Like Godzilla rising from the depths to wreak havoc, the
dog hater movement has arrived. It is an
unstoppable juggernaut burning everything to ash with its white hot fury.
Who are these people?
Don’t they know that dogs are man’s best friend? Don’t they know that dogs make us live longer? Why do they not understand that any problem
they have had with a dog or its owner must be their fault, as dogs and their
owners are strictly, by definition, noble creatures!? None of this matters to them as they
absolutely DO NOT CARE. They have
zero tolerance for dog lovers, dog agnostics, and any bad behavior on the part
of dogs or their owners. They would
prefer the earth be wiped clean of the canine species. While I do not perfectly align with their POV, I do admire
their “purity”.
Here is an excellent “hater” site. This is a well authored, well managed
site: http://doghatersunite.com/
Here is a facebook page that I find rather humorous: http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-hate-dogs/419363194769014
It was inevitable that a “counter” hater movement would
evolve to counter the extreme dog-lover movement. You can’t have the Ying without the
Yang. You see bumper stickers that say “My
poodle is smarter than your honor student”.
Why the need to insult everyone within 30 feet of your automobile? Will the poodle give you emergency surgery
after you have had your arm ripped off by a pit bull? Do poodles grow up to be astronauts, brain
surgeons or captains of industry? Go
ahead and hate children, dog lovers, but we were ALL children once. NONE of us were dogs once!
I am sure you dog lovers despise the haters. Consider this: Have you ever considered why they hate in the
first place? Do you think they just woke
up one morning and decided “I really hate dogs, no real reason, I just hate
them”? Maybe they flipped a coin to
decide whether to hate dogs or electric mopeds?
No, most of these people woke up at 3am (for the Nth time in a row) due
to a neighbors yard barker and, ill with fatigue, finally became a hater. They landed in the hospital after a dog
attack and after being further abused by the dog owner, authorities, and
apologistas went off the proverbial deep end.
Indeed, the dog hater is made not born. The efforts of dog lovers to foist their
lifestyle choice on everyone else have bred the dog hater movement. You
dog lovers have earned this hatred. It’s
not rocket science, folks.
I was visiting a state park (out of my state) the other
weekend, and some bozo had a border collie that was clearly nasty… barking and
snapping at everyone. It was pulling at its leash constantly; the owner barely
had it under control. Many were clearly
afraid and/or offended. Why ruin
everyone else’s good time with an animal like that? The damn thing almost bit me. I tell you, every malicious dog owner breeds
at least a dozen haters.
It seems to me that the response of the dog lovers, so
far, has been to relentlessly troll and spam every dog “hater” site. Unfortunately, for them, they do not realize
that the dog hater is not the source of the problem. Indeed, it is the actions of the malicious
dog owner that is spawning and nurturing this explosion of hatred. Dog lovers are attempting to put out the fire
with gasoline. If dog owners simply
controlled their dogs, the dog hater movement would dry up and blow away. That said, the dog hater movement will grow
in power and size until either the dog owning population self-regulates, or at
least concedes to a few commonsense limits on their behavior. Dog
lovers need to realize that a MAJORITY of the population chooses to NOT own a
dog and those people have a right to live free of various dog-related
nuisances. If the dog lovers keep “doubling
down” on this absurd policy of blame-the-victim, they will lose in the long
run. I am convinced of this.
Dog haters – This hatred may be your
undoing. Some of you have been critical
of ME, but realize that I am actively working to reduce the frequency and
intensity of pet related offenses in my community. If I were you, I’d channel that hatred into
something useful…. Engage your local government and law enforcement and stress
the importance of strict animal control.
Owners of biters belong in jail and yard barkers must be silenced. Your passion and energy can do a lot of good
if it is channeled in the right direction. Sitting around hating doesn’t do
anyone any good, including you.
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ReplyDeletei completely AGREE with this blog post.
ReplyDeleteand if you don't already, you should seriously consider a career as a writer. this is the most clever piece i have read in recent memory.
I seriously doubt that the dog lovers will police their ranks. They're too besotted with their dogs -- and the fact that their dogs look up to them -- to make that kind of effort.
ReplyDeleteThe policing will come. And they won't like it one bit.
