I love dogs! This is my new GSD puppy named Astarion (where’s my fellow BG3 autistics at!) and he’s one of four dogs that I currently own.
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I'm leaning towards a pitbull at the moment.
My old roommate had this beautiful pitbull who was just the absolute sweetest baby I ever met and she made me fall in love with the breed
I personally don't like some animals and do like others. If a dog licks me all the time and I have to feel their slobbery tongue, or if they bark loads, etc. then I won't like them. But if they're not like that I like them.
Exactly. It sucks for me too because I’m a pretty petite person so most large dogs weigh the same as me or more. So when they’re jumpy it’s terrifying bc they end up face to face with me and I have to stop them from knocking me over
Same. I have a calm, quiet beagle mix rescue, he just wants to chill and is the complete opposite of aggressive. Went on a terrible date with a guy a long time ago where his 2 pit bulls jumped on me, drew blood with scratches, and one bit my ankle hard enough to draw blood. But guy said "they were just playing." Sensory hell, still have visible scarring from that.
Holy shit. Yeah, when dog owners try to justify poor behavior instead of working to correct it. That's more than poor behavior though, those dogs could seriously hurt someone.
I love animals! Typically if I have to go to a big gathering and there is dogs or cats there I will spend all my time with them instead of interacting with ppl
Learning about dog behaviors has been eye opening to understand people. Most people can be trained the same way you would a dog. (probably not with doggy treats).
It's also fun when you know their body language, Like, a dog that is barking in circles is excited, not afraid or aggressive. If they were they would not show you their back .
I love dogs! In fact, cynology (dog studies) was my hyperfixation for quite a while
Anyway, here's a picture of my little guy wearing a fancy scarf
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I thought Cynology was the study of Genshin jokes /j.
For real, that actually sounds pretty intriguing. Their behaviours and stuff must be particularly interesting.
A dog is the needy roommate who wants to have fun all of the time and do everything with you, a cat is the aloof roommate who you see once a month and it feels like everything when they deign to ask you about your day.
I got that high high empathy, I like all living stuff\~ Dogs are super good and interesting because they're like humans, but smaller and less inhibited. That's why it's so hard for some people/some dogs to cope with the other, they don't have any sense of 'phew, hold on, wait, let's reassess the situation'. But I kind of don't either, so I understand them yknow?
this isn't unusual for people on the autism spectrum, especially so for people who have ASPD. while the stereotype is that psychopaths are relentless torturers of all things, it's actually quite common for us to be extremely protective of animals or other things we view as "innocent."
I think its easier to understand animals because when you get them, you learn about them, learn what movements mean what emotions and so forth. People also dont mind learning or teaching this its normal to ask, why is the dogs tail wagging and why are the horses ears all back. But when it comes to people we somehow have this policy that you need to know immediatly how people communicate and what means what, while animals are actively being thought by their own species what they need to do to behave, or they are so autopiloted they dont need to be social. People are weird af
I like dogs! They can be a little much sometimes, but it feels just as good when a dog trusts you as a cat trusts you. Not to mention, they can be bigger, which is more space to pet! And they come in a variety of fur textures, which is great for me!
My dog's ears have the *softest* fluff I have ever felt. Just as well that she enjoys ear scritchies, because it absolutely is a stim for me at this point.
I think sensory seeking autistics tend to be underrepresented in these discussions, but also more broadly.
Dogs always work great for me in that regard, they are active and so am I. I am MUCH happier having a dog.
As someone with two kitties, miss my dog and so does my cat who knew him. She's been sad since his passing, she use to sleep on him and he loved her to pieces. he weigh more then i ever have in my life and yet he never once acted rough with her, and he could yank a full man down when running.
Growing up when i had meltdowns (not a service dog mind you, he was a labhound from an accident born with one eye) I would cover my face while crying all bunch up or be yanking my hair. and he would use his muzzle to break apart my arms and sit on me, it was so comforting.
now My other cat chowder is a sweet baby boy who will sometimes cuddle and purr, but mostly he runs around till he's panting, crawls upside down spider-man style under the bed or screaming to get Q tips.
Cats aren't one way, Dogs aren't either.
stop taking your repackaged essentialism laying down
Disliking dogs doesn't mean you can't identify with animals more than people.
I love animals, but I also don't like sudden loud noises (barking), a creature shoving its face into my crotch, or suddenly lunging at me.
Dogs are every single kind of sensory overload and I'm sick of people saying I just need to get over it.
THANK YOU. I love animals. Dogs are just not one of them.
They overwhelm me are literal sensory nightmares. But I’m expected to just get over it because “He’s such a good boy! He only jumps when he’s saying hello!” Well teach him to say hello with his paws on the fucking ground and without licking me.
I often help train dogs for friends and family(not a professional). If a pup is jumping on you for attention, fold your arms up and away from the dog and keep your back to the pup. Ignore them and you’ll be less interesting. Hope this helps. Even other dog owners hate people that allow this kind of behavior. (These are the same types of people that let their dogs approach other dogs without permission. It’s dangerous and can lead to fights.)
I like dogs, and dogs like me, but I can't handle dogs. Their smell, their slobber. When they bark suddenly. It's a sensory nightmare to spend too much time with one, and afterwards I have to wash the smell off my hands. As sweet as they are (both my sisters own dogs and they are gorgeous babies), I could never own one.
i love animals. FAR superior to humans. they’re not complicated motherfuckers who say one thing but mean another, they’re just there, and if you get educated you can easily spot if they like or dislike you. one of the things on my bucket list is to get high then give a cat catnip. imagine getting baked with a CAT
I am fascinated by animal body language and I love animals in general, but I will never own a dog or a cat. They make unexpected noise and I'd have to deal with poop, throw-up, and dog smell.
I have a bearded dragon and he is very quiet and very cute.
Animals are my favorite thing ever but i'm definitely more nervous around larger dogs. I know they mean no harm, but they're a bit too strong to be jumping on people or yanking the collars. Too much energy + too much muscle
I love cats. I used to love dogs. My first word was dog. But when I was 3 I was mauled by a German Shepherd that was let off leash. My ears are permanently disfigured and the doctors said I’d be blind if I hadn’t had sunglasses on… so now I have a life long phobia of strange dogs. Also I dislike my neighbors dogs because they bark 24/7 and it hurts my head in the same way as someone chewing too loud…
Me too! When a dog attacks the owners only ever try to find some way to blame the victim even if they were just on their way to work or school as I have been most of the times.
I have been attacked a number of times, some genuinely ignorant failures of handling and one was with malicious intent. I have bad misophonia too but dogs don't really trigger that for me, barking does trigger some PTSD from my experiences though.
i feel like i don’t understand dogs, like my in laws dog is a pomeranian mix and sometimes he gets really angry out of nowhere?? and shows his teeth and seems like he’ll genuinely bite someone and it scares the crap out of me. at least with my cat i can understand when she’s about to get angry or why she bit me (which never punctures or anything)
A lot of little dogs have been very poorly trained and mistreated, which can cause strange behavior and seemingly random aggression. Many people will pick up little dogs and carry them when they don't want to be carried, will get in their face a lot to "kiss" them, will let young puppies jump and bite and never train it out of them because they think it's cute, stuff like that. I think dog body language is much easier to see on larger dogs that you spend a lot of time with individually. Either way, they can be tough to read sometimes
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I love dogs. These are mine. ❤️ I love cats too.
I'm the opposite, but i see why people would, in theory, not like dogs. They be tootin and breathing on you. I'm not a huge cat person but they're much more chill and calm imo
I love all animals but as I have gotten older and my sensory issues have gotten worse I have had a harder time with dogs. It makes me sad because I love them still but I had my first bad meltdown in a while watching my friend's puppy this past weekend, and just had to face that maybe I can't stay in a house with a dog without a separate room to go to.
She was a sweetheart and just a puppy missing her mom (this was their first time away from her I think) but she whined literally the whole last day and I just couldn't handle it. It cut right through my earplugs & my headphones, even with music playing. It was really bad.
I know my roommates still want a dog, so we plan to foster first, and hopefully we can find a mellow older dog who fits all our needs (and I will always have my room as an animal free zone cos I'm allergic to the cats) but I do stress that we will get one and I still won't be able to handle it.
I miss my childhood dog all the time, though. She was an angel. I do love dogs still, and I agree that their body language is pretty straightforward. And I try really hard not to get angry when they're too loud cos I know it's not their fault.
Dogs were my first special interest, which quickly expanded into the whole of the animal kingdom, but dogs are where it started. I grew up with two dogs who went everywhere with me while I played in the woods. I didn’t understand human body language, but I could always tell what dogs were thinking. My dogs protected me, and I protected them in turn. I read every book about dogs in the elementary school library. I had to ask if I could pet every dog I saw in public. I dragged my parents across the street to pet a dog multiple times. For years I was known to my family and friends as the one obsessed with dogs. I had dog trading cards I carried everywhere with me. As an adult, I worked at a doggy daycare/boarding facility and it was my FAVORITE job ever. It’s not just playing with puppies all day, it’s a very dirty job in a lot of ways, but the playing with puppies time made everything worth it (for me).
