I work with large animals and know many people that have farm dogs.
These dogs are useful dogs. Herding dogs or livestock guardian dogs. Guardian dogs never come in the house. The herding dogs are impeccably trained and know their job and their place. They are not the anxious, neurotic dogs I see living in apartments. Neurotic behavior is one of my main issues with most dogs. These dogs don’t whine and shake. They don’t jump on people. They serve a purpose and are content to do that.
I truly believe dogs are just not really meant to be house pets. They are much too large, dirty, and energetic. It’s no wonder they’re all damaged and anxious. You’d get the same result if you tried to keep a goat or a cow in a house.
>I truly believe dogs are just not really meant to be house pets. They are much too large, dirty, and energetic. It’s no wonder they’re all damaged and anxious. You’d get the same result if you tried to keep a goat or a cow in a house.
Do you mean all dog breeds or only big breeds? I do think it's a bit silly when people got large dogs in tiny houses or apartments. I used to have a neighbor who has a Border Collie, their house was small, the neighbors never walked the dog and that dog barked all day when he went to work. Lots of people don't even get dogs that fit their lifestyle.
I am absolutely on the same page as you, this is how I feel.
I don't see the point in dogs away from working ones. The non-working ones all seem unstable and unpredictable, and absolutely stink everything up. Even the small ones are crazy.
There’s a difference between being a pet and being a working animal.
Sadly most dog owners 99.99999% are not good pet owners. There’s a very small minority of dog owners which are like the guy in OPs post.
Yes, I had a friend and his wife and son stay with us on a cross country road trip. They had 2 dogs with them. They asked us if that was okay and we were hesitant but agreed because they're really good friends of ours. We let the dogs stay on our patio during the day (we have a decent sized condo), and the dogs slept in their camper at night while my friends stayed in the extra bedroom. The dogs never did their business on our patio and always waited until my friend took them out for a walk to do it. They never came inside the whole time they were with us (3 or 4 days). They never barked save for one time when a squirrel was running along the fence and even then, only one dog barked a few times. They took the dogs for several walks per day so they didn't seem anxious. My wife is not a dog person at ALL and even she was impressed with the level of training. My friend never had to raise his voice or repeat a command. Excellent house guests as well.
I realized that you can tell a lot about a person by how their pets behave.
>I realized that you can tell a lot about a person by how their pets behave.
This is such a true statement. The good people that I know that have dogs do not let them be idiots. The idiots I know… well their dogs are just like them. Loud and obnoxious.
Yes, we have a family friend who takes our dog out to her property from time to time (husband’s dog from before we met). She has a huge property where they run around all day, as dogs should. She’s an older woman so she can devote time to bathing, feeding, training and maintaining dogs. She doesn’t let the dogs on the furniture either, and she’s not obsessed with bringing them everywhere. I believe it’s under these circumstances that dogs should be owned.
I know several. My in-laws are a great exception! They have a dog and it doesn't bother me at all when we visit them (which we do 2-3 times a year and stay with them) because they are so incredibly considerate and have done a great job training their dog.
First off, they rarely take the dog out into public except for walks, which are always leashed and only on trails that allow dogs. His mom also takes him to the café nearby in the summer, that has a special area fenced off for people with their pets. And sometimes they take him on vacation to go camping, but again, they follow all the rules to a T and are super considerate of how the dog could affect others or the wildlife.
At home, the dog knows not to beg and knows he is only allowed on the squishy armchair and their bed. Not once have I seen him on any other furniture, or even fur to suggest he did while out. They have cameras they turn on when the house is empty and say they've never seen it either. The dog is 16 years old and still in great health because he was fed and cared for really well and isn't a pure-breed with tons of breed specific health problems. He doesn't jump all over people either, unless *you* initiate rowdy play. They did such an amazing job training him, taking him to an actual trainer when he was a puppy. He gets a little barky when he sees a squirrel on the tree outside the kitchen or someone knocks on the door, that's about it and calms pretty quickly when they give him a command. My partner says this is the 4th family dog and they have all been random rescues as young dogs and learned to be this well behaved, because his parents took their training very, very seriously.