I agree YQN. People are so self-centered and this extends to their dogs. I've had a falling out recently with a neighbor and friend who cannot conceive that not everyone likes or trusts her pit mix. She's worked hard to socialize it and make it obedient. However, she has insisted that it run loose in the area behind our houses for exercise, at the cost of our friendship. We have a leash law, for people like her who refuse to believe that not everyone loves and adores her dog and trusts it like she does.
DeleteDogs are always more acceptable when trained to not be dog like. Why dogs? Apparently they are just accessible and fit the bill for extreme neediness.Their stupidity is seen as cute. If they were so loyal you wouldn't see lost dog signs everywhere.
DeleteI'm horribly sorry about your experience in the park. I can't say I am a dog lover, but I own two I love, both Border Collies. It is quite unusual for the breed to behave like that, but that being said, there is no excuse for the owner not being able to control his/her dog in public. If that were one of my dogs that suddenly went crazy, I'd either have it by the collar, pick it up and carry it (they're only 40 lbs dogs, for god's sake) or I'd be subduing it by sitting on it and probably enforcing my will by some means that have you calling the local sheriff on me.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I love my dogs, but if they were to threaten someone (and they never have), I would put a stop to it by whatever means necessary.
There ARE responsible dog owners out here, ones that train their dogs, ones that won't tolerate barking at nothing, ones that won't allow their dogs to run up to people, ones that understand not everyone likes dogs, and we are JUST AS FED UP WITH THE IDIOT OWNERS AS YOU ARE.
I call people on their bad dog handling, it doesn't make me any friends, but I know what you do. If dog owners don't get their act together, we won't be allowed to own dogs in the future.
(I keep thinking about Beijing and all the dogs going to "the farm" because there were too many dog bites).
cazz
"There ARE responsible dog owners out here, ones that train their dogs, ones that won't tolerate barking at nothing, ones that won't allow their dogs to run up to people, ones that understand not everyone likes dogs, and we are JUST AS FED UP WITH THE IDIOT OWNERS AS YOU ARE."
ReplyDeletei am one of these people
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ReplyDeleteThank you for mentioning my site "Dog Haters Unite!"
DeleteWe haters of dogs and their idiotic owners find it therapeutic to share dog barking/crapping/mauling horror stories, and therefore our communal hatred is useful; it also puts dog owners on the defensive, which we like.
I have called Animal Control and the police on my dog-owning neighbors to little effect, which I've written about 3 times in the last 2 months; it seems that when it comes to barking and biting dogs, my local police and Animal Control officers do little more than point the finger at each other for responsibility and dog owners go scot-free.
My site brings awareness to two topics in need of a spotlight: the blind arrogance of dog owners and the milquetoast reaction of law enforcement whenever someone is mauled or even killed by a dog. Many times dog owners face no criminal charges when their dog maims or kills a child; as a parent I am outraged, and I am not alone.
I find pointing out the inequities of law enforcement and the idiocy of dog owners more useful than directing viewers to sites that sell dog booties, as you do on your site.
Once again, thank you for mentioning my site and giving me a tiny amount of site traffic - I think I received 3-4 clicks from you today.
Yours Truly,
No Dogs Allowed (Dog Haters Unite!)
I applaud you No Dogs Allowed! I also do not understand how and why dog owners get away with everything they do. If a person were to go up to someone's kid and attack them they would be thrown in jail. Period. But if their dog does it, a slap on the wrist, maybe a paltry fine. It is absolutely unbelievable. I can relate to where you're coming from!
Deleteno dogs allowed, here is an avatar for you.
Deletei really don't like the way people flaunt the laws. the only thing worse is when it is a gripping dog.
NDA: Thanks for commenting. You have a well managed site. When I said "engage your local government and law enforcement", I meant going beyond complaints. Complaints *are* good, but personally I've taken the additional step of explaining the larger problem in the abstract and recommending solutions.
ReplyDeleteConsider my "trouble in paradise" essay: http://www.animaluncontrol.blogspot.com/2012/05/trouble-in-paradise.html
Note that I have engaged my state park system director *directly* and recommended solutions. I have done the same with my county executives.