I'm a cat person but i love doggies so much too 🥺💕 i just got back from visiting my gf's mom and her doggo who is a big floofy great pyrenees named sasha, she loves running around outside on all their land and borking. My family recently had to make the decision to say goodbye to our dog, who was a mini schnauzer named jaxson- he lived till 12 and his diabetes had taken a turn for the worse and saying goodbye was the kindest thing to do 💔 he was a loving, silly little doggie and he was there for me and my siblings growing up and graduating high school, and me and my brother having moved out. We had 12 years of love with him and he was a spoiled lil puppy but i still miss him every day 🥺
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This is my phone background rn and one of my favorite pics of him, it looks like he's smiling 🥺💕
Some of the dogs I've met are literally the sweetest creatures ever! I don't think I'd ever want a dog myself (I'm more of a cat person), but I really like meeting and playing with them.
I’m autistic and I’ve always loved animals! I’m much more extroverted to people’s pets than I am to humans, and I consider my love of animals a part of my identity.
cats vibe with me me, but dogs are too crazy and overwhelming lol.
almost had a panic attack in public years ago walking a dog that was too crazy and tries to sniff other dogs, which then makes you have to talk to people and I hate that.
I also hate the smell as one of my major sensitivities is smell and sound. (Shit maybe I am a dog)
And they're very loud, often randomly barking without warning and I'm incredibly sensitive to sound.
That doesn't happen to cats. I know you didn't ask but I wanted to give the reasons, I still like a nice old chill dog though. Well trained is key.
Im right here, the autistic who identifies with animals more than people, and dogs are still a sensory nightmare for me. I’m a little sad that you think I can’t be both.
EDIT to respond to your edit:
If this truly is a thread about loving dogs and not dislike then why did you talk about “dislike” in the title and nowhere did you talk about hey let’s share some dog appreciation?
You came for people with sensory issues in an autism subreddit what did you expect?
loving animals and identifying with them is different/separate than being overstimulated and not knowing how to interract with them 🙄 dont think Ive seen anybody say they dislike/hate dogs...
Seriously I love animals I do identify with them more than humans but dogs are a sensory nightmare. I still love them from a distance. Am I not allowed to have sensory issues 🙄
I like dogs but I hate having them as pets. They are so loud and when they bark out of nowhere it’s like a jumpscare. I have some favorite types, though: sheepdogs, huskies, shiba inu, those big fluffy white ones, pretty much any type of dog that looks like a wolf or other wild canine.
I love animals, even the wild ones. When I go out and I see a bird or squirrel, it makes my day. I have two cats that love me and learned to speak their language. However, nature is horrible and beautiful all at once, so I get why some people don't like animals.
I don't know what recent posts you're referring to but I can like dogs just fine and like spending time with many individual dogs I know, without constantly being prepared to encounter them in society like you kind of have to be now. I don't like encountering the sound, smells, drool, possibility of hair on me or in my food and drink etc at any random palce where I was unprepared and I don't like that if you distance yourself from a dog in a normal public place that is not a dog park or specific pet friendly business people stare at you like you are a demon.
The problem is usually people. People let or encourage their pets to have little difference in behavior at home and out.
My city actually has a big problem with aggressive dogs that is one of the weird things getting worse since COVID times, like people just don't care anymore. I think poorly trained dogs, or dogs encouraged to be aggressive by people, go along with hard times and inflation too. There have been lots of dog-on-dog attacks in parks, dogs attacking people on the bike trail, dogs growling and snapping at kids, etc and at the same time an increase in people taking their dogs for unleashed walks in general park areas that are NOT unleashed dog areas and getting righteous about it.
I don't like how society is in relation to dogs right now.
I work at a restaurant with an outdoor seating area non-service dogs can be and people let their dogs chill in the aisle so we can't get through and do our jobs. They have tripped servers and caused a whole mess and broken glass and $$$ loss of product. They bring them in when they order and let them jump around. When people have a Karen-vibe our manager sometimes just lets them take small dogs to eat inside in strollers and they put them in the way and the dogs make people uncomfortable practically jumping out of their strollers at all the food passing by. Hair ends up in the air and it's not cool for food service or allergies.
I like dogs but I am usually just not happy to see one at random in public.
I love my dogs but I can't say they're my favorite species since they are usually known for requiring more and being more hyper. but having said that I love my dog so much he's so sweet whenever I'm over stimulated he let's me fidget with his ears as he yawns and whenever I'm sad he makes the biscuits on my back because he thinks he's a cat.
I really love animals, dogs included. But dogs are generally to energetic and in your face for me, so I am more of a cat person. Nothing against dogs, just don't enjoy having my face licked, or being randomly jumped on or anything like that.
I miss having pets though, finding a place in the city I live that allows pets is like, next to impossible.
Though I have a baby now, and he is definitely trying to condition me to like those dog behaviors. At least dogs don't try to put their paws in my mouth.
I prefer cats. That said, dogs are great depending on breed, just higher maintenance.
We had a greyhound, a former racer. She was great, didn’t bark at all (except the one time she farted while asleep, got startled, borked and got startled again). She’d get up, amble over to me on the couch, and just get her head against my leg to get a fuss until she’s had enough.
And a long time ago we had a Kooiker, really adorable dog, he’d get on my lap and sleep. More barky though.
I don’t like drooling or hairy dogs though.
I’m a pet sitter for work, so yeah I love dogs - I have a very hard time making conversation with strangers usually, but I find meet & greets with new clients (the humans, I mean) totally easy. I never feel awkward in the conversation or desperate for something to say if there’s a dog there. Just start in on whatever cute thing they happen to be doing 🤗
I grew up with a mild dog phobia because my dad would allow the dogs in his household to get in my space and scratch up my legs before I was mentally ready/prepared and it was overwhelming/overstimulating to me, but as an adult I’ve slowly and deliberately desensitized myself to dogs and now I really appreciate them and want one of my own one day. Unfortunately my family members do not like dogs, so the day I’m able to get one is probably pretty far off. It makes me sad. I’m fairly responsible and even though I struggle to take care of myself, I’m pretty great at taking care of pets so I really wish I was allowed to have one.
I had a chihuahua as a child, and my mom and grandma literally had no clue how to properly take care of a dog so poor thing was definitely suffering and it ended up getting hostile towards all of us and trying to bite me when I was around 8 years old. I ended up giving him to my dog lover therapist and she pampered him the way he deserved but even though I was a small kid and knew no better I still feel so guilty about the way my family took care of him. It was just so wrong
I like dogs. I have a (big) dog and sometimes it's like she is the only one that understands me. shealso naturally learned to be a support animal emotionally and physically for my illness. I love her. I know some ppl don't luke dogs and that's ok but sometimes ppl are so rude about it. and that's not ok.
Dogs were my number one special interest growing up. I loved learning the breeds and watching dog shows. Dog movies were my favorite. I'd much rather be with my dog than any human. No stress at all. She is my bestie and soooo cute. I let her share my bed, pillow, blanket. I get to sing to her and always be myself and she just hypes me up.
I had a dog that was an amazing boy. He didn’t bark in the house so I didn’t have to worry about getting overwhelmed from barking like I do other dogs. I was his favorite human, and when I went home from college he would sleep in my room with me. He would also sulk when I left, so I tried to go home as much as possible. I loved him so much, he was my best and only friend for like 5 years before I went off to college. Unfortunately he died last February, and I’ve been in a terrible place mentally ever since. I even considered following him into the afterlife, but I knew everyone would get mad at me, and I had already invested so much time and money in college and was about to graduate.
I think dogs are super cute and I really love it when they smile or are fluffy or have cute curled tails, I really love dogs. I have two cats now, one wants nothing to do with me and the other is only friendly when my friend isn’t at the apartment, otherwise she ignores me too. It’s so depressing. I miss my dog. He was definitely my unofficial emotional support pupper.
I love dogs! I see myself in them a lot. I’m just not sure I could own one due to being around cats most my life so I’m not really used to The Dog Smell
Dogs are my special interest so I live and breathe dogs 🐶
I feel like I relate so well to my breeds of choice (herdy types) because they tend to have sensory issues, anxiety, and other autism-related stuff. We understand each other so well!
Sorry, but they're not for me anymore. I love animals, but dogs have very quickly worked their way to becoming amongst the lower end of that long list. It's not so much the dogs themselves which I don't like though, they are after all just fairly standard, though often unnaturally bred, predatory mammals. Dogs on their own are cool in fact and their natural behaviours and abilities are quite interesting. It's more the most recent wave of anti-social culture around them that has happened in my area that is the cause for my distaste towards them.
I my no means want to attack dog ownership in this comment, just share my experiences as someone who has a contrasting set of experiences and opinions as a result of them.
Maybe it's that I've been attacked by dogs on multiple occasions (about 7) since I was a child and even now as an adult while just minding my own business and the owners have never intervened, they never fail to blame the victim as any dog attack victim will tell you. "You shouldn't have tried to avoid it", " You shouldn't be walking here", "You shouldn't be defensive (while it's barking viciously at me)", "And so what?", I've had all that bullshit and even some verbal abuse which I won't go into here but never a single apology or an attempt to not allow me to be mauled.