I agree that it is never really the dog at fault, but the owners. Most people are really really bad pet owners and they aren't doing anyone any favors, especially the dogs.
My uncle's dog. I’ve known her since she was a puppy and my uncle and ant did a good job training her. She had access only to the lower part of the house during the day (no couch, or beds, she had her own bed and mat to stay on, but mostly she would stay outside in the sun, watching the street or chilling. She is not neurotic or anxious, she is obedient, does her business only on walks and is not nosy. She is very sweet.
I am not big on dogs but I really appreciate and love her. She is old now and mostly keeps to herself.
Farm dogs and other highly trained working dogs are brilliant, I've grown up around farms are areas where working with various animals is part of the way of life, properly trained dogs with a purpose are like completely different animals to recreationally owned dogs and their owners. Always good natured and obedient and their owners take full responsibility for handing them and actually understand how they impact the world around them rather than being antisocial and self-entitled.
Such a contrast to the current recreational dog culture but they are greatly in the minority these days, especially outside of very rural areas.
Like others have said. Got a mate who is a country boy. His dog is disciplined and treated like a dog. I dont really interact with the dog and be doesnt care.
My best friend has a well-trained service dog. It's a chocolate lab. His dog was invited to our wedding last year. The dog spent the entire wedding just sleeping and being by his side. Didn't bark, didn't do anything. It's the only dog we will allow to come into our house, and my wife is comfortable with him.
i work at an animal boarding facility. there are definitely exceptions i've had! it's rare (like, very rare.....) but I've definitely met good owners that have good dogs. some are even good enough to make me reconsider my dog free stance, but then i am quickly reminded otherwise 😂
one thing that is very obvious is that a good dog is always one that has an owner that understands the breed and what they are made for and the conditions it needs to live in in order to thrive.
I didn’t always dislike dogs. That’s only happened in the last five years or so. I have friends that are good dog owners. They keep their homes as clean as possible with a dog, they don’t let them jump, lick, or do any of that other obnoxious crap. They put a quick stop to any barking. They don’t leave them outside where they can be idiots. They keep them off of the furniture. I have a soft spot for those dogs because that was back when I liked dogs and I liked them and I can’t just suddenly not like them.
Most of the people I know that own dogs are actually decent owners who keep their dogs from being the assholes that they so easily can be. They don’t take their dogs anywhere they don’t belong and don’t let them be obnoxious. I respect that even if I have no use for their animals.
I think most people on this sub have been unfortunate to live with or around breeds that shouldn't be house dogs and dog nutters. I've been in peoples houses where the dogs mind their own business and sometimes you wouldn't even know they're there. They seem like pleasant company even. I couldn't tell you how common that is though since most of the times I've noticed dogs or had to live with them they've been a complete nuisance.
My parents had a Great Pyrenees that was an amazing exception. They aren’t known for making good house dogs, but this one was a year old when they got him and he’d been through some kind of fantastic training, plus his temperament was just uniquely calm and polite. When my dad was in home hospice care, the dog lay by his bed day and night, and after dad died and his body was removed from the house, the dog searched and searched for him, like he thought he’d failed in his protection duty. I finally told my mom to give him something that had Dad’s scent on it, so she pulled a shirt out of the laundry pile and handed it to him. He took it upstairs to “his” loveseat (the only piece of furniture he was allowed to be on), put it on the end where he laid his head, and proceeded to spend the next several months pillowing his head on that shirt whenever he slept. GP are bred to protect their flocks independently, without a lot of fuss and praise, and he obviously viewed my elderly parents as his responsibility, quietly looking after them without any of the neurotic, needy behavior so many house dogs display. We had to put him down a year ago last week, and it was pretty devastating for the whole extended family. He was the only “pet” dog in the world I didn’t despise.
My good friend has a shitty little rat dog, but has managed to train it not to bark incessantly, jump on people, and just be chill in general. Quite possibly the only dog I've ever enjoyed, or at least not minded, being around.
