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They do this to get out of coming to functions. You've been played- think about it.
Oh, please. I'm pretty sure they would not have gotten dressed up and driven 20 miles with a dog to a party they really didn't want to attend. Did you think before you posted that?
First, I never would dream of bringing my dog anywhere, even if invited, he's a disaster with an attitude.
And I agree with a prior poster, the OP's family friends are not typical of Lab owners, nor are they considerate. My dog stays home 99% of the time when I am out, but I do make a point to be home at the same time (or make arrangements) for him to be fed. And I make sure he eats healthy food, not junk food. I may cook for him (rarely) and only because I don't care for the gizzards in turkey. It's a matter of convenience, mine.
That said, I do like to act like (no, relish) I'm the batty person wrapped up in my dog's life.......been doing it for years. His nick name is Phoo, for fu-fu dog, or Winnie the Phoo. He's a scruffy, overweight, long-haired Jack Russell that talks back. I tell my youngest son (20) to feed his brother (yes, the dog), and tell my oldest (26), his brothers are talking about him behind his back. I insert the dog's opinion in an argument (always on my side, of course). I don't go as far as feed him at the table, let him sleep on the bed (he sucks and chews on his blanket at 9 years old).......you tell him to go out (his doggie door), he will in his typical terrier tone, tell me if he disagrees. (We can have a conversation for several minutes). The kids don't react any more.......(it's been almost a decade), but when they bring a friend over......especially girlfriends, lol.....("now, I have to tell you, my mom is a bit 'off'") or anyone else I can stir a reaction out of them all in good fun and at the appropriate time. I like to act like the nut shyguy was describing....
At the end of the day, he's a beloved pet, a great companion, but a mere dog. His mother was also a family pet, who was begat by Jake, the roving terrier that would sneak into our home and never leave no matter how much we chased him. Phoo (real name Dexter) was born in our home and I guess one of the reasons he is special to me.
Well, I just have to say that my dogs are better than people. I don't treat them like people at all because they unlike most people, love me totally and unconditionally, completely forgive me no matter how stupid I have been, don't hold a grudge when I mess up, ask for so very little, always love my cooking, are grateful for every little treat I give them and are really my bestest friends along with their momma, my better half.
Well, I just have to say that my dogs are better than people. I don't treat them like people at all because they unlike most people, love me totally and unconditionally, completely forgive me no matter how stupid I have been, don't hold a grudge when I mess up, ask for so very little, always love my cooking, are grateful for every little treat I give them and are really my bestest friends along with their momma, my better half.
It is an indictment on this modern culture that people are so big on unconditional acceptance & no criticism of anything they do. It doesn't matter how unethical they're being or what they're doing, they don't want any criticism, not even when it's in a well-done tone that isn't harsh, regarding anything they do. Heck, they want you to CELEBRATE it with them.
But humans are too smart for that, we're going to call you on these things, because that's what a good friend will do, & some people just can't handle it. They MUST have nothing but unconditional acceptance of their sordid lifestyle and perverted ways, to them THAT is what a good friend is.
To be blunt--they crave a living organism too limited in intelligence to comprehend such things, a simple feeble-minded type of living thing whose limited mental intelligence causes them to blindly love any old body no matter what. Heck, throw me in the trunk and come back in 2 hours, and I will still love you, as the old adage goes.
They want friends even dumber than they are, to be blunt. They also have absolutely no respect for the sanctity and distinction of importance of human life as being head & shoulders above any animal, pets included.
Their thinking is wrong, and it needs to be called for the wrong it is. Period.
It is an indictment on this modern culture that people are so big on unconditional acceptance & no criticism of anything they do. It doesn't matter how unethical they're being or what they're doing, they don't want any criticism, not even when it's in a well-done tone that isn't harsh, regarding anything they do. Heck, they want you to CELEBRATE it with them.
But humans are too smart for that, we're going to call you on these things, because that's what a good friend will do, & some people just can't handle it. They MUST have nothing but unconditional acceptance of their sordid lifestyle and perverted ways, to them THAT is what a good friend is.
To be blunt--they crave a living organism too limited in intelligence to comprehend such things, a simple feeble-minded type of living thing whose limited mental intelligence causes them to blindly love any old body no matter what. Heck, throw me in the trunk and come back in 2 hours, and I will still love you, as the old adage goes.
They want friends even dumber than they are, to be blunt. They also have absolutely no respect for the sanctity and distinction of importance of human life as being head & shoulders above any animal, pets included.