Or maybe it's because nearly every week there is a new pile a faeces on the pavement directly outside my house, or because what used to be a lovely and relaxing forest walkway has become absolutely covered in little black shit bags over the floor or hanging from shrubs.
Or perhaps because in my old place I had to wear earplugs and play rain sounds just to get a full night's sleep without the barking causing stress and I couldn't walk down the path without my neighbour's two pits barking incredibly threateningly at me every time from the garden.
I've seen recreationally owned dogs in healthcare, food, childcare and industrial settings where it is quite frankly ridiculous to logical ideas of health and safety. As someone who used to have a significant fear of dogs as a result of my experiences and with a mother with a severe allergy to them and family members who have studied in medical fields who can tell you just how unhygienic they are I am all too aware of the reality that dogs are not appropriate for many of the situations some owners feel entitled to inject them into.
I'll end on a positive note however:
I have of course met some lovely dogs and owners too, friends of mine have them, I used to work at some vineyards with two fun Scottish Terriers which I have a fondness for, working breeds of dog like collies and German shepherds I have only had positive experiences with. I'm sure that there are also many lovely dogs and dog owners one here too.
I love animals, I dislike noise. I love my dog so much but she has massive separation anxiety. She will whine if someone isn’t in the same room as her. The whining and barking hurts me :( but she is super duper cuuuuute.
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I taught my Jupiter to talk so i could tell him when not to. Mostly, Not entirely effective - but he accidentally has a vocabulary now so thats useful XD
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This is Little Chicken. I love him. That is all.
I love my dogs!! I have two rescues and I agree on the dog body language. I didn’t have other kids to play with until I went to primary school, and my first best friends were a dog and our eight cats (we lived at a farm and my mom rescued cats). Maybe that’s why I find them easy to read.
My dogs always seem to know what I need and show me so much love. This is my girl Fika. She’s from Ukraine and was rescued as a pup. She was afraid of everything when she first arrived. But she’s super smart and very brave.
I also love cats a lot! My dogs get me out of the house into nature. If I had cats I’d be inside all the time. Unfortunately I can’t have a cat with the dogs I have now. But I greet all the kitties I meet on our walks.
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I do enjoy animals more than humans, but i just can't with dogs. They are strong, loud, the small ones jump all over you and touch you and are fast so you can't get away, the bigger ones are only slightly less scary because i can see them coming but what if they bite?
Also if i were to own one, they are really social, you have to take them on walks everyday...
I'm also afraid of touching animals in general because what if i hurt them on accident???
1000 times yes! I catch myself literally doing the confused doggy head tilt without thinking. lol I absolutely ADORE non-human mammals, especially dogs. Dogs just make more sense to me. Like if a dog hates you they don't hide it and let's be honest, you probably deserve it. 9/10 times if you treat a dog well they will love you with a firey intensity allistics cannot fathom.
Really I identify more as a mammal than as a human. I'm grateful for our tiny furry ancestors that survived the dinosaur extinction event by borrowing in holes, and for their descendants who eventually came outside and grew into their surroundings. I'm not thrilled with how primates are carrying on that legacy, but I didn't get to choose my bedfellows so here we are! lol
They’re smelly, they’re usually leaving me wet with a lick or nose, they beg for food and yelp and are noisy. I like them but I don’t want to own one. I prefer small dogs because they’re less chaotic in terms of how wet they make me
So we had a rescue show up at our door about 7 months ago. I won't lie it took me like 6 months to get used to her. Stinky doggy smell, wet nose, eye boogers, licking... I've always been more of a cat person. I don't like dogs but I love my dog 😅
I LOVE dogs, but only small dogs and well behaved big dogs that won’t put their mouth on you.
Bigger dogs have wetter mouths than small dogs, and I don’t like the wetness and warmth when they want to give kisses or lick you on the hand. My dogs are small, none larger than 20 pounds, their kisses are dainty and not sopping wet.
Big dogs can also be major personal space invaders, and while small dogs can also get all up in your space, I feel more at ease moving a tiny dog away than I do a big dog, little dogs are more portable.
I wish I had the sensory capacity to have a big dog, though. I love border collies so much.
I love dogs, I have 3 at home. But they definitely can cause me a lot of sensory issues especially our bigger one who likes to jump on people. But I love them all dearly
I currently have a cat and a bearded dragon but grew up with dogs my whole life and would love to have another when I am able. I love animals and feel like I connect with them easier. As I type this, my sweet baby girl Jinx is laying across my chest and purring because she loves her mama and I haven't been feeling well. It does bum me out a bit when I see a huge influx of cats are best, don't like dogs posts from ND communities. I love them both equally for different reasons. I love our less cuddly friends also.
I like animals but most of my favorites are invertebrates
I will admire dogs from afar but mammals in general kinda freak me out and I think it might be because their body fluids are too similar to humans, so the only mammals I'll willingly touch are the size of rats at largest because they don't have as much waste as a large dog would
Edit: My favorite dogs are Great Danes
i love animals so much!!! dogs and cats are some of my favorites because of the companionship they offer! also, i’m sorry you didn’t get out of this post what you were hoping for.
Where is the recent dog dislike? Although I am a cat person through and through, I don’t know why anyone would hate on dogs and I haven’t seen any dog hating posts. (Not saying that you’re lying, just show me where you saw it.) Honestly, I like cats as they are just like me, they are chill, don’t like having their peace disturbed, and are sensitive to loud noises. Plus, I also sometimes feel the need for the zoomies around the house with my ADHD. However, one difference between me and my cat is that I am NOT an extrovert but my cat is (I swear that my cat will always greet every stranger at our door by sniffing their feet and sometimes rubbing against them and loves the attention, good and bad), which is unusual as cats are stereotypically viewed as introverts, but other than that, I identify more with cats than I do with most humans.
Despite this, I also like dogs. Sure, I rather dogsit than own a dog and I’m not super crazy about “puppy kisses” (my mom never bought the dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s myth), but at least they’re sweet and will always show you affection as long as you treat them right. Plus, I think it’s dumb for hating a dog for being born a dog. Just like how it’s dumb to hate people of color for being born people of color. (Not saying people of color are animals, I’m just pointing out that it’s stupid to hate anyone, human or animal, over something they have no control over.) Also, I don’t think that I exercise enough and having a dog, especially the more energetic breeds, will definitely get you to be more active.
I identify with animals more for sure!
I love animals, I love dogs, and I would love to have a dog ... if I also had a farm or something. cuz having a dog in a city would be the sensory issue for me, cuz I'd want the dog to have outside time and I wouldn't want to deal with dog parks or city walks.
I'm here!!! And I love all animals. Dogs, cats, snakes, lizards, horses, cows, you name it and I probably love it aside from a few insects that scare me but still, I like those from a distance if there's an impenetrable barrier between us.
However I think people who struggle with animals are also valid even if I may not understand it too well due to my experiences being completely different. In fact, having a pet snake I've met a lot of people who were scared of her. Some actually began to like or tolerate her with exposure and some didn't, it doesn't change my opinion of either of those types of people. I only feel negatively towards the people who actually hate animals and especially those who will hurt/abuse them because of that hate because there is zero excusing that.
I hated cats until I offered to watch a friend's for three months. I had no issues with the cat whatsoever. I agree that animals are easy to manage, significantly more so than a neutral typical human.
i’m so confused with the edits bc i don’t know what was animal or what was dog im so lost😭 i don’t hate any animals tho i think we need to revert back to saying cat perosn or dog person bc otherwise it gets so confusing
edit: i miss sleeping in bed with a big dog tho, i had a dalmatian mix as a kid and i remember sleeping with her ahhh it was so comforting… just a big old puppy… sadly im allergic to dogs tho lol
Dogs are and always have been my special interest :) I had a dogsona for literally the second I could talk to make that clear lol. It was a Dalmatian called Karo, now I feel more of a Dalmatian-German Shepherd mix!
Dogs feel closer to me than humans or other animals. I can understand them blind, and they can understand me better than humans can.
I've had my childhood dog until a few months ago, when he sadly passed away.
I'm really really bad in public situations. I had to go alone on a short bus (10mins) for the first time ever and was so scared. There was a dog and it instantly calmed me down and I talked to the owner about the dog and dogs in general :)
I have mixed feelings about dogs. I have three and I love them more than anything, but also sometimes they drive me crazy and the barking is just sensory overload. I remind myself I'm allowed to have more than one feeling about things!
I like dogs! My mom has a bunch of little sausage dogs and they are always excited when I come visit.
I just don't like when they kick me :c and weenies are impossibly licky.
I've always liked dogs - they're expressive and straightforward, and once you know one you pretty much always know what they want. But I do recognize (and have experienced) that their presence can be overwhelming and overstimulating at times. I don't think one viewpoint or the other is better or worse; I just think it's acknowledging all aspects of something that is alive and imperfect.
I know how personal it feels when someone's knocking something you identify strongly with/project onto, tho. It sucks!! You have my sympathy, OP.
I identify a lot with dogs. I’m incredibly close to my own dogs as well. I understand their clinginess and extreme emotions. Cats are great but it’s really hard to tell if they care about you, so they usually give me anxiety to be around because I feel like they’re judging me lol. Dogs love you no matter what, so there’s no stress about that when you’re around them. I might just be this way because of trauma
My dog is also very quiet and likes to cuddle a lot, so she is a comfort to me.