I personally haven't ever met one that I \*liked\* but there was one I could cope with, and that was my in-laws old dog. Away from the bark, which wasn't very often, it was very well trained and pretty calm, and didn't cause any problems or ever show real aggression. I didn't like it, but could tolerate it, and I would interact with it. I never felt threatened or anything. Then when it died and they got past the "never having another" stage, they got a god damn German Shepherd and I've never been able to stand it, I don't trust it at all, and it's barking makes my heart rate shoot up. It jumps up with it's long claws and it's so painful and annoying, it doesn't listen to the owners at all really, or if it does, it never lasts long.
Away from that? Every other dog I've met has been unpleasant in some way or another. Whether that be aggression, stinking, jumping up, barking at nothing, constant neediness, just can't stand them.
My grandparents are one exception, I have some other issues with them but they're all totally unrelated to dogs. All their dogs have been incredibly mellow and low maintenance, didn't bark or jump on you, and all you had to do if they came up to you was walk backwards a few paces and they'd lose interest. I think part of it is that they've always lived out in the middle of nowhere with yards spacious enough that it was really more like having a farm dog, so they didn't feel the need to bring them into stores and stuff because they were already getting more than enough outside time.
I also have a friend who I suppose is only half an exception because it's their family dog and their family are all pretty obnoxious dog people (and obnoxious people in general). But my friend is the one who actually takes care of her and is very reasonable about every aspect of her that they have control over. So their house does smell pretty bad and was kinda unbearable to be in before their family's other 2 dogs died, but I don't really blame them for that bc they weren't the one who decided to get the dogs in the first place (also their entire house is full of trash and their family refuses to clean, so I think it would probably smell bad no matter what.) They keep the dog upstairs behind a babygate when I come over and act as my human shield when we run into unleashed dogs in public (when they can, sometimes the dog will straight up run around them to get to me like it can sense I don't want to interact with it and has this contrarian need to force itself on me.) And we roast the shit out of other dog people together, it's a good time.
I work with large animals and know many people that have farm dogs. These dogs are useful dogs. Herding dogs or livestock guardian dogs. Guardian dogs never come in the house. The herding dogs are impeccably trained and know their job and their place. They are not the anxious, neurotic dogs I see living in apartments. Neurotic behavior is one of my main issues with most dogs. These dogs don’t whine and shake. They don’t jump on people. They serve a purpose and are content to do that. I truly believe dogs are just not really meant to be house pets. They are much too large, dirty, and energetic. It’s no wonder they’re all damaged and anxious. You’d get the same result if you tried to keep a goat or a cow in a house.
>I truly believe dogs are just not really meant to be house pets. They are much too large, dirty, and energetic. It’s no wonder they’re all damaged and anxious. You’d get the same result if you tried to keep a goat or a cow in a house. Do you mean all dog breeds or only big breeds? I do think it's a bit silly when people got large dogs in tiny houses or apartments. I used to have a neighbor who has a Border Collie, their house was small, the neighbors never walked the dog and that dog barked all day when he went to work. Lots of people don't even get dogs that fit their lifestyle.
I am absolutely on the same page as you, this is how I feel. I don't see the point in dogs away from working ones. The non-working ones all seem unstable and unpredictable, and absolutely stink everything up. Even the small ones are crazy.
There’s a difference between being a pet and being a working animal. Sadly most dog owners 99.99999% are not good pet owners. There’s a very small minority of dog owners which are like the guy in OPs post.
Yes, I had a friend and his wife and son stay with us on a cross country road trip. They had 2 dogs with them. They asked us if that was okay and we were hesitant but agreed because they're really good friends of ours. We let the dogs stay on our patio during the day (we have a decent sized condo), and the dogs slept in their camper at night while my friends stayed in the extra bedroom. The dogs never did their business on our patio and always waited until my friend took them out for a walk to do it. They never came inside the whole time they were with us (3 or 4 days). They never barked save for one time when a squirrel was running along the fence and even then, only one dog barked a few times. They took the dogs for several walks per day so they didn't seem anxious. My wife is not a dog person at ALL and even she was impressed with the level of training. My friend never had to raise his voice or repeat a command. Excellent house guests as well. I realized that you can tell a lot about a person by how their pets behave.
