Originally Posted by SegaGamer:
“I am another who has never liked them. They stink, they are noisy, they get over excited over everything, they constantly want attention, they jump all over you, they are messy, they get their hair everywhere.......i never have and never will understand why so many people like dogs.
Like you abigail1234, i have a neighbour who has dogs that never shut up. If they go out and leave the dogs alone for a few hours it is horrible. The dogs just bark non stop until they get home.
Dogs are more hassle than they are worth. The biggest problem is so many people get a dog just because they want one and think they are cute, they never truly think about the effort you need to put in. This is why we get so many problems that i listed above. Most dog owners don't actually know how to handle a dog properly.”
Surely that is up to the owners to decide if they are worth the hassle.
Yes they are a lot of responsibility and you are correct that many new owners haven't a clue on how to look after them properly, but for many decent owners the work is more than worth it for the love and affection they get from their pets.
The list of downsides you listed is also dependent on whether they are properly looked after and trained correctly. My dog doesn't smell as she is bathed regularly, does not jump up, does not bark very often, does not need constant attention and is not messy at all. I grant you, her hair does get everywhere but thats what a hoover is for.
Not all dogs and owners are alike.