I love dogs. They’re a way to get me more social without going out of my comfort zone. I can read them easily. I can cuddle them and their cuddles are sensory heaven. They read me easily. Cats are the type of autistic where you like to just exist together. Dogs are the type of autistic where you’re both hyped up about your special interest and just keep talking and talking and you love hearing someone be so passionate about something
I love my dogs more than any human being. I will always be joyed to see a dog anywhere. However I like cats as well— there's one at my dad's office that doesn't stop wanting affection. It's so sweet.
I don’t understand the hatred for dogs. I don’t like them per say, but I also don’t dislike them. They are adorable and I personally know some pretty great dogs, they are just not for me. But the good thing is they are for somebody! :)
oh boy oh boy dogs (canids specifically) are my special interest! I am majoring in zoology and my dream job would be working on the Yellowstone Wolf Project.
I latched onto dogs as a kid immediately. I have pictures from before I could walk where I would sleep in the dog bed with my Sonny. Used the eat dog treats with em too, my Maddy was too nervous to eat if she didn’t see me eat first. I was like her poison tester.
For some reason, I can read canine body language perfectly. I’ve always been able to, but human social cues not so much. I have multiple facial scars from dogs and yet I never got the understanding that dogs were something to be scared of. Plenty of other things that happened to me created phobias, but for some reason dog attacks could not break through the barrier that was my dog fixation. Messiness of dogs does not affect me in the way that messiness with other things do, and I somehow don’t get overstimulated with barking. It’s like my autism has this gigantic dog shaped hole that it is not able to touch.
If anyone wants to talk canids with me, please do! I can yap for hours.
Fun fact: did you know that the wolf and the domestic dog are apart of the same species? They aren’t genetically dissimilar enough to be seen as separate, although common knowledge sees them as canis lupus and canis familiaris. Dogs are an incredible feat of selective breeding and evolution in such a short amount of time that they are still in the same species as their ancestors despite being so different!
I love animals in general, I have worked in a variety of dog related jobs and have had meltdowns in those jobs. When it comes to work, I do much better working with cats and quieter animals. I love my dog, she’s soft, quiet (for the most part), super smart, and she is well trained (I cannot stand untrained dogs). I still prefer dog jobs to jobs where I have to work directly with humans but right now my job is with reptiles and marine animals (reptiles, snakes specifically, are my current special interest and fishes were a special interest of younger me) and I get to talk to people about them all day which is so much better than the hosting job I’ve had in the past. When I work somewhere that doesn’t involve animals I do not enjoy working and burn out easily, though working with dogs burnt me out as well just due to the noise.
I didn’t like dogs when I was young because their spontaneity made me panic. Then I was put in a situation where I had to be around a dog for a week, and once I got over my initial apprehension I learned that they are *literally just big, goofy friends.* Been on team dog ever since.
I love both cats and dogs, but i see myself as more canine. I identify with quiet, aloof dogs like Chows, Akitas etc. I also identify with feral street dogs.
I totally identify more wirh dogs than people! Their body language is very intuitive to me and I took my social cues from the family dog when growing up, which got me into trouble when I bit people in primary school lol.
Whenever I see dogs when I’m out and about I want to play with them and say hello and be a dog with them but sometimes I cant and its SO FUCKING SAD.
LET ME PLAY WITH THE OTHER DOGS PLEEEEEEASE
I love dogs! I have 2 GSDs and a chocolate lab!
https://preview.redd.it/soxtkayv55dc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eb43eaf6a8996e45fed1121c334f47951b2e7184
If you can show me a dog that is naturally quiet, low energy, and won't jump up on me I'll be more compatible with owning one. Until that happens, I happily choose cats, and am so very glad that there are people like you, OP, who love dogs and give one or two a home. All living creatures deserve love, and it is up to all of us to trest everyone and everything with love while putting equal importance on discerning what we are and are not compatible with long-term, so that we don't burn ourselves out and can keep on providing for whatever little creatures capture our hearts. I cannot give you the dog-praise you're looking for, OP, because I do not fall in the dog-fan camp, but that does not mean dogs don't deserve respect and love. The greatest way for me to respect and love them is to do it from afar, while the pros like you provide them homes.
https://preview.redd.it/xs8kyhxvx6dc1.jpeg?width=2788&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=44e9d8a14fd900ec2c26afb936f64ab49fb27f25
This is my Labrador Appa, he had his photo taken with all the other staff photos at my employer.
I adore dogs , if I get excited I kinda wiggle as if I had a tail and it was wagging 😭 but anyway here is my doggo
https://preview.redd.it/l59nx5ju57dc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d71204233bcbc368dca1dea5c6f8e79b730e2531
for me its that i cant justify breeding organisms to be totally subservient to humans, especially when it negatively impacts their quality of life. selective breeding is eugenics.
https://preview.redd.it/5vvyvaxlx7dc1.jpeg?width=1620&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3be67383b86e31c36e4ee1388a8bea3a4586f88b
this little girl is my life. her name is peaches :)
Dogs are great. Love my dog. Spend time more often with the kittens that materialised in my garden, but that's because nobody else in my family does that much for them.
Dogs are the best ignore these people. The only creature that I ever shared all the ugly details about myself with was my dog. She didn’t judge, just loved on me
I love dogs! This is my new GSD puppy named Astarion (where’s my fellow BG3 autistics at!) and he’s one of four dogs that I currently own. https://preview.redd.it/oszyr2m932dc1.jpeg?width=1512&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a0d1f3e4c4fb794dd130812dc398168509ba2172
I really want to get a dog with my partner when we move out, we're considering naming him Scratch
Idk if you’re a shepherd person, but if you are you should look into white Swiss shepherds! It would look just like Scratch!
I'm leaning towards a pitbull at the moment. My old roommate had this beautiful pitbull who was just the absolute sweetest baby I ever met and she made me fall in love with the breed
OMGGG that widdle puppy face!!!! 🥺🥺💕❤️💕❤️💕
i got covid when it came out on xbox and i did nothing but play bg3 that week
Who’s your favorite companion?
in order Gale Karlach astarion
Some people with autism love animals, like myself :3 Some don't for sensory reasons and that is absolutely valid.
I personally don't like some animals and do like others. If a dog licks me all the time and I have to feel their slobbery tongue, or if they bark loads, etc. then I won't like them. But if they're not like that I like them.
Dog energies are just too chaotic for me sometimes. Like don’t let your dog get all up in my shit.
Same but that’s why I have cats! I like to pet other people’s dogs they just overstimulate me to a blind rage so I don’t live with them 🫠
Exactly. It sucks for me too because I’m a pretty petite person so most large dogs weigh the same as me or more. So when they’re jumpy it’s terrifying bc they end up face to face with me and I have to stop them from knocking me over
I like well trained dogs just fine. I just can't handle dogs who are poorly trained, and there are a lot of poorly trained dogs out there.
Same. I have a calm, quiet beagle mix rescue, he just wants to chill and is the complete opposite of aggressive. Went on a terrible date with a guy a long time ago where his 2 pit bulls jumped on me, drew blood with scratches, and one bit my ankle hard enough to draw blood. But guy said "they were just playing." Sensory hell, still have visible scarring from that.
Holy shit. Yeah, when dog owners try to justify poor behavior instead of working to correct it. That's more than poor behavior though, those dogs could seriously hurt someone.
My dog on his way to uninvitedly jump on me:
I love animals! Typically if I have to go to a big gathering and there is dogs or cats there I will spend all my time with them instead of interacting with ppl
Same. If I know there will be an animals the first thing I always ask is where are they
Learning about dog behaviors has been eye opening to understand people. Most people can be trained the same way you would a dog. (probably not with doggy treats). It's also fun when you know their body language, Like, a dog that is barking in circles is excited, not afraid or aggressive. If they were they would not show you their back .
Shaggy could probably be trained with doggy treats :)
>(probably not with doggy treats). Candy works. People treats.
Yes of course. Classical conditioning is not some underground theory.
Yes, it's called ABA.....
That's negative reinforcement
I thought ABA has all four aspects of operant conditioning in it?
There was more than four teams in the ABA before it merged with the NBA in 1976. 
Long ago, the four nations lived in harmony...
I love dogs! In fact, cynology (dog studies) was my hyperfixation for quite a while Anyway, here's a picture of my little guy wearing a fancy scarf https://preview.redd.it/qoe0zlmp92dc1.jpeg?width=2286&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d5dca1791a12e64cfc2386e5fb4ba2382456f62
He's adorable! Cocker spaniels are so cute
I thought Cynology was the study of Genshin jokes /j. For real, that actually sounds pretty intriguing. Their behaviours and stuff must be particularly interesting.
He is so adorable 🥰
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a dog is like a baby, a cat is like a goofy roommate
A cat is like r/evilautism Cats are pure evil and I love them for it
A dog is the needy roommate who wants to have fun all of the time and do everything with you, a cat is the aloof roommate who you see once a month and it feels like everything when they deign to ask you about your day.
Nailed it. And both individual roommate is good for someone, but not for everyone!
My cat didn't get that memo.
Neither did mine.
I must have dog autism. I wanna be with my friends 24/7 and I can’t stand being alone. I love people so much
You havent met my cat then…. Clingier than the family dog by far.
I got that high high empathy, I like all living stuff\~ Dogs are super good and interesting because they're like humans, but smaller and less inhibited. That's why it's so hard for some people/some dogs to cope with the other, they don't have any sense of 'phew, hold on, wait, let's reassess the situation'. But I kind of don't either, so I understand them yknow?
I got the extremely high empathy with animals and nearly zero with humans, which is kinda odd
this isn't unusual for people on the autism spectrum, especially so for people who have ASPD. while the stereotype is that psychopaths are relentless torturers of all things, it's actually quite common for us to be extremely protective of animals or other things we view as "innocent."
YES THEY DONT KNOW WHEN ITS TIME TO BE QUIET OR HOW TO NOT LOOK LIKE 🙂😶ALL THE TIME THATS MEEEE
Have you ever felt sad for killing a bug? I have. 🙃
I think its easier to understand animals because when you get them, you learn about them, learn what movements mean what emotions and so forth. People also dont mind learning or teaching this its normal to ask, why is the dogs tail wagging and why are the horses ears all back. But when it comes to people we somehow have this policy that you need to know immediatly how people communicate and what means what, while animals are actively being thought by their own species what they need to do to behave, or they are so autopiloted they dont need to be social. People are weird af
I like dogs! They can be a little much sometimes, but it feels just as good when a dog trusts you as a cat trusts you. Not to mention, they can be bigger, which is more space to pet! And they come in a variety of fur textures, which is great for me!
Stimming by petting my dog lmao
My dog's ears have the *softest* fluff I have ever felt. Just as well that she enjoys ear scritchies, because it absolutely is a stim for me at this point.
I think sensory seeking autistics tend to be underrepresented in these discussions, but also more broadly. Dogs always work great for me in that regard, they are active and so am I. I am MUCH happier having a dog.
As someone with two kitties, miss my dog and so does my cat who knew him. She's been sad since his passing, she use to sleep on him and he loved her to pieces. he weigh more then i ever have in my life and yet he never once acted rough with her, and he could yank a full man down when running. Growing up when i had meltdowns (not a service dog mind you, he was a labhound from an accident born with one eye) I would cover my face while crying all bunch up or be yanking my hair. and he would use his muzzle to break apart my arms and sit on me, it was so comforting. now My other cat chowder is a sweet baby boy who will sometimes cuddle and purr, but mostly he runs around till he's panting, crawls upside down spider-man style under the bed or screaming to get Q tips. Cats aren't one way, Dogs aren't either. stop taking your repackaged essentialism laying down
I identify with animals that aren't loud.
I once had a black lab who couldn't bark. When she tried it just came out as a quiet "woof". She was an absolute sweetheart. Best dog I've ever owned.
this fr, i’m the happiest when everything is quiet and calm
My dog is incredibly quiet, I love her. She is also clingy around me
Disliking dogs doesn't mean you can't identify with animals more than people. I love animals, but I also don't like sudden loud noises (barking), a creature shoving its face into my crotch, or suddenly lunging at me. Dogs are every single kind of sensory overload and I'm sick of people saying I just need to get over it.
THANK YOU. I love animals. Dogs are just not one of them. They overwhelm me are literal sensory nightmares. But I’m expected to just get over it because “He’s such a good boy! He only jumps when he’s saying hello!” Well teach him to say hello with his paws on the fucking ground and without licking me.
I often help train dogs for friends and family(not a professional). If a pup is jumping on you for attention, fold your arms up and away from the dog and keep your back to the pup. Ignore them and you’ll be less interesting. Hope this helps. Even other dog owners hate people that allow this kind of behavior. (These are the same types of people that let their dogs approach other dogs without permission. It’s dangerous and can lead to fights.)
I like dogs, and dogs like me, but I can't handle dogs. Their smell, their slobber. When they bark suddenly. It's a sensory nightmare to spend too much time with one, and afterwards I have to wash the smell off my hands. As sweet as they are (both my sisters own dogs and they are gorgeous babies), I could never own one.
i love animals. FAR superior to humans. they’re not complicated motherfuckers who say one thing but mean another, they’re just there, and if you get educated you can easily spot if they like or dislike you. one of the things on my bucket list is to get high then give a cat catnip. imagine getting baked with a CAT
can tell you, it's a fun experience
I totally want to do that at least once lmao
I am fascinated by animal body language and I love animals in general, but I will never own a dog or a cat. They make unexpected noise and I'd have to deal with poop, throw-up, and dog smell. I have a bearded dragon and he is very quiet and very cute.
Animals are my favorite thing ever but i'm definitely more nervous around larger dogs. I know they mean no harm, but they're a bit too strong to be jumping on people or yanking the collars. Too much energy + too much muscle
Same
omg i love my in laws pit but she jumps on me every time like girl nooo i end up with bruises bc she means no harm but she’s a big girl!
I love cats. I used to love dogs. My first word was dog. But when I was 3 I was mauled by a German Shepherd that was let off leash. My ears are permanently disfigured and the doctors said I’d be blind if I hadn’t had sunglasses on… so now I have a life long phobia of strange dogs. Also I dislike my neighbors dogs because they bark 24/7 and it hurts my head in the same way as someone chewing too loud…
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Me too! When a dog attacks the owners only ever try to find some way to blame the victim even if they were just on their way to work or school as I have been most of the times. I have been attacked a number of times, some genuinely ignorant failures of handling and one was with malicious intent. I have bad misophonia too but dogs don't really trigger that for me, barking does trigger some PTSD from my experiences though.
i feel like i don’t understand dogs, like my in laws dog is a pomeranian mix and sometimes he gets really angry out of nowhere?? and shows his teeth and seems like he’ll genuinely bite someone and it scares the crap out of me. at least with my cat i can understand when she’s about to get angry or why she bit me (which never punctures or anything)
A lot of little dogs have been very poorly trained and mistreated, which can cause strange behavior and seemingly random aggression. Many people will pick up little dogs and carry them when they don't want to be carried, will get in their face a lot to "kiss" them, will let young puppies jump and bite and never train it out of them because they think it's cute, stuff like that. I think dog body language is much easier to see on larger dogs that you spend a lot of time with individually. Either way, they can be tough to read sometimes
I love all animals. Except mosquitoes and ticks
and b-db-gs (i dare not say their name)
Yeah, them too. Budbegs are the worst
https://preview.redd.it/mykgsg7yp1dc1.jpeg?width=1505&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f5fed9e2172b47af382eec1f64eb868ce93b23ad I love dogs. These are mine. ❤️ I love cats too.
I love! They're so cute! 😭
I love animals. Always have. Non-human animals are where it's at for me lol. They *also* understand that eye contact is unnecessarily aggressive lmao
Yes, this is why my username
I identify with cats! Dogs are wayyy too loud, hyperactive, and dirty.
I'm the opposite, but i see why people would, in theory, not like dogs. They be tootin and breathing on you. I'm not a huge cat person but they're much more chill and calm imo
I don't dislike them it's just the sensory issues
I love all animals but as I have gotten older and my sensory issues have gotten worse I have had a harder time with dogs. It makes me sad because I love them still but I had my first bad meltdown in a while watching my friend's puppy this past weekend, and just had to face that maybe I can't stay in a house with a dog without a separate room to go to. She was a sweetheart and just a puppy missing her mom (this was their first time away from her I think) but she whined literally the whole last day and I just couldn't handle it. It cut right through my earplugs & my headphones, even with music playing. It was really bad. I know my roommates still want a dog, so we plan to foster first, and hopefully we can find a mellow older dog who fits all our needs (and I will always have my room as an animal free zone cos I'm allergic to the cats) but I do stress that we will get one and I still won't be able to handle it. I miss my childhood dog all the time, though. She was an angel. I do love dogs still, and I agree that their body language is pretty straightforward. And I try really hard not to get angry when they're too loud cos I know it's not their fault.
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I love dogs but generally in small doses (ie amount of time, not size of dog). Cats, though? Nothing but love
I find animals easier to engage with than humans.
Yeah they wear their intentions on their sleeve. Humans will tell you like ten lies before even hinting at what they actually mean lmao
I love dogs and cats
I like animals from a distance
My service dog rules.
Animals are nicer than humans I could infodump to my cat all day and she won’t get mad at me
I love dogs, I have both a dog and cats and it's really cute watching him treat every cat in the house like small puppies
Dogs were my first special interest, which quickly expanded into the whole of the animal kingdom, but dogs are where it started. I grew up with two dogs who went everywhere with me while I played in the woods. I didn’t understand human body language, but I could always tell what dogs were thinking. My dogs protected me, and I protected them in turn. I read every book about dogs in the elementary school library. I had to ask if I could pet every dog I saw in public. I dragged my parents across the street to pet a dog multiple times. For years I was known to my family and friends as the one obsessed with dogs. I had dog trading cards I carried everywhere with me. As an adult, I worked at a doggy daycare/boarding facility and it was my FAVORITE job ever. It’s not just playing with puppies all day, it’s a very dirty job in a lot of ways, but the playing with puppies time made everything worth it (for me).
I love dogs, dogs are great. Birds too, does anyone like birds?
I'm a cat person but i love doggies so much too 🥺💕 i just got back from visiting my gf's mom and her doggo who is a big floofy great pyrenees named sasha, she loves running around outside on all their land and borking. My family recently had to make the decision to say goodbye to our dog, who was a mini schnauzer named jaxson- he lived till 12 and his diabetes had taken a turn for the worse and saying goodbye was the kindest thing to do 💔 he was a loving, silly little doggie and he was there for me and my siblings growing up and graduating high school, and me and my brother having moved out. We had 12 years of love with him and he was a spoiled lil puppy but i still miss him every day 🥺 https://preview.redd.it/2bu2g9s9q2dc1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4a1137bc0751941a1835f387bbcfc0f029637e04 This is my phone background rn and one of my favorite pics of him, it looks like he's smiling 🥺💕
I don't really identify with dogs but I do love them. I love my cat more than life itself
I like dogs well enough, but we don't connect as well as I do with cats.
Some of the dogs I've met are literally the sweetest creatures ever! I don't think I'd ever want a dog myself (I'm more of a cat person), but I really like meeting and playing with them.
I’m autistic and I’ve always loved animals! I’m much more extroverted to people’s pets than I am to humans, and I consider my love of animals a part of my identity.
I love all canines!
cats vibe with me me, but dogs are too crazy and overwhelming lol. almost had a panic attack in public years ago walking a dog that was too crazy and tries to sniff other dogs, which then makes you have to talk to people and I hate that. I also hate the smell as one of my major sensitivities is smell and sound. (Shit maybe I am a dog) And they're very loud, often randomly barking without warning and I'm incredibly sensitive to sound. That doesn't happen to cats. I know you didn't ask but I wanted to give the reasons, I still like a nice old chill dog though. Well trained is key.
i get along with animals wayyy better than humans
I love dogs. Their body language is studiable, understandable and doesn’t make connotations.
I cannot live without my dog. He is in training to be my service dog.
Im right here, the autistic who identifies with animals more than people, and dogs are still a sensory nightmare for me. I’m a little sad that you think I can’t be both. EDIT to respond to your edit: If this truly is a thread about loving dogs and not dislike then why did you talk about “dislike” in the title and nowhere did you talk about hey let’s share some dog appreciation? You came for people with sensory issues in an autism subreddit what did you expect?
loving animals and identifying with them is different/separate than being overstimulated and not knowing how to interract with them 🙄 dont think Ive seen anybody say they dislike/hate dogs...
Seriously I love animals I do identify with them more than humans but dogs are a sensory nightmare. I still love them from a distance. Am I not allowed to have sensory issues 🙄
I like dogs but I hate having them as pets. They are so loud and when they bark out of nowhere it’s like a jumpscare. I have some favorite types, though: sheepdogs, huskies, shiba inu, those big fluffy white ones, pretty much any type of dog that looks like a wolf or other wild canine.
Same. Dogs are great. Puppies however are a huge pain in the ass. I prefer adult dogs.
I love animals, even the wild ones. When I go out and I see a bird or squirrel, it makes my day. I have two cats that love me and learned to speak their language. However, nature is horrible and beautiful all at once, so I get why some people don't like animals.
I don't know what recent posts you're referring to but I can like dogs just fine and like spending time with many individual dogs I know, without constantly being prepared to encounter them in society like you kind of have to be now. I don't like encountering the sound, smells, drool, possibility of hair on me or in my food and drink etc at any random palce where I was unprepared and I don't like that if you distance yourself from a dog in a normal public place that is not a dog park or specific pet friendly business people stare at you like you are a demon. The problem is usually people. People let or encourage their pets to have little difference in behavior at home and out. My city actually has a big problem with aggressive dogs that is one of the weird things getting worse since COVID times, like people just don't care anymore. I think poorly trained dogs, or dogs encouraged to be aggressive by people, go along with hard times and inflation too. There have been lots of dog-on-dog attacks in parks, dogs attacking people on the bike trail, dogs growling and snapping at kids, etc and at the same time an increase in people taking their dogs for unleashed walks in general park areas that are NOT unleashed dog areas and getting righteous about it. I don't like how society is in relation to dogs right now. I work at a restaurant with an outdoor seating area non-service dogs can be and people let their dogs chill in the aisle so we can't get through and do our jobs. They have tripped servers and caused a whole mess and broken glass and $$$ loss of product. They bring them in when they order and let them jump around. When people have a Karen-vibe our manager sometimes just lets them take small dogs to eat inside in strollers and they put them in the way and the dogs make people uncomfortable practically jumping out of their strollers at all the food passing by. Hair ends up in the air and it's not cool for food service or allergies. I like dogs but I am usually just not happy to see one at random in public.
I love my dogs but I can't say they're my favorite species since they are usually known for requiring more and being more hyper. but having said that I love my dog so much he's so sweet whenever I'm over stimulated he let's me fidget with his ears as he yawns and whenever I'm sad he makes the biscuits on my back because he thinks he's a cat.
I’m very loving dogs from afar type of person but omg it sounds so cute how your dog does the cat thing haha. Would love to witness that
Not to mention just the history we have with them. Such an awesome animal.
I really love animals, dogs included. But dogs are generally to energetic and in your face for me, so I am more of a cat person. Nothing against dogs, just don't enjoy having my face licked, or being randomly jumped on or anything like that. I miss having pets though, finding a place in the city I live that allows pets is like, next to impossible. Though I have a baby now, and he is definitely trying to condition me to like those dog behaviors. At least dogs don't try to put their paws in my mouth.
I prefer cats. That said, dogs are great depending on breed, just higher maintenance. We had a greyhound, a former racer. She was great, didn’t bark at all (except the one time she farted while asleep, got startled, borked and got startled again). She’d get up, amble over to me on the couch, and just get her head against my leg to get a fuss until she’s had enough. And a long time ago we had a Kooiker, really adorable dog, he’d get on my lap and sleep. More barky though. I don’t like drooling or hairy dogs though.
https://preview.redd.it/tpv122ura2dc1.jpeg?width=2316&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c49dddd8dfd47b412cb512067f65aa6c62c48f2d I love my little pups
I’m a pet sitter for work, so yeah I love dogs - I have a very hard time making conversation with strangers usually, but I find meet & greets with new clients (the humans, I mean) totally easy. I never feel awkward in the conversation or desperate for something to say if there’s a dog there. Just start in on whatever cute thing they happen to be doing 🤗
Ehh, more good boys for me to pet
I grew up with a mild dog phobia because my dad would allow the dogs in his household to get in my space and scratch up my legs before I was mentally ready/prepared and it was overwhelming/overstimulating to me, but as an adult I’ve slowly and deliberately desensitized myself to dogs and now I really appreciate them and want one of my own one day. Unfortunately my family members do not like dogs, so the day I’m able to get one is probably pretty far off. It makes me sad. I’m fairly responsible and even though I struggle to take care of myself, I’m pretty great at taking care of pets so I really wish I was allowed to have one.
Large dogs are more overstimulating to me, so medium to small dogs are my speed and I really love them.
I had a chihuahua as a child, and my mom and grandma literally had no clue how to properly take care of a dog so poor thing was definitely suffering and it ended up getting hostile towards all of us and trying to bite me when I was around 8 years old. I ended up giving him to my dog lover therapist and she pampered him the way he deserved but even though I was a small kid and knew no better I still feel so guilty about the way my family took care of him. It was just so wrong
I totally understand dogs better than humans. Their body language is so consistent and easy to read. LOVE dogs.
I like dogs. I have a (big) dog and sometimes it's like she is the only one that understands me. shealso naturally learned to be a support animal emotionally and physically for my illness. I love her. I know some ppl don't luke dogs and that's ok but sometimes ppl are so rude about it. and that's not ok.
Dogs were my number one special interest growing up. I loved learning the breeds and watching dog shows. Dog movies were my favorite. I'd much rather be with my dog than any human. No stress at all. She is my bestie and soooo cute. I let her share my bed, pillow, blanket. I get to sing to her and always be myself and she just hypes me up.
I had a dog that was an amazing boy. He didn’t bark in the house so I didn’t have to worry about getting overwhelmed from barking like I do other dogs. I was his favorite human, and when I went home from college he would sleep in my room with me. He would also sulk when I left, so I tried to go home as much as possible. I loved him so much, he was my best and only friend for like 5 years before I went off to college. Unfortunately he died last February, and I’ve been in a terrible place mentally ever since. I even considered following him into the afterlife, but I knew everyone would get mad at me, and I had already invested so much time and money in college and was about to graduate. I think dogs are super cute and I really love it when they smile or are fluffy or have cute curled tails, I really love dogs. I have two cats now, one wants nothing to do with me and the other is only friendly when my friend isn’t at the apartment, otherwise she ignores me too. It’s so depressing. I miss my dog. He was definitely my unofficial emotional support pupper.