For example, your AC and police dept. point the finger at each other. I would engage your county executives (or town council) and recommend that, whoever gets the call 1st, responds. AC and LEO should write all owners of yard barkers a citation, and the citation should be in excess of $100.00. In this challenging fiscal environment they can't afford NOT to do this. If you don't get traction with them, write to your local paper.
My efforts have yielded slight results. However, if more people recommend the same thing, all of these little "nudges" may add up. Perhaps together we can carry this thing over the finish line.
Cazz,
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing. Yes, most border collies are nice dogs BUT its my observation that you sometimes get one that is just downright nasty. I don't know why anyone (who is not a complete dog fanatic) would put up with that. The other thing with border collies is, they need to RUN, therefore they belong on large properties where they have the opportunity to do so. Keeping one in an apartment or small suburban lot is cruel.
i have unfortunately seen bad border collies. they simply are too much dog for the average owner, just like grippers, malinois, and GSDs/labs from working lines. people should not have these dogs unless they are dedicated to meeting their needs. one of my dogs is a BC/pointer mix and when he was young (until he was about 7), meeting his energy needs was a full time job. i took that job very seriously. i like border collies a lot but as i get older, i don't know that i have what it takes to keep up with them.
Deletei encountered a roughly 6 month old BC pup at a dog park years ago. his senior fur grandmommy was nowhere to be found. (i tracked her down and lectured her) he kept jumping on me. i bent over to push him down and when i released, he immediately jumped up and tried to bite my head, there was no blood, no puncture. he got a mouth full of hair. he wasn't behaving aggressively but he was completely out of control. my two dogs didn't like it. they didn't hurt him but they put him in his place and taught him some manners. and i let them, not something that i typically do. it was interesting to observe. large dogs that try to jump on me will be greeted with a knee to the chest. i have knocked the wind out of more than one dog. the owners don't like it. too fucking bad.
it is also too bad that many dog owners treat the dog park the same way many parents treat the tv for their kids. they are substitutes for the important job of raising kids and dogs.
Dawn and Cazz,
ReplyDeleteIndeed, when someone has a WELL behaved dog I often complement them. I figure people like that ought to be the MOST offended. If they train their own dog not to bark, its sensible that they do NOT want to listen to someone else's dog bark. For hours.
Thanks for writing.
speaking of compliments, i really hate it when people comment on what a good looking dog i have. i can't take credit for his looks, i had nothing to do with it. but i always respond with "more importantly he's a sweet and well behaved dog".
DeleteI was checking out the facebook page I indicated above... seems to have been "flooded" by a pit-bull rescue fanatic. The usual: "great with children" blah-blah-blah. Yeah, if you want your kids DEAD! Yeesh!
ReplyDeletethere is a huge community of those i hate dogs pages. i spent a little time on them. it is fascinating. i never knew they existed. here is no shortage of dog lovers who show to try to educate or belittle them. they even have counter groups, "i hate people who hate dogs". wow. can you imagine being so threatened by people who don't like dogs? i can't. i am waiting see a "fuck you, my dog can bark all day if he wants to" group. this is like a religious war. i am thinking about starting a "i hate ferrets" group just to see what happens.
DeleteI'd modestly like to point out that pit bulls (the entire biological class, never mind breed names kennel clubs make up on paper) aren't really dogs. They are mutants. Normal dogs hate and fear them too, usually even before the pit bull type dog starts to do what it was bred to do.
DeleteThis entire biological class of dogs is about as much related to normal dogs as Hannibal Lecter is related to normal humans.
Unfortunately, the pit-type dog attracts wannabe Hannibals. People who share the pit's personality disorder, you might say, but don't dare to go out and really, personally, do serial murders -- so they get a pit-type as a surrogate. There are peer-reviewed articles that kind of say this, with the usual caution about making the statement as broad (but realistic) as I'm putting it here. If you have a pit, you could've cheaper got 'personality disorder and depressed IQ' tatooed on your forehead...
I think we could reduce the JUST need to hate dogs a lot if we could eliminate the genetically engineered killer-breeds / types. That would leave enough shelter space that robo-barkers could be confiscated without this meaning instant death to make space for yet another pit. That very fact might make ACOs more willing to confiscate the unhappy, robo-barking dog.
More in a bit in another comment. Just wanted to put these two cents here.
