These people completely boggle my mind…
I’m talking about folks who don’t like dogs. Whyyyyy? How is it possible?
To each his/her own I guess, but I’ll never understand it.
AskReddit users who are definitely not dog people went on the record to explain themselves.
#1. Too much work
“I like dogs as animals, but I don’t like them as pets.
They need a lot of attention and need to be let out and I’m already awful at keeping my sh*t together let a lone drag myself out of bed every day.
I love cats because I can be a lazy f*ck and they don’t care.”
#2. A whole bunch of reasons
“I can’t really pin one reason, you know? I don’t like the way they smell, I don’t like being jumped on (or touched by any living thing really), and I can’t stand dogs that aren’t trained. The one thing that irks me the most is when they lick my hands. I’m overly hygenic in regards to my hands (probably a form of OCD or something, I’ve never sought out treatment because I just clean my hands a lot, not rub them raw), so getting slobber on them makes me rush to the nearest bathroom for a good hand scrub. I don’t hate dogs, they just make me really uncomfortable.
I currently have a cat, and I still have some of these issues with her, so it’s not dog specific.”
#3. Worse than Hitler?
“I like dogs & playing with them, but not keeping them as pets. They’re too loud, need to be walked, significantly messier, smell, and typically seem to have more health issues. Overall very high maintenance, as other people have put it. I’m also pretty sure I’m mildly allergic to them ?
But while I do like dogs to an extent, what I can’t stand are dog people. Somehow it’s okay to actively dislike or hate cats, but heaven forbid you feel impartial to dogs because suddenly you’re worse than Hitler himself.”
#4. Not a fan
“Ugh, they’re smelly, loud, and why do you guys like it when dogs lick your face until it’s COVERED in canine saliva? Cats clean themselves, are incredibly quiet, DON’T cover your face in smelly slime, and as an added bonus, a cat wouldn’t tell the cops where the drugs are. Oh and then theres going on walks every. single. day. NOPE.”
#5. Bad experiences
“For context, I’m a guy who currently lives with a dog. My mum wanted a dog for a long time, and I really, really didn’t want to be around one. He is a large yellow Labrador, and is now about 7 years old. I went on a hunger strike against getting a dog, and 7 years later I still wish we never got him.
I’ve been attacked twice by dogs, the first time I was about 9 years old, and the second time I was about 16. The first time was pretty damn bad, and involved me being pinned on my back with a large dog biting and ripping at my arms (shielding my face) and I needed stitches. The other time was when I cycled round a corner on a cycle path, heard some barking, and the next thing I knew I had a dog latched onto my leg and being dragged along with me. Need a couple more stitches.
I have no problem with the concept of dogs. I know there are many, many lovely kind dogs out there, and I have met some. But everything about them just unnerves me and makes me uncomfortable. Their smell, their mannerisms, their barking, etc. With our dog I try and act friendly around him. I will pet him often, without prompting, and walk him too (after my protests failed). I think he clearly knows my actions are hollow though, and he has never really wanted to be around me either.
I think part of it is down to how I look. I have achondroplastic dwarfism, so I am disproportionate and only 4ft tall as a ‘grown’ man. This affects how I walk, move, and I guess my general presence to dogs. I think they can be confused by me and as a result they can feel threatened and attack. It also doesn’t help my fear when they are large dogs and literally bigger than me.”
#6. Doesn’t like the OWNERS
“As a runner, I am only annoyed with dogs when their owners are sh*tty. If I am out running trying to enjoy the neighborhood or the park, I don’t want your dog chasing me. In fact, your dog chasing me is pretty terrifying. This happens ALL the time. And guess what? Owners don’t even try to stop their dogs when they chase me. They just laugh and yell “Don’t worry, they don’t bite!”
…ok? How is that supposed to help? Biting or not, I don’t want your dog to be chasing me on my run. It’s scary whether you claim they bite or not. And you should be responsible and not allow your pet to bother people when they’re minding their own business. Just because YOU are a dog person doesn’t mean you can assume everyone else is.
I actually want a dog for myself. I like dogs. But dog owners can sometimes be jerks, because they assume everyone is obsessed with dogs.”
#7. You’ve clearly spent a lot of time on this…
“I love dogs. I’ll volunteer with dogs. I’ll watch other people’s dogs. I used to work with dogs professionally But I don’t want my own dog. I’m very happy with my cat.
I’m really picky about the way my apartment smells because, if I walk in the door and get hit with an odor, I won’t really be able to feel clean or comfy. Dogs have a stronger odor than cats.
