Dislike of dogs

You can't have him! He's mine!

Of course I'm kidding, but my dog genuinely is very quiet and not much of a licker at all, so definitely not into face-licking. It's partly a breed thing (greyhound) but mostly just him being a bit odd, I think. He really does seem like a dog running on cat software.

I don't like dogs either.  Partly I think as I was knocked over by a black labrador when young and my grandmother also had a snappy jack Russell.

Having said that when I broke up and was staying with a friend who was out one night, her dog Bert noticed I was upset and comforted me. His barking also woke us up when I accidentally set fire to the kitchen. So I liked Bert.

The other week I went to something where two people brought dogs which were wet. I realised how much I hate the smell. One tried to sit on my lap after which I needed to leave, go home shower and put my clothes in the wash!

So yeah not a fan.

The dog being the prime mover is much less common, however.

I also find the attitude of dog owners expecting you to love their dog as much as they do very annoying.

I think this is probably my main issue. Dogs are just being dogs. There seems to be a societal insistence that you love dogs, in a way that doesn’t apply to cats, goldfish or iguanas!

I’ve had people in the past try and reason me out of it, like it’s my responsibility to learn to love their dog. No thanks. I love Star Trek: The Next Generation. I don’t roam around the woods with an iPad forcing people to watch it, shouting “Don’t worry, Worf is harmless!”

Sorry, got carried away with my analogy…

Homebird said:

Then there are two types with dogs on leads. There are those who take up the whole path with their two dogs and are oblivious,

100% this! Especially where the dogs are on long leads as well. What you have there is two moving tripwires!

After receiving my new diagnosis; it has helped me as my thought was that I loved all animals because they arent as scary as humans but this was funny to me; when I went to possibly buy some fish, it was strange as I felt so intimidated, but in an article I read, it says that autistic people dont like the way the fish and dogs stare as it makes us uneasy, where a cat apparently doesn't do that mostly unless they are a bouncy starey cats (lol), but I think it depends on the dog as they are some breeds who are aware of these disabilities; but quite expensive as they are trained to a high level.

I once found myself with only a sandwich bag to hand..

There also a problem with dogs acquiring unsuitable humans..

It’s pretty much the other way around with my dog..

I like dogs..

If a dog exists that isn’t noisy and into face-licking (vom) then that’s the one for me. It’s a cat isn’t it? 

Unfortunately my experience is that most dog owners don’t understand or train their dog, my neighbours being prime examples, right now they are out with dog left alone barking and barking and barking, I’ve never seen them walk it and they just let it crap all over their yard, it’s going to stink come summer. Of course it’s wrong to generalise from this specific but it is very typical of my experiences. 

On the flip side I have one friend who is very responsible, trained her dog incredibly well and has set up a business as a dog trainer. Nevertheless visiting her was hugely unpleasant for me from a sensory perspective, the house always smelt of dog (she didn’t notice it but it assailed me), and the sweet thing, affectionate as you say, always came to me, tongue out, sniffing, slobbering, it couldn’t help it and I know meant well but I couldn’t ever handle it so I stopped visiting her  

An island full of dogs would be pure hell for me, sorry 

There is also a problem with people acquiring unsuitable dogs. Dogs, for many hundreds of years, were bred for specific tasks and some breeds do not make good family pets. Any dog breed that was ever bred for aggression against humans, such as sheep or cattle guard dogs - I don't mean sheep-herding dogs - do not make reliable family pets.

I’m very much a dog person, more so than a people person. I don’t find dogs unpredictable at all, in fact they are far more predictable than humans. But I know how to read a dog and understand the ladder of behaviour. Dogs that bark are scared, that is their way of communicating that they are not happy. I hate dogs that bark all the time, but a good owner will make sure their dog doesn’t need to get to the barking stage. Dogs are so accepting of people and offer unconditional love. They don’t care what you look like and don’t judge you. They are always happy to see you. People that don’t like dogs start to act weird, dogs don’t understