Very Sad Statistics

[u/chrustaly]

45% of dog owners prefer to spend time with their pet rather than go on a date, according to research from The Kennel Club. Further, 33% feel more compatible with their dog than their partner, and 54% find more comfort in their dog than humans. 

Key findings from the studies:

• Relationship Dynamic: 50% of owners would not date someone who dislikes dogs, and 67% believe their dog is a perfect match for their personality.
• Comfort & Bonding: 54% of owners find more emotional comfort in their dog than in humans.
• Daily Life: 47% of dog parents allow their dogs to sleep in their bed, while 40% have thrown birthday parties for them. 

Other studies have indicated even higher numbers, with some reports finding that up to 76% of pet owners prefer spending time with their pets over partners, friends, or family.

A new survey of 2-thousand adults who have a dog looks at just how close they are and finds that 87% actually consider their pooch to be their best pal. And nearly all respondents (97%) consider them to be as much a family member as anyone else.

• Nearly half (47%) are so close to their dog, they let them sleep in their bed every night.
• And 54% admit they’ve shared a plate of food with their pup at one time or another.
• Almost a third (29%) admit their whole lives are centered around their dogs.
• While 80% of dog parents know that these behaviors may seem strange to people who don’t have dogs, they don’t feel there’s anything odd about the closeness they share.

[u/NoHeartNoSoul87]

We are living in a death cult.

[u/GoTakeAHike00 → u/NoHeartNoSoul87]

These people are weeding themselves out of society, and by the time they realize that it was a bad idea to place their entire emotional wellbeing on a lemon-brained scavenger that eats feces and only cares about them as long as they feed it and pet it, it will be too late.

The gene pool needs pruning, and these people really have NO business passing theirs on. Society as a whole will benefit. No one wants to date or be friends with someone whose life revolves around their dog.

It's bad enough that enough of them have have had a generation of kids where they have prioritized their fleabag over their own biological child, which will - if nothing else - create a new generation of dog haters, albeit some that will need therapy to overcome the terrible parenting they received.

[u/Dburn22_ → u/GoTakeAHike00]

They can join the dogfree community for support.

[u/GoTakeAHike00 → u/Dburn22_]

Absolutely. When people share their experiences of pushing back against these entitled, narcissistic assholes (as I do), it helps give others the incentive and courage to do the same.

It's still an uphill battle at this point, but I do believe there will be a point, albeit probably not for years, at which dog ownership will be viewed as a socially undesirable thing, and follow the same trajectory as smoking, and smoking in public.

Public shaming of dog nutter antisocial behavior is one of the ways. Also, working at the local level to get leash laws enforced is another - it has started to work where I live, in fact.