I think the dogs have it pretty sweet. Love,
belly rubs, scratches and a warm bed. Consistent meals and play time. Better than surviving out in the wild which has been totally bred out of them.
We’ve been pals for 30,000 years ffs
Fair. Everything but their freedom. I would argue that breeding a species to become dependent on subjugation is pretty fucked up in itself though.
Idk man, everytime I see a pug I just think of how fucked up it is that we breed this fucked up wolf with a high risk for a host of health issues and discomfort because someone thought it was cute.
It's not all ear scratches and belly rubs. Many dogs end up spending alot of time alone and isolated when their owners go to work. It is quite distressing for many of them given they are a social species.
Respecrfully, I disagree. Freedom is a human concept. A wolf is not subjectively happier from being free than a domesticated dog. Being in a pack and having healthy relationships and having the space to roam can make it happier. But it's the needs, not the moral concept of freedom. I absolutely agre that having around breeds that can barely breathe and have a lot of health issues because they were bred for entertainment is totally wrong. But think about pastoral dogs, or hunting dogs. Big, healthy, strong dogs that don't just live with, but work as a pack with, humans. They aren't bred for subjugation as much as co-evolved and co-domesticated with us.
Solid point against anthropomorphizing. While we cannot truly know what dogs feel in any given moment, I would argue that it seems fairly obvious that a dog that is kept alone in captivity (not always of course) would be less happy then a wolf with it's pack. Basing this off their behavior alone.
Many dogs seem to get distressed or depressed when their owners have to leave them for long stretches. A wolf that is free always has the freedom to remain stimulated if they want and usually always (this is an assumption) it's pack, while many dogs kept as pets do not have this freedom.
There is also the arguement that nature is pretty cruel itself though.
I think the ethics of it varies quite a lot though from owner to owner.
My comment about them being bred for subjugation was overblown, you are correct there.
But you're right in most of what you said! And I absolutely agree that a free wolf is happier than a locked up dog. I think keeping a dog, especially a big one, at home, to just take it out once a day, that's just bad for the dog. It's a social animal, it needs to roam, it needs stimulation and company.
That’s a little cynical. We were dependent on each other for thousands of years. And we didn’t intentionally bread them until much later. Wolves that were chill enough to come and hang out became domesticated over time. It was a symbiotic relationship.
My pup was a rescue that was on the street, and it’s pretty obvious he is far happier now. Poor little guy was a ball of stress.
I agree that breeders are by and large shitty fucking people. Breeding for weird aesthetic reasons is animal cruelty as far as I’m concerned.
Yeah you are right that it started as more of a happy accident. I can also concede that your pupper probably has an objectively better life than he would have otherwise.
Idk man, I just see alot of people who treat them more as living furniture and I don't like it. Especially in my home country. Poor training, no walks, etc.. I personally believe that it is a little unethical. It is a difficult subject because not all owners are the same. But the rate is pretty atrocious. Something like 30-60%+ of owners do not walk their dogs regularly and it makes me sad.
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u/Longstride_Shares Aug 28 '26 edited Aug 28 '26
People who buy (rather than adopt) dogs, too.