Dawn,
ReplyDeleteIt does have the intensity of a religious war. That said, it was the dog fanatics that started the war. I can say from first hand experience that some people are SO dog crazy that the mere polite suggestion that they control their dogs (as per written community codes) throws them into a foaming-at-the-mouth, apoplectic rage. Indeed, my across the street neighbor falls into this category: Overwhelmingly entitled, no respect for the law or any standard of decent behavior, is outraged that anyone would even consider not tolerating unlimited bad behavior on the part of their dogs, etc...
If you consider my "dangerous owners" essays, there are documented examples of dog owners flying into a literal murderous rage at anyone who merely suggests they control their dog. I submit that it IS a behavior pattern similar to religious fanaticism: They are like the Spanish Inquisition!
Indeed, its the dog inquisition!
Going back to point, its inevitable that such a thing is going to create a resistance. Would the French Resistance have formed if the Nazis had not invaded? Doubtful, as there would have been nothing to resist.
More and more people are recognizing the pit-bull club as a kind of religious cult, or at least as having identical characteristics and serving the same psychological purpose. The diff: the UnDog is God.
DeleteBut something else is playing too, regarding the overly self-entitled owners of normal dogs, namely the Laws of Behavior.
If we had instantly and immediately *at least* showed that there is zero tolerance of biting / mauling / maiming / dismembering 'dogs', then everyone would've stayed clear about the fact that owning a dog is a privilege -- not a God-given Consumer Right.
When we accepted mauling, maiming, dismembering and killing as not necessarily a reason to summarily (gently) execute a dog, this of course made the idea of removing a dog for mere barking ridiculous.
This toleration of mauling, maiming, dismembering and killing did, simultaneously, send a signal out to all dog owners that society considers any dog more important than...children, unbroken sleep, peace in your living room, safety in your own back yard, freedom to visit a park without being jumped on or worse yet mauled, (trivial by comparison) not stepping in dog shit every step you take, and so on.
I do seriously believe that it would be a great first move of the Dog-Hater Movement to demand that the genetically engineered killer-types be zero-tolerated. And I do mean, since kind grandfather clauses have turned out not to work, rounding 'em all up in one fell swoop and (gently) killing them.
Imagine what an impression that would make on all who own any dog! Whoa, I better make sure my dog isn't off-leash and scares someone! Whew, better make sure my robo-barker is made happy enough to stop robo-barking...because I now get it that owning a dog is a privilege, one that society will take away from me if others suffer from my choice.
The reverse Slippery Slope I mentioned months ago.
Just trying to share strategic thoughts here. As long as mauling, maiming, killing and dismembering are considered normal, you can't expect anyone to take mere barking seriously.
i completely agree that the dog nutters are the instigators - both out in the real world by creating an environment where people have to deal with dogs (aggression, shit, noise) and in the cyber world by their seeking out the dog haters to harass and "educate".
ReplyDelete"I can say from first hand experience that some people are SO dog crazy that the mere polite suggestion that they control their dogs (as per written community codes) throws them into a foaming-at-the-mouth, apoplectic rage. "
i have encountered this. these nuts fly into a murderous rage over dog poop! a mid 20 nothing woman with a rott, a chi and a toddler walking in area requiring leashes on dogs with her chi unleashed. her rott took a dump and i politely offered a bag as she walked away from it. she flew into a rage and denied that her dog took a dump. i calmly and politely said "i just saw it, do you need a bag?" she escalated, she was animated, waving her arms, raising her voice even more. she finally said she would pick up the poop even though it wasn't her dog's, all the while screaming at me. she made very little sense. then she leashed her chi and by now her kid is crying hysterically because his mother is a lunatic. so she started in on me about that. "look what you did to my son?!?!? are you happy now?!?!?!" i said calmly and with no profanity, "he is screaming and crying because he just witnessed his mother loose her marble. that's a scary thing to a child." now i am loading up my dogs and here she comes acting like she is going to pummel me and all i can think, wow, it would be a bummer to have shoot her in front of her son. so the guy sitting in his work truck in the parking lot is witnessing all of this. he is parked between her vehicle and mine and there are 2-3 spaces on either side of his truck, so she and i are separated by about 7 parking spaces. again, i am calm and polite, i said to him, "would you please call 911? i really don't want to harm her in front of her kid." she gained control of herself, turned around, got in her car and sped off like she just robbed a bank. too fast for me to get the license plate, which i tried to get. i thought child protective services should pay her a visit.
i've had other ugly encounters but nothing like that one. usually they just call me a bitch as they are creating distance between us.