Their thinking is wrong, and it needs to be called for the wrong it is. Period.
There seems to be an epidemic of pet worship in this country & it takes many forms. For me, the most offensive is the neighbor with the yappy little ankle-biter that won't shut the ever-loving heck up & the owner REFUSES to do ANYTHING about it. If you say anything, they defend that dog like it's smarter than Einstein & you're not worthy to lick its paws. You should get down on your knees & thank God for even being allowed to share the same planet with the high & mighty perfect dog. They think their dog is freaking Kate Middleton or something, & you're a mere peasant.
All of this over a DOG, I thought for so long?
Then it occurred to me one day--isn't that the same thing as parents whose kids misbehave in a nice quiet restaurant while the parents refuse to do anything, and if you say anything, they defend their child's behavior and think YOU'RE the one with the problem?
Then it occurred to me--people with dogs are now doing the same thing as many people with children are. Hence: many dog owners actually think their dogs are PEOPLE.
Where I come from, people are their own special class and animals are beneath them. Period. Dogs are animals--therefore, they're beneath us. Even if the dog is a K-9 hero who saved the lives of 5 people in a burning building, while the human is Charles Manson--even then, Charles Manson is more important, for one reason--he's a human, the K-9 is a dog & as such is an animal, and as such is beneath even Charles Manson.
I absolutely am dead-serious.
I realize Charles Manson is as disgusting and vile as they come, believe me I am no Charles Manson apologist. However, we as a society are really doing things wrong the minute we start putting animals on the levels of importance the same as people, even in such an extreme case. Among many things, I think it leads to people doing such ridiculous and stupid things such as treating their dog better than they treat their children or spouse, or even close friend, or having a dog run loose scaring little kids and blaming the kids for daring to play outdoors, or having a yappy ankle-biter drive the neighborhood crazy with its yapping yet somehow think that dog has more rights than the humans do. It leads to industries being drove out of business because of a stupid spotted owl that doesn't mean bean dip in the scheme of things.
And no, that humans judge and animals don't, the typical "my dog doesn't judge me or nag me or ask for anything, it just loves me the way I am"--newsflash, it's because your dog is too STUPID to do anything else. Adolf Hitler's dogs loved him right up the minute he was gassing Jews in Poland. I'd hardly call that a superior form of love.
Besides, we humans are SUPPOSED to judge, up to a certain extent anyway. We are SUPPOSED to tell someone when they're making stupid decisions that are wrecking their lives & the lives of those around them. It's one thing to be a nag over stupid stuff like the clothes you wear or the social class of people you are friends with, but this whole "tolerance" thing has really gone crazy, people want to live practically like the devil yet get approval, or at least lack of any criticism, no matter what they're doing, and animals doing that for them thus get considered to be BETTER than people.
Horsefeathers.
It's sick, and it's beyond ridiculous. People need to get back to the place where we realized the heirarchy of things and that humans come first.
I think you just made the OP's point beautifully, although you probably didn't mean to. You certainly made mine.
I don't deny that a bond between a dog & human is a beautiful thing, & there is nothing wrong with enjoying your dog or cat or whatever your pet of choice may be, but to equate it to being anywhere near the same level of significance, importance, relevance and measure of what love is when comparing it to a human being--frankly, it is at its best misguided, and at its worst is downright mentally sick.
Yes dog will follow a man no matter what he does--yes, but several things. First, that doesn't excuse or gloss over what a man does, in terms of leaving his wife & such. Secondly, the dog does this because it's too stupid to know any better. It's ignorant, it's mentally challenged compared to even the most mentally challenged human on the planet. Spare me the stories of how smart this dog & such is, no dog's intelligence can come close to the intelligence level of a human being, and to suggest that it does is to suggest 2 + 9 = 29.
People who think like that, typically although not always, are the ones you see divorced and alone, for one reason--they think their dog comes before their wife, or husband, or their friends, because that precious ball of fur "doesn't judge me"--again, because it's too STUPID to. A wife who lets the dog sleep in the same bed when the husband wants their marital bed to be sacred and separate, or a husband who is that way with the cat. A family who owns a dog and takes up for the dog when it bites their child. Then you have people who want to live like the devil practically and how dare anyone say anything to them about it, even with the right and respectful and proper tone of voice, and so they gravitate to their dog who has no ability to tell them right from wrong.