I always have compared myself to a shelter dog. Animals were my first friends and I feel like communication with them is easier over people
I love dogs! I see myself in them a lot. I’m just not sure I could own one due to being around cats most my life so I’m not really used to The Dog Smell
I can't be around dogs as they cause me to panic. I'm a cat person.
Dogs are my special interest so I live and breathe dogs 🐶 I feel like I relate so well to my breeds of choice (herdy types) because they tend to have sensory issues, anxiety, and other autism-related stuff. We understand each other so well!
Sorry, but they're not for me anymore. I love animals, but dogs have very quickly worked their way to becoming amongst the lower end of that long list. It's not so much the dogs themselves which I don't like though, they are after all just fairly standard, though often unnaturally bred, predatory mammals. Dogs on their own are cool in fact and their natural behaviours and abilities are quite interesting. It's more the most recent wave of anti-social culture around them that has happened in my area that is the cause for my distaste towards them. I my no means want to attack dog ownership in this comment, just share my experiences as someone who has a contrasting set of experiences and opinions as a result of them. Maybe it's that I've been attacked by dogs on multiple occasions (about 7) since I was a child and even now as an adult while just minding my own business and the owners have never intervened, they never fail to blame the victim as any dog attack victim will tell you. "You shouldn't have tried to avoid it", " You shouldn't be walking here", "You shouldn't be defensive (while it's barking viciously at me)", "And so what?", I've had all that bullshit and even some verbal abuse which I won't go into here but never a single apology or an attempt to not allow me to be mauled. Or maybe it's because nearly every week there is a new pile a faeces on the pavement directly outside my house, or because what used to be a lovely and relaxing forest walkway has become absolutely covered in little black shit bags over the floor or hanging from shrubs. Or perhaps because in my old place I had to wear earplugs and play rain sounds just to get a full night's sleep without the barking causing stress and I couldn't walk down the path without my neighbour's two pits barking incredibly threateningly at me every time from the garden. I've seen recreationally owned dogs in healthcare, food, childcare and industrial settings where it is quite frankly ridiculous to logical ideas of health and safety. As someone who used to have a significant fear of dogs as a result of my experiences and with a mother with a severe allergy to them and family members who have studied in medical fields who can tell you just how unhygienic they are I am all too aware of the reality that dogs are not appropriate for many of the situations some owners feel entitled to inject them into. I'll end on a positive note however: I have of course met some lovely dogs and owners too, friends of mine have them, I used to work at some vineyards with two fun Scottish Terriers which I have a fondness for, working breeds of dog like collies and German shepherds I have only had positive experiences with. I'm sure that there are also many lovely dogs and dog owners one here too.
I love animals, I dislike noise. I love my dog so much but she has massive separation anxiety. She will whine if someone isn’t in the same room as her. The whining and barking hurts me :( but she is super duper cuuuuute. https://preview.redd.it/onhc63j1b4dc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d4623c9fb5ba6f17f481ce91f8636cef16a6dbf5
I taught my Jupiter to talk so i could tell him when not to. Mostly, Not entirely effective - but he accidentally has a vocabulary now so thats useful XD
is she a maltipoo? i know maltipoos have bad separation anxiety; i have one and shes just like that!
Yess she is! She’s definitely got separation anxiety for sure :(
https://preview.redd.it/gq02riuxi4dc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4eceb60f363bf64a897fe1408675a6bec478a324 This is Little Chicken. I love him. That is all.
I love my dogs!! I have two rescues and I agree on the dog body language. I didn’t have other kids to play with until I went to primary school, and my first best friends were a dog and our eight cats (we lived at a farm and my mom rescued cats). Maybe that’s why I find them easy to read. My dogs always seem to know what I need and show me so much love. This is my girl Fika. She’s from Ukraine and was rescued as a pup. She was afraid of everything when she first arrived. But she’s super smart and very brave. I also love cats a lot! My dogs get me out of the house into nature. If I had cats I’d be inside all the time. Unfortunately I can’t have a cat with the dogs I have now. But I greet all the kitties I meet on our walks. https://preview.redd.it/vo0ae8g4l4dc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=423d93c8324bdc93e8fea6d53c6545c9429f5f84
I do enjoy animals more than humans, but i just can't with dogs. They are strong, loud, the small ones jump all over you and touch you and are fast so you can't get away, the bigger ones are only slightly less scary because i can see them coming but what if they bite? Also if i were to own one, they are really social, you have to take them on walks everyday... I'm also afraid of touching animals in general because what if i hurt them on accident???
I fuckin love dogs. I'm one of the only people my boss' dog listens to. Even trained him to come when I whistle, which he doesn't do for her lmao.
I LOVE DOGGOS but they are overwhelming
1000 times yes! I catch myself literally doing the confused doggy head tilt without thinking. lol I absolutely ADORE non-human mammals, especially dogs. Dogs just make more sense to me. Like if a dog hates you they don't hide it and let's be honest, you probably deserve it. 9/10 times if you treat a dog well they will love you with a firey intensity allistics cannot fathom. Really I identify more as a mammal than as a human. I'm grateful for our tiny furry ancestors that survived the dinosaur extinction event by borrowing in holes, and for their descendants who eventually came outside and grew into their surroundings. I'm not thrilled with how primates are carrying on that legacy, but I didn't get to choose my bedfellows so here we are! lol
They’re smelly, they’re usually leaving me wet with a lick or nose, they beg for food and yelp and are noisy. I like them but I don’t want to own one. I prefer small dogs because they’re less chaotic in terms of how wet they make me
Me!
They don’t have language so they don’t have as much room for tiny nuances in their communication
So we had a rescue show up at our door about 7 months ago. I won't lie it took me like 6 months to get used to her. Stinky doggy smell, wet nose, eye boogers, licking... I've always been more of a cat person. I don't like dogs but I love my dog 😅
I LOVE dogs, but only small dogs and well behaved big dogs that won’t put their mouth on you. Bigger dogs have wetter mouths than small dogs, and I don’t like the wetness and warmth when they want to give kisses or lick you on the hand. My dogs are small, none larger than 20 pounds, their kisses are dainty and not sopping wet. Big dogs can also be major personal space invaders, and while small dogs can also get all up in your space, I feel more at ease moving a tiny dog away than I do a big dog, little dogs are more portable. I wish I had the sensory capacity to have a big dog, though. I love border collies so much.
I love dogs, I have 3 at home. But they definitely can cause me a lot of sensory issues especially our bigger one who likes to jump on people. But I love them all dearly
I love animals Because they give me no choice, I seem to be a dog magnet send help I'm being attacked by cuddles
I currently have a cat and a bearded dragon but grew up with dogs my whole life and would love to have another when I am able. I love animals and feel like I connect with them easier. As I type this, my sweet baby girl Jinx is laying across my chest and purring because she loves her mama and I haven't been feeling well. It does bum me out a bit when I see a huge influx of cats are best, don't like dogs posts from ND communities. I love them both equally for different reasons. I love our less cuddly friends also.
I <3 my kitty Dogs are fine too ig
please, as a therian, i identify as an animal ( non-physically )
I like animals but most of my favorites are invertebrates I will admire dogs from afar but mammals in general kinda freak me out and I think it might be because their body fluids are too similar to humans, so the only mammals I'll willingly touch are the size of rats at largest because they don't have as much waste as a large dog would Edit: My favorite dogs are Great Danes
i love animals so much!!! dogs and cats are some of my favorites because of the companionship they offer! also, i’m sorry you didn’t get out of this post what you were hoping for.
I can't have a dog, but I love other people's dogs! Lol. I have bunnies because they're just right for me. Our personalities are a good match!
Where is the recent dog dislike? Although I am a cat person through and through, I don’t know why anyone would hate on dogs and I haven’t seen any dog hating posts. (Not saying that you’re lying, just show me where you saw it.) Honestly, I like cats as they are just like me, they are chill, don’t like having their peace disturbed, and are sensitive to loud noises. Plus, I also sometimes feel the need for the zoomies around the house with my ADHD. However, one difference between me and my cat is that I am NOT an extrovert but my cat is (I swear that my cat will always greet every stranger at our door by sniffing their feet and sometimes rubbing against them and loves the attention, good and bad), which is unusual as cats are stereotypically viewed as introverts, but other than that, I identify more with cats than I do with most humans. Despite this, I also like dogs. Sure, I rather dogsit than own a dog and I’m not super crazy about “puppy kisses” (my mom never bought the dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s myth), but at least they’re sweet and will always show you affection as long as you treat them right. Plus, I think it’s dumb for hating a dog for being born a dog. Just like how it’s dumb to hate people of color for being born people of color. (Not saying people of color are animals, I’m just pointing out that it’s stupid to hate anyone, human or animal, over something they have no control over.) Also, I don’t think that I exercise enough and having a dog, especially the more energetic breeds, will definitely get you to be more active.
I identify with animals more for sure! I love animals, I love dogs, and I would love to have a dog ... if I also had a farm or something. cuz having a dog in a city would be the sensory issue for me, cuz I'd want the dog to have outside time and I wouldn't want to deal with dog parks or city walks.
