What's Up With Dogs

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FWIW, I was discussing this thread and your posts with my wife. She thought that Westies might be of interest to you. You might actually want to check out a dog show and get a line on some of the breeds even though show dogs aren't of interest. I'm not really partial to smaller dogs as a rule and don't generally pay much attention to them at the shows. However, I did watch them at the last show I attended (4th of July weekedn) and observed some very nice smaller dogs that seemed to have great personalities. Also FWIW IMO Blarg has posted some great info and advice in this thread.

West Highland White Terriers Site

[CollinEstes]

Terriers are good because they don't shed that much. But I hear that they like to chew on stuff alot.

[KJS]

Maybe my typo made it confusing. What I meant to convey was I personally don't understand people who can't do things like go on roadtrips, go camping (yes some people will not bring their dog camping), not rush home after work, etc. because of their animals. I can't imagine that an animal could provide me with as much amusement as a weekend with adult humans, or even some happy hour beers.

And no, I don't consider the simple act of watching a dog poop and putting their sh** in little bags excessive and anti-social, but that little responsibility can get in the way of things sometimes. Like you said, Fodo doesn't like to hold that poop in, so Mr. Fodo must run home sometimes to be a good dog-daddy.

KJS

[PokerCat69]

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People are also messy, smelly, expensive, and require time and care. Being able to get past that is what helps make you cool as a dog owner, friend, or parent. And being a dog owner is by far the easiest of the three.

It's good training for the other two. There are people who like dogs but don't care about treating them well, and people who flat out don't like dogs. Liking dogs and relating to them well is no guarantee of a great person, but I've noted that people who don't care for animals of any kind miss out on some life lessons that they can easily apply elsewhere, and then come up short. Kind of like only children are very often spoiled and don't know how to relate to roommates; they haven't had the chance to learn how to get along and compromise with people they live with, and that's not an asset by a long shot. They've got a whole big mindset change to go through, and they'll kind of suck bad until they do. Everyone will know it but them.

Not liking dogs and knowing how to care for them well, being reluctant at the thought of putting yourself out even only as much as a DOG needs -- which really isn't much at all, especially for the incredible affection and loyalty and fun you get back -- does seem to show a selfish person more often than not, in my experience.

Appreciating a dog is like appreciating anything else that's beautiful or cool, and if you don't know how to do that, you're throwing away something good. But if it's caring for and making some small sacrifices for even a dog that puts you off, it's a pretty clear sign that you're probably selfish and won't be very developed when it comes to giving to people, either.

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How about someone who doesn't like dogs but likes other pets such as cats? eh [censored]. Making a blanket statement about people being selfish and "coming up short" for not owning a dog is just absurd.
Pull your head out of your ass buddy

[imported_The Vibesman]

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I never really liked kids much - and I hate the stereotype that you're not cool if you're not a "kid person".

What is it that makes having kids so popular? I mean they are messy - and smelly. You have to feed them, walk them, train them, take care of them. Some cry too much. They can tear up your stuff.

So with all that - why do so many people like/love kids?

I'm really curious.

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[thewarden]

One of my favorite dog quotes is "Choosing a dog is the only chance you have to choose a family member."

I got my first dog, Rufus, when my GF was going through chemotherapy and had lost all her hair and wasn't feeling well enough to leave the house and was in desparate need of something to cheer her up.
After a particularly good week of poker, I had made enough to buy him, brought him home and Sharon was able to bond with something that would love her no matter what she looked like, how she was feeling or what she was thinking. Knowing that no matter what, the pup and I would be at her side through the ordeal helped her immensely and brought joy to her life at a time when joy was at a premium. There wasn't time to go out for happy hour beers or much of anything else at the time. Did we miss out on social occasions? Sure. Did we regret it? Not at all.
Do I miss some social occasions now becuase I have to take care of my dogs? Some, but not many.

[RacersEdge]

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I never really liked kids much - and I hate the stereotype that you're not cool if you're not a "kid person".

What is it that makes having kids so popular? I mean they are messy - and smelly. You have to feed them, walk them, train them, take care of them. Some cry too much. They can tear up your stuff.

So with all that - why do so many people like/love kids?

I'm really curious.

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So you're saying you hate kids? That's cold..

[KJS]

I can tell you have a good balance. I know you are a cool, social guy who manages what he wants and that is great. You want some dog-time, go for it. I am reacting to those who imply that somehow not being into animals conveys that someone is not good with people, primarily due to being too selfish. I am offering an alternative: that some people cherish their adult relationships to the point they don't want other things to get in the way of them, such as pets. Doesn't sound selfish to me. Humancentric maybe, egocentric, I don't think so.

And your puppies are pretty irresistable from the pics I've seen. I'd turn down some sh** for them too.

KJS

[dlk9s]

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What about those of us who would rather spend our time developing our human relationships instead of those with animals. How many dog people do you know who are always saying no to cool human-only sh*t because of their animals? I know a few.

Call me selfish for not wanting kids or dogs, but I like adult humans and would prefer to spend my time with them.

KJS

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My wife and I have actually met a lot of our friends because of our dog. We've lived in apartment complexes for the four years we've had our dog and discovered that our walks are great for meeting people. Plus, our dog is the cutest one in the neighborhood, so everybody wants to pet her.

We even became friends with Miss Elizabeth (yes, that Miss Elizabeth) because our dogs became best buddies. She had a German Shepherd, we have a little 14-pound mutt. Her big dog liked to play by putting my dog's head in its mouth. Needless to say, we pulled them apart when this would happen. It was just playing, no harm done, but the last thing we needed is for the big dog to sneeze or something. [img]/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img]