“Dog people” are like gravity or sunlight or something: they just are
and there’s nothing that will change it. I’m not a dog person. I like
dogs, just as most people do, but I have no desire to adopt one. I
have enough problems already.
Dog people tend to think that the world and humanity were made for
dogs, and their own dogs particularly. If it comes down to it,
humanity must give way so that the dogs can flourish. I’ve seen this
a hundred times in my travels through the tri-state area. Someone
will have a psychotic beast that barks viciously at me when I am
working in the next yard. Do they come out and correct the situation?
Hahahahaha! Of course not! They blame me for being there and bothering the dog.
People will walk their dogs on a leash and allow it to excrete its dung
on my grass where, quite obviously, I have to mow. As I walk down the
street, they allow the beast to come up to me and plant its slobbery
muzzle in my crotch and on my hands, as though either (1) I like it or
(2) the dog has that right and it doesn’t matter if I want the
attention or not.
And, of course, dog people talk to their dogs as though they were
human. If I had a dog I’d do the same, but such behavior is
irrational. I don’t talk to my computer. I give it commands, but I
don’t pretend it converses with me and I don’t wish to get started
pretending that a dog is conversing with me.
We love dogs because they love us. They’re easier to get along with
than humans. We are tempted to ask “Why can’t so-and-so accept me the way my dog does?” The answer is that so-and-so is smarter than your dog. Rather than flee to a dog, I think my responsibility is to mend my relationships with other people.
Americans spent $14.4 billion on dog food and treats in 2014, according
to the Pet Food Institute. Since the annual trend was upward, I assume that it was higher in 2015 and will be higher still in 2016. The SPCA says it costs about $1,400 to properly keep a dog for a year, including grooming, vet visits, and kenneling while you’re gone on vacation. I suppose a few million also go into medical care for dog bites. Doubt me? Google “dog bite injury” images.
Why do people do this? Oh, there has been a library’s worth of books extolling the excellencies of dog companionship — millions of pages to justify the billions of dollars — but I summarize it by simply observing that dog people are and there’s nothing that will change it.