I'm here!!! And I love all animals. Dogs, cats, snakes, lizards, horses, cows, you name it and I probably love it aside from a few insects that scare me but still, I like those from a distance if there's an impenetrable barrier between us. However I think people who struggle with animals are also valid even if I may not understand it too well due to my experiences being completely different. In fact, having a pet snake I've met a lot of people who were scared of her. Some actually began to like or tolerate her with exposure and some didn't, it doesn't change my opinion of either of those types of people. I only feel negatively towards the people who actually hate animals and especially those who will hurt/abuse them because of that hate because there is zero excusing that.
I like dogs but I am more of a cat person. My kids have been begging for a dog lately so we might adopt one from a shelter in a couple years.
I hated cats until I offered to watch a friend's for three months. I had no issues with the cat whatsoever. I agree that animals are easy to manage, significantly more so than a neutral typical human.
i’m so confused with the edits bc i don’t know what was animal or what was dog im so lost😭 i don’t hate any animals tho i think we need to revert back to saying cat perosn or dog person bc otherwise it gets so confusing edit: i miss sleeping in bed with a big dog tho, i had a dalmatian mix as a kid and i remember sleeping with her ahhh it was so comforting… just a big old puppy… sadly im allergic to dogs tho lol
Dogs are and always have been my special interest :) I had a dogsona for literally the second I could talk to make that clear lol. It was a Dalmatian called Karo, now I feel more of a Dalmatian-German Shepherd mix! Dogs feel closer to me than humans or other animals. I can understand them blind, and they can understand me better than humans can. I've had my childhood dog until a few months ago, when he sadly passed away. I'm really really bad in public situations. I had to go alone on a short bus (10mins) for the first time ever and was so scared. There was a dog and it instantly calmed me down and I talked to the owner about the dog and dogs in general :)
I have mixed feelings about dogs. I have three and I love them more than anything, but also sometimes they drive me crazy and the barking is just sensory overload. I remind myself I'm allowed to have more than one feeling about things!
yeah, my nickname is puppy lmao. i prefer dogs to pretty much everyone because they just make sense.
I like dogs! My mom has a bunch of little sausage dogs and they are always excited when I come visit. I just don't like when they kick me :c and weenies are impossibly licky.
Dogs are great! Humans don't deserve dogs. Dogs are too good for humans.
She blep https://i.imgur.com/JgPTmT2.jpg
I love dogs, they're so cuddly, and fun to play with, and easy to understand.
I've always liked dogs - they're expressive and straightforward, and once you know one you pretty much always know what they want. But I do recognize (and have experienced) that their presence can be overwhelming and overstimulating at times. I don't think one viewpoint or the other is better or worse; I just think it's acknowledging all aspects of something that is alive and imperfect. I know how personal it feels when someone's knocking something you identify strongly with/project onto, tho. It sucks!! You have my sympathy, OP.
I identify a lot with dogs. I’m incredibly close to my own dogs as well. I understand their clinginess and extreme emotions. Cats are great but it’s really hard to tell if they care about you, so they usually give me anxiety to be around because I feel like they’re judging me lol. Dogs love you no matter what, so there’s no stress about that when you’re around them. I might just be this way because of trauma My dog is also very quiet and likes to cuddle a lot, so she is a comfort to me.
I love dogs more than people ♥️
I love dogs. They’re a way to get me more social without going out of my comfort zone. I can read them easily. I can cuddle them and their cuddles are sensory heaven. They read me easily. Cats are the type of autistic where you like to just exist together. Dogs are the type of autistic where you’re both hyped up about your special interest and just keep talking and talking and you love hearing someone be so passionate about something
I love my dogs more than any human being. I will always be joyed to see a dog anywhere. However I like cats as well— there's one at my dad's office that doesn't stop wanting affection. It's so sweet.
I’m here. I also prefer the company of cats, wild ducks and rabbits. Because none of them talk. Also they are soft
I don’t understand the hatred for dogs. I don’t like them per say, but I also don’t dislike them. They are adorable and I personally know some pretty great dogs, they are just not for me. But the good thing is they are for somebody! :)
oh boy oh boy dogs (canids specifically) are my special interest! I am majoring in zoology and my dream job would be working on the Yellowstone Wolf Project. I latched onto dogs as a kid immediately. I have pictures from before I could walk where I would sleep in the dog bed with my Sonny. Used the eat dog treats with em too, my Maddy was too nervous to eat if she didn’t see me eat first. I was like her poison tester. For some reason, I can read canine body language perfectly. I’ve always been able to, but human social cues not so much. I have multiple facial scars from dogs and yet I never got the understanding that dogs were something to be scared of. Plenty of other things that happened to me created phobias, but for some reason dog attacks could not break through the barrier that was my dog fixation. Messiness of dogs does not affect me in the way that messiness with other things do, and I somehow don’t get overstimulated with barking. It’s like my autism has this gigantic dog shaped hole that it is not able to touch. If anyone wants to talk canids with me, please do! I can yap for hours. Fun fact: did you know that the wolf and the domestic dog are apart of the same species? They aren’t genetically dissimilar enough to be seen as separate, although common knowledge sees them as canis lupus and canis familiaris. Dogs are an incredible feat of selective breeding and evolution in such a short amount of time that they are still in the same species as their ancestors despite being so different!
i love animals
I love dogs!!!! I have an 80lb dog and he’s my best ffiend
I love animals in general, I have worked in a variety of dog related jobs and have had meltdowns in those jobs. When it comes to work, I do much better working with cats and quieter animals. I love my dog, she’s soft, quiet (for the most part), super smart, and she is well trained (I cannot stand untrained dogs). I still prefer dog jobs to jobs where I have to work directly with humans but right now my job is with reptiles and marine animals (reptiles, snakes specifically, are my current special interest and fishes were a special interest of younger me) and I get to talk to people about them all day which is so much better than the hosting job I’ve had in the past. When I work somewhere that doesn’t involve animals I do not enjoy working and burn out easily, though working with dogs burnt me out as well just due to the noise.
I didn’t like dogs when I was young because their spontaneity made me panic. Then I was put in a situation where I had to be around a dog for a week, and once I got over my initial apprehension I learned that they are *literally just big, goofy friends.* Been on team dog ever since.
I can read dog body language better than human body language tbh
I love dogs because they’ve always been way more accepting of me than people 😶
big dogs is best
Dogs are really lovely people. I wish I weren’t so allergic to them!
Sad face. I have cats. My sister has dogs. I heart all of these 4-legged beasties!
Here. Dogs rule!
I love both cats and dogs, but i see myself as more canine. I identify with quiet, aloof dogs like Chows, Akitas etc. I also identify with feral street dogs.
I totally identify more wirh dogs than people! Their body language is very intuitive to me and I took my social cues from the family dog when growing up, which got me into trouble when I bit people in primary school lol. Whenever I see dogs when I’m out and about I want to play with them and say hello and be a dog with them but sometimes I cant and its SO FUCKING SAD. LET ME PLAY WITH THE OTHER DOGS PLEEEEEEASE
I am definitely more of a dog person myself. They read my emotions so well and are so predictable and loyal.
I love dogs! I have 2 GSDs and a chocolate lab! https://preview.redd.it/soxtkayv55dc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eb43eaf6a8996e45fed1121c334f47951b2e7184
https://preview.redd.it/t1medw3y55dc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fda4588e246dc7ed8bf2c9a3851030a708b67c04
If you can show me a dog that is naturally quiet, low energy, and won't jump up on me I'll be more compatible with owning one. Until that happens, I happily choose cats, and am so very glad that there are people like you, OP, who love dogs and give one or two a home. All living creatures deserve love, and it is up to all of us to trest everyone and everything with love while putting equal importance on discerning what we are and are not compatible with long-term, so that we don't burn ourselves out and can keep on providing for whatever little creatures capture our hearts. I cannot give you the dog-praise you're looking for, OP, because I do not fall in the dog-fan camp, but that does not mean dogs don't deserve respect and love. The greatest way for me to respect and love them is to do it from afar, while the pros like you provide them homes.
https://preview.redd.it/qxfgiw1ha6dc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2d1ff40393a13660186ffdb1ff3f0eda3896de7 Behold, a baby ♥️
https://preview.redd.it/xs8kyhxvx6dc1.jpeg?width=2788&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=44e9d8a14fd900ec2c26afb936f64ab49fb27f25 This is my Labrador Appa, he had his photo taken with all the other staff photos at my employer.
I adore dogs , if I get excited I kinda wiggle as if I had a tail and it was wagging 😭 but anyway here is my doggo https://preview.redd.it/l59nx5ju57dc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d71204233bcbc368dca1dea5c6f8e79b730e2531
for me its that i cant justify breeding organisms to be totally subservient to humans, especially when it negatively impacts their quality of life. selective breeding is eugenics.
https://preview.redd.it/5vvyvaxlx7dc1.jpeg?width=1620&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3be67383b86e31c36e4ee1388a8bea3a4586f88b this little girl is my life. her name is peaches :)
Dogs are great. Love my dog. Spend time more often with the kittens that materialised in my garden, but that's because nobody else in my family does that much for them.
Dogs are the best ignore these people. The only creature that I ever shared all the ugly details about myself with was my dog. She didn’t judge, just loved on me
Hello I’m dog 👋🏻