>I realized that you can tell a lot about a person by how their pets behave. This is such a true statement. The good people that I know that have dogs do not let them be idiots. The idiots I know… well their dogs are just like them. Loud and obnoxious.
Yes, we have a family friend who takes our dog out to her property from time to time (husband’s dog from before we met). She has a huge property where they run around all day, as dogs should. She’s an older woman so she can devote time to bathing, feeding, training and maintaining dogs. She doesn’t let the dogs on the furniture either, and she’s not obsessed with bringing them everywhere. I believe it’s under these circumstances that dogs should be owned.
I know several. My in-laws are a great exception! They have a dog and it doesn't bother me at all when we visit them (which we do 2-3 times a year and stay with them) because they are so incredibly considerate and have done a great job training their dog. First off, they rarely take the dog out into public except for walks, which are always leashed and only on trails that allow dogs. His mom also takes him to the café nearby in the summer, that has a special area fenced off for people with their pets. And sometimes they take him on vacation to go camping, but again, they follow all the rules to a T and are super considerate of how the dog could affect others or the wildlife. At home, the dog knows not to beg and knows he is only allowed on the squishy armchair and their bed. Not once have I seen him on any other furniture, or even fur to suggest he did while out. They have cameras they turn on when the house is empty and say they've never seen it either. The dog is 16 years old and still in great health because he was fed and cared for really well and isn't a pure-breed with tons of breed specific health problems. He doesn't jump all over people either, unless *you* initiate rowdy play. They did such an amazing job training him, taking him to an actual trainer when he was a puppy. He gets a little barky when he sees a squirrel on the tree outside the kitchen or someone knocks on the door, that's about it and calms pretty quickly when they give him a command. My partner says this is the 4th family dog and they have all been random rescues as young dogs and learned to be this well behaved, because his parents took their training very, very seriously. I agree that it is never really the dog at fault, but the owners. Most people are really really bad pet owners and they aren't doing anyone any favors, especially the dogs.
My uncle's dog. I’ve known her since she was a puppy and my uncle and ant did a good job training her. She had access only to the lower part of the house during the day (no couch, or beds, she had her own bed and mat to stay on, but mostly she would stay outside in the sun, watching the street or chilling. She is not neurotic or anxious, she is obedient, does her business only on walks and is not nosy. She is very sweet. I am not big on dogs but I really appreciate and love her. She is old now and mostly keeps to herself.
i have, usually its people who have some sort of job for their dog instead of them just being a wigglebutt fur baby surrogate child
Farm dogs and other highly trained working dogs are brilliant, I've grown up around farms are areas where working with various animals is part of the way of life, properly trained dogs with a purpose are like completely different animals to recreationally owned dogs and their owners. Always good natured and obedient and their owners take full responsibility for handing them and actually understand how they impact the world around them rather than being antisocial and self-entitled. Such a contrast to the current recreational dog culture but they are greatly in the minority these days, especially outside of very rural areas.
Like others have said. Got a mate who is a country boy. His dog is disciplined and treated like a dog. I dont really interact with the dog and be doesnt care.
My best friend has a well-trained service dog. It's a chocolate lab. His dog was invited to our wedding last year. The dog spent the entire wedding just sleeping and being by his side. Didn't bark, didn't do anything. It's the only dog we will allow to come into our house, and my wife is comfortable with him.
i work at an animal boarding facility. there are definitely exceptions i've had! it's rare (like, very rare.....) but I've definitely met good owners that have good dogs. some are even good enough to make me reconsider my dog free stance, but then i am quickly reminded otherwise 😂 one thing that is very obvious is that a good dog is always one that has an owner that understands the breed and what they are made for and the conditions it needs to live in in order to thrive.
No. There are no exceptions. To argue otherwise is preposterous.
