The World’s Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!

Have Dog Owners Gone Too Far?

I have been pondering the status of man's best friend. I am shocked at the behavior of many pet owners who are willing to sink into debt to fund an expensive operation for their canine "family member."

This article was recently published in the Humanist. I personally think it raises an interesting point or two. I often say that dogs are social parasites that developed behaviors to trick humans into thinking they share our emotions. I wonder if millions of years of evolution of dogs and people in close proximity has this furry parasite perfectly adapted to feed off our highly evolved social needs.

link ... http://thehumanist.com/humanist/09_nov_dec/Pedersen.html

Excerpt below...

There was a time when "Dog is my co-pilot" was merely a fun slap at the "God is my co-pilot" bumper sticker, and it was funny precisely because nobody would ever think to elevate their dog to such a height. Within the past decade, however, pets—primarily dogs—have soared in importance. ("Dog is my co-pilot" is now the slogan of Bark, a magazine of dog culture, and the title of an anthology—published by Bark's editors—billed as essays, short stories, and expert commentaries that explore "every aspect of our life with dogs.") Canines, with their pack instincts and trainability, are by far the most likely pet to be anthropomorphized as a family member, a best friend, or a "fur baby," treated accordingly with gourmet meals, designer apparel, orthopedic beds, expensive therapy, and catered birthday parties. Some people even feel (and in some cases, demonstrate) that their dogs are worth dying for. Others say the animal lovers are going too far.

Tags: anthropomophic, dogs, pets

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dallas Gaytheist on November 20, 2009 at 9:01am

Monkeys are illegal I believe and can spread a deadly form of hepatitis. You should report them. The monkey belongs at a sanctuary, since it is probably impossible to return it to the wild now.

Permalink Reply by John D on November 20, 2009 at 9:04am

Dallas - this was years ago. I don't know any monkey owner, but have seen them on the TV. Are monkeys illegal everywhere or is it established state by state (or in certain countries)?

Permalink Reply by Dallas Gaytheist on November 20, 2009 at 9:11am

Are monkeys illegal everywhere or is it established state by state (or in certain countries)?

Well, don't quote me on this, but I believe they are illegal in all 50 states. They are considered a wild, non-native species. This kind of wild pet trade can really be detrimental to native species. Boas or pythons that got too big for their owners and were released into the wild are out of control in the Florida everglades, devastating the native wildlife, and San Francisco is overrun with non-native parrots.

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on November 20, 2009 at 9:54am

Man is the cruelest animal. At tragedies, bullfights, and crucifixions he has so far felt best on earth; and when he invented hell for himself, behold, that was his very heaven.
— Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

The more I see of men, the more I admire dogs.
-Jeanne-Marie Roland

-Of all the animals, man is the only one that is cruel. He is the only one that inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it.
-Mark Twain

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
-Mark Twain

-He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.
-Immanuel Kant

-To insult someone we call him "bestial." For deliberate cruelty and nature, "human" might be the greater insult.
-Isaac Asimov

Permalink Reply by John D on November 20, 2009 at 10:01am

Daniel - great quotes -

but it sort of proves my point. The idea that dogs are somehow noble is pure B/S. They are just dogs. If they had complex human emotions and had to make choices they would be just like people. Why is it so "evil" that we humans must make choices. An interesting problem with how humans view the ethical world.

Permalink Reply by Dallas Gaytheist on November 20, 2009 at 10:05am

Why is it so "evil" that we humans must make choices.

I don't think it is evil that we must make choices, but that our choices are so often evil in themselves, even when we know better.

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on November 20, 2009 at 10:07am

John,
Of course we have to make choices. As long as your choices agree with my values, it's not evil, it's good. :-)

(Internet humor is often mistaken. That's a joke)

Permalink Reply by Atheist Exile on November 20, 2009 at 11:20am

Hey, John D.,

My brother's name is John D. too. John David, to be exact.

Anyway, when I was 6 or 7, and living in the Panama Canal Zone, my Dad built a huge cage in a tree, then brought home a chimpanzee to put in it. Chimps are NOT native to Panama, though other monkeys are, so don't ask me where he got it. The chimp was completely wild and beyond domestication (at least, by us). He only lasted for a couple of weeks before my Dad got rid of him (I don't know how).

I haven't thought of that chimp for decades! Thanks for the nostalgia trip.

Permalink Reply by Atheist Exile on November 17, 2009 at 9:54pm

@Sydni,

I guess we have different histories and, therefor, different priorities. We totally disagree with each other. So be it. On the few occasions when the topic comes up, I've always (since a teenager) maintained that there is too much human misery to squander resources on pets. In the U.S., it's excessive. That's my opinion and I express it in the hope that I might persuade others to give more selectively and help their fellow human beings first.

By the way, I didn't say "compassion must be appropriated to only human animals". I singled out pets and specifically said "Endangered wildlife species is one thing . . . but pets?"

I knew there'd be strong reactions: most U.S. citizens have never seen real poverty first-hand and are too insulated from human suffering elsewhere in the world. They also take their relative privilege for granted. If I can stir things up and take people out of their comfort zone, they might see the issue from a different perspective. To me, that would be making a positive contribution.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Atheist Exile on November 18, 2009 at 8:28pm

@Sydni,

This planet has all kinds of problems that require our attention. Global warming, endangered species and ecosystems, nuclear proliferation, over-population, disease, starvation.

All I'm saying is that the multi-billion dollar pet industry (including charities), when placed in context with the pressing problems of the world, is a travesty of indulgence. Why is it wrong to point this out? We love our pets (I have 2 dogs and 2 cats) but, as the title of this discussion asks, "Have Dog Owners Gone Too Far?"

The topic pulled me in because I have an opinion about it. That opinion is strongly held, ever since my teenage years. I believe that adding my perspective to the discussion is important because it wasn't really being explored. Advocating more emphasis on people and less on pets is not an attack on anybody -- any more than advocating ANY minority point of view.

If I believe in something, knowing it's a minority view, I'm not going to surrender to the majority for the sake of popularity. If it's important to me, I'll speak up: especially if invited. Those who disagree with my ideas can respond accordingly . . . or they can attack me personally. I can't control how they respond.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dacx on November 14, 2009 at 4:21pm

I too grew up with dogs and to me having a dog in the family is natural but...it's a dog.

I may spoil my dog in certain ways but gormet meals, orthopedic dog bed, dress up clothes is a bit too much

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by mojo5501 on November 16, 2009 at 2:12pm

Would you agree that dogs just really want a place in the family...even if it's not "top dog".

Our dog Gypsy knows that she is not high in the ranking. But she's family. We spoil her once in awhile too, but there's a limit to how much we allow her to do or get away with. No begging for food while we're eating, for example. That's a big "pet peeve" of mine.

I think that people who spoil their dogs are sometimes giving the impression to the dog that he/she is dominant in the family. Isn't this a cause of concern with some larger dog breeds? And all dog breeds have sharp teeth! I would think it would cause a lot of problems, especially with families with young children.
(And dressing up dogs is just plain embarrassing for all parties concerned...I think dogs feel humiliation, don't you? They know when they're being laughed at, IMO.)