Show me an extreme dog lover and I'll show you someone who has had multiple failures in interpersonal relationships. The dog is a substitute human. And, unlike humans, it doesn't talk back or question what is obviously a very disturbed person.
ReplyDeleteTo YQN... Extreme so-called dog lovers don't really love dogs. They are using the dog as a surrogate to work out -- or rather, to avoid working out -- serious personal psychological problems, even personality disorders.
DeleteIt used to be that pathetic people did this by buying a Harley Electra-Glide when they came into penopause, or by pimping around their neighborhood in a pumped up Cadillac, or by beating their wife and children, or by volunteering at the local *human* orphanage, such things.
In the past three decades, the domestic dog has slowly become the easy surrogate for too many human psycho-social problems and complexes. The dog itself is suffering from this just as much as you and I are -- both as individuals and as species.
Animal Uncontrol did really put the core thing in one of his first posts here: Let's get owning a dog back to being a privilege.
P.S. to this: Of course the various kennel clubs and others who have a financial stake nowadays will hate this idea, but ya know....FUCK them. They're hurting normal dogs at least as much as they're hurting us.
Excellent blog. You do a great job of illustrating exactly why so many dog lovers/owners are their own worst enemies. As someone who is not terribly fond of dogs(I wouldn't say I hate them, although on certain days I might be tempted to), a large part of the reason why I feel that way is due to the extremely arrogant and entitled attitude of many of their owners, who seem to feel that letting their dogs be a nuisance is perfectly acceptable, and anybody who complains about it is just uptight and needs to get a life.
ReplyDeleteNDA:
ReplyDeleteIf you cannot handle criticism, you should not be handing it out....
No Dogs Allowed
July 22, 2012 at 8:05 pm
The “Why I Hate Dogs” site isn’t running? I should leave it alone, but it’s my biggest referral – a lot of people on that site have clicked on my link and read mine. But it makes me disagreeable, so I’ll leave it alone. Those people know my site exists, so I don’t have to post there anymore.
I don’t think it’s enough to hate only barking dogs. I hate all dogs for multiple reasons, with the exception of guide and service dogs – and I don’t like them, I tolerate them.
I enjoy reading “Quiet Barking Dogs” and “Animal Uncontrol”. Both blogs are well written, but the writers take a too timid approach, you’re right. And their focus is too narrow. The “Animal Uncontrol” writer even has a link to a site where you can buy service dog booties. Really, who gives a flying F?
Also:
ReplyDeleteKaD
July 22, 2012 at 7:22 pm
The whyihatedogs site hasn’t been up and running for two weeks now. The articles are there but the link to the blog is gone. I think someone like the lady at ‘Quiet Barking Dogs’ is just too timid to admit she hates dogs and doesn’t want to catch alot of slack associated with that point of view. In my case I don’t give a shit if anyone likes my opinion or not. Dog fanaticism has gone WAY too far.
Many times I'don'teen saddled with the responsibility of babysitting, or returning home, other people's dogs, an imposition I deeply resent, but have been too mild mannered to refuse- and no matter how much aggravation, time, or even expense, I incurr, rarely have I been thanked, are sometimes, even acknowledged --dog people clearly seem to think EVERYONE should be involved in the welfare of their unattractive creatures- and I have personally experienced being injured or seriously threatened by dogs, while their owners indifferently observed, as though a mild little wildlife encounter were
ReplyDeleteoccurring. I dont doubt that people have genuine love for their dogs, so I'm willing to bet dogs deserve it, but as has been stated, it's often the owners who make the situation untenable. If you take pleasure in an animal alternately bullying, obsequious, and servile, you're a better person than I am. Please use your superior sensibilities to try to understand the views of the rest of us.
I don't doubt
Sorry for the mess of the above! Very hard to control the cursor on an android phone in the format provided!
ReplyDelete