Cats are baseline cheaper. I got my indoor cat for $10 from a rescue place, and he came neutered with a microchip and up-to-date shots. I bought a litter box on sale that came with a set of bowls and a bed for $15, and I got him 2 toys that were $0.50 each. He’s currently 12 years old and I’ve never had to replace any of those items. He’s very good at grooming himself, so I don’t have to buy any soap or brushes. A huge bag of his food cost $17, and it lasts for months. He costs about $100 per year in vet bills. The only thing I buy for him that’s expensive is preventative flea medication, which is $96 every 6 months. All my cat needs is food, cuddles, and a windowsill. My parent’s, grandparent’s, and friends’ dogs all cost WAY more than that.
Dogs are more work. I go out of town for my job a lot (1-3 days at a time) and I also work long hours. So I can just put extra food and water out, add some extra litter to the box, and leave my cat without issue. I could never do that with a dog.
The pet fee for a cat in my apartment is $200 up front with no monthly pet rent. For a dog it’s $200 up front and $25 per month in pet rent.
Dogs are more unpredictable. One of my childhood dogs, who was very sweet, bit somebody when provoked. That was a huge deal. Every dog we had after her, I was afraid to take to the dog park or around other people. I also had a very sweet dog that I was babysitting unexpectedly try to bite someone as we walked past. I’ve never worried about any of my cats having a negative reaction like that because, if provoked, they just hide.
Some dogs will run if they get out of the gate or door, and you have to go track them down. Every day there’s someone in my neighborhood fetching their dog(s), and one of my dogs growing up also used to do that (which was extremely frustrating). One of my friends in college also had a dog who did that, and she paid a bunch of money for obedience training that had no effect. My cat is low profile and hasn’t ever expressed any desire to escape.
I always had to make an effort to train my dogs. But I never had to actively make any effort to train my cat because he just kind of learned things on his own.
You don’t have to take cats on a walk when it’s snowing outside.”
#8. Doesn’t like dogs OR children
“They are like children and I dont like children.
They are too dependent and needy all the time. Require too much effort and work to stay stimulated and fit.
They smell.
I hate when they lick peoples faces.
These are all things that are better with cats.
But I like all animals, including dogs. But I am not a dog person at all.”
#9. Uncomfortable situations
“Hi! For starters, I don’t hate dogs, but find that others label me as “not a dog person”. I always admire them being cute, lovable, and kind of dumb BUT what bothers me is when they are poorly trained/obnoxious- if I go over to your house and your dog is constantly jumping up on me with sharp claws/playful yet painful biting/barking all of the time it puts me in a really uncomfortable situation.
Because I don’t enjoy that (I don’t fault your dog for not understanding), but I feel weird about being really stern with someone elses pet.. often the owners are living in a bubble and just dont see an issue with it.”
#10. Inconvenient
“Dogs are awesome, but they require way more maintenance than cats. They need to be walked twice a day unless you want poop on the living room floor.
They need more training than cats to be friendly, balanced pets. I like training dogs, I taught my parents’ dog a bunch of fun tricks and we did agility when she was still young and interested in that stuff, but it’s much easier to f*ck something up in a dog’s training than in a cat’s education. If you have a high-energy dog, you absolutely have to do outside activities with it, while my high-energy cat is fine with spending most of his energy by zooming through the apartment at high speed. (He’s still a needy boi who requires his daily playtime, but I’ll take 30 minutes of waving a toy around in my living room over having to plan my days around having to spend entire afternoons outside with my dog.)
It’s also harder to travel when you have a dog. I have a friendly neighbour who feeds my cat and plays with him when I’m away, but for a dog you need to find and pay a dogsitter, or take the dog with you and find pet-friendly hotels.
So overall, cats are much more convenient to live with.”
#11. Scared
“I do not know. Since I was little I have been anxious around dog if not downright scared. Especially the most affectuos ones that come to you to play, they have always just sent me panicking.”
#12. Stay away
“I hate their licks, they have smelly breath, they make my hands feel dirty after I touch them (even if the dog is clean) they always jump up on me, they are too big and destructive, they are just generally annoying and too excitable.
I like dogs, I just do not want to touch one or own one.”
#13. No thank you
“They stink – especially if they get wet. They bark. They chew shit up. Some of them pee when they get excited. A lot of them jump on you when they get excited. They have to be let out. They get into shit. If you want to go on a trip, you have saddle someone with the task of looking after your dog while you’re away or pay for a kennel. No dog for me, thanks.”
#14. Needy
“They’re too needy, I like my space.”
#15. Deathly afraid
“I’m deathly afraid of dogs. Like I can’t be near a dog without being afraid. As a kid, I would break out into tears whenever a dog was near me. There wasn’t really anything that happened when I was really young to make me hate them, but both experiences I’ve had with dogs were when I was older and I’d been afraid of them for a long time.
Not only that, but dogs in general are annoying. They require so much care and they’re unpredictable.
I like cats but I like other people’s cats. I’ll take a nice fish as my pet, thank you.”
I am so shook…