There is a place for that love, yes, there is nothing wrong with making a place in your life for it and appreciating it--but to make it a SUBSTITUTE for human love and to exalt it as being SUPERIOR is goofed up thinking at its absolute worst (or best?). Among many other things, real love is when a husband & wife know each other's faults one human to the other, yet even KNOWING their faults CHOOSE to stay together (I'm ignoring toxic relationships like Rhianna/Chris Brown)--in SPITE of each knowing their partner's faults fully and experiencing the pain first-hand they CHOOSE to love each other ANYWAY. NO animal-human relationship can touch that, I don't care how good it looks in "Beethoven" movies or Hallmark cards. And referring to the previous paragraph, a wife or husband with half an understanding of this would NEVER expect their partner to tolerate a cat that gives them allergies or a dog that barks at everything from here to Greece. They'd RESPECT that their partner is not a dog or cat person and never ever choose a dog or cat over their own wife or husband.
Snark at God all you want, but He makes it clear--man is special, man is separate & distinct from all other living things on the planet, and is infinitely way more important. As one preacher said once, some people are so full of the devil they treat their dog better than their treat their kids. Their dog can hop on the couch in their lap and they think it's great, let their child to the same thing and they smack 'em for it, basically telling their child that their dog is more important than they are. To do that is a flat-out abomination.
I am not perfect and I myself probably have more flaws than a spaghetti strainer has holes, so in the overall sense I am no better than anybody else, but I also have enough sense not to think that the 2 dogs & 2 cats we have around here count as even 1/billionth the same level of importance as my wife & 2 children do. Heck, they don't even count as much as the stranger I run into with smelly and torn-tattered clothes. For such a person to die is far more tragic than for any of my pets to die, even though I know my pets & I don't know that stranger, because of one single reason--that stranger is a human being.
Human life is the most sacred thing on this planet, and it deserves way more respect than a dang-blanged dog, cat, gerbil, ferret, hamster, ANY animal.
Period.
This is just sad - exactly why the world is in such bad shape today. People with this mindset have no qualms about hurting those they feel are inferior to them - which would include all OTHER animals (people with this mindset don't understand humans are animals first), as well as inflicting wars on other peoples they feel are inferior to themselves.
Second of all, what's happened is that some people have elevated their dogs to "kid" status.
Maybe they never had kids, or maybe they have kids who grew up and don't like their parents very much - whatever - but the dog(s) have become the childlike creature they can now bestow and invest all their love in, who unlike real children will never want autonomy or to leave them at all.
I doubt that is right given the described reactions can happen with people with kids just as easily - or often - as those without. Your point would have some credibility if the trait only arose in child less people - but it does not which seems to undermine your point.
Perhaps rather than "kid" status a better word would be "family" status. For many people their pets have been incorportated and adopted into the family unit. They are as much "family" to them as any other member of the family would be - like a step dad - adopted or fostered child - or any other external addition people make to their familes all the time.
So perhaps the offense of such people is that they see the pet as a member of the family - while others do not - and this riles them up the wrong way.
As for my part - I live between worlds on this one - I actually own a wolf rather than a dog - so we can not go anywhere as a full family without him - or without taking sufficient complex steps to ensure his care. Anyone with a problem with that simply does not invite us to their house - or gives us more than sufficient advance warning to cater for requirements.
Generally people do not have an issue with it though. Most realise that where we go - he comes too.
This is just sad - exactly why the world is in such bad shape today. People with this mindset have no qualms about hurting those they feel are inferior to them - which would include all OTHER animals (people with this mindset don't understand humans are animals first), as well as inflicting wars on other peoples they feel are inferior to themselves.
It's a very egotistical, arrogant point-of-view.
You are quoting shyguy, and saying his point of view is sad. This has nothing to do with why the world is in such shape today. The reason the world is in such bad shape is because some people think only of themselves and hurt others, steal from others, rape, and kill others, talk about people, slander others, and are plain rude to others. Bottom line, going back to what God said, loving others is very, very important.
I have this mindset an animal is not like me. Humans are not animals first. We are human beings, nothing like lowly animals. I am no better than other people , rich or poor, educated or no high school degree. They are humans. A wonderful creation, nothing like an animal. You have to differentiate between human beings and animals. It is not egotistical or arrogant, it is very intelligent, something animals are not.
Shyguy, has the basic answer that I agree with for the OP (original poster). The cousins bringing their dogs to the family reunion have no manners. They are not thinking about the rest of the family or his daughter, whom is allergic to dogs. They also, like you, fail to see the difference with human beings and animals. If they did, they would put his daughter and the owner of the house first, and leave their dogs home!
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