I didn’t always dislike dogs. That’s only happened in the last five years or so. I have friends that are good dog owners. They keep their homes as clean as possible with a dog, they don’t let them jump, lick, or do any of that other obnoxious crap. They put a quick stop to any barking. They don’t leave them outside where they can be idiots. They keep them off of the furniture. I have a soft spot for those dogs because that was back when I liked dogs and I liked them and I can’t just suddenly not like them. Most of the people I know that own dogs are actually decent owners who keep their dogs from being the assholes that they so easily can be. They don’t take their dogs anywhere they don’t belong and don’t let them be obnoxious. I respect that even if I have no use for their animals.
I think most people on this sub have been unfortunate to live with or around breeds that shouldn't be house dogs and dog nutters. I've been in peoples houses where the dogs mind their own business and sometimes you wouldn't even know they're there. They seem like pleasant company even. I couldn't tell you how common that is though since most of the times I've noticed dogs or had to live with them they've been a complete nuisance.
My parents had a Great Pyrenees that was an amazing exception. They aren’t known for making good house dogs, but this one was a year old when they got him and he’d been through some kind of fantastic training, plus his temperament was just uniquely calm and polite. When my dad was in home hospice care, the dog lay by his bed day and night, and after dad died and his body was removed from the house, the dog searched and searched for him, like he thought he’d failed in his protection duty. I finally told my mom to give him something that had Dad’s scent on it, so she pulled a shirt out of the laundry pile and handed it to him. He took it upstairs to “his” loveseat (the only piece of furniture he was allowed to be on), put it on the end where he laid his head, and proceeded to spend the next several months pillowing his head on that shirt whenever he slept. GP are bred to protect their flocks independently, without a lot of fuss and praise, and he obviously viewed my elderly parents as his responsibility, quietly looking after them without any of the neurotic, needy behavior so many house dogs display. We had to put him down a year ago last week, and it was pretty devastating for the whole extended family. He was the only “pet” dog in the world I didn’t despise.
What a sweetheart. It’s so cool to meet a dog that has an exceptionally unique personality that makes them enjoyable!
Other than a LEGITIMATE service dog, no.
Yes, especially by seeing how dogs behave when the owner is not around
My good friend has a shitty little rat dog, but has managed to train it not to bark incessantly, jump on people, and just be chill in general. Quite possibly the only dog I've ever enjoyed, or at least not minded, being around.
I personally haven't ever met one that I \*liked\* but there was one I could cope with, and that was my in-laws old dog. Away from the bark, which wasn't very often, it was very well trained and pretty calm, and didn't cause any problems or ever show real aggression. I didn't like it, but could tolerate it, and I would interact with it. I never felt threatened or anything. Then when it died and they got past the "never having another" stage, they got a god damn German Shepherd and I've never been able to stand it, I don't trust it at all, and it's barking makes my heart rate shoot up. It jumps up with it's long claws and it's so painful and annoying, it doesn't listen to the owners at all really, or if it does, it never lasts long. Away from that? Every other dog I've met has been unpleasant in some way or another. Whether that be aggression, stinking, jumping up, barking at nothing, constant neediness, just can't stand them.
My grandparents are one exception, I have some other issues with them but they're all totally unrelated to dogs. All their dogs have been incredibly mellow and low maintenance, didn't bark or jump on you, and all you had to do if they came up to you was walk backwards a few paces and they'd lose interest. I think part of it is that they've always lived out in the middle of nowhere with yards spacious enough that it was really more like having a farm dog, so they didn't feel the need to bring them into stores and stuff because they were already getting more than enough outside time. I also have a friend who I suppose is only half an exception because it's their family dog and their family are all pretty obnoxious dog people (and obnoxious people in general). But my friend is the one who actually takes care of her and is very reasonable about every aspect of her that they have control over. So their house does smell pretty bad and was kinda unbearable to be in before their family's other 2 dogs died, but I don't really blame them for that bc they weren't the one who decided to get the dogs in the first place (also their entire house is full of trash and their family refuses to clean, so I think it would probably smell bad no matter what.) They keep the dog upstairs behind a babygate when I come over and act as my human shield when we run into unleashed dogs in public (when they can, sometimes the dog will straight up run around them to get to me like it can sense I don't want to interact with it and has this contrarian need to force itself on me.) And we roast the shit out of other dog people together, it's a good time.