising your fur baby, he grows up to be a fantastic doctor or teacher or architect for the betterment of our society. Best of luck.

Comparing dogs and kids are silly. My dogs don't need to be doctors etc to make my world a better place.

Doctors help so many people. Your dumb dog only helps one stunted individual aka you so relatively speaking, the dog is worthless.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s not to love? They love their families unconditionally.

This. Plus it's not specific to Americans.

Only stupid people use this argument.

Only cold-hearted people without a soul consider unconditional love to be stupid.

You are emotionally stunted, if you're dependent on your dog for validation and love. Time to work on your relationship with humans.

Nobody said that we are looking for validation from our dogs. Just that dogs give us unconditional love. Unlike most humans who put conditions on love ' if you are thin' or ' if you are a doctor than you are worthy of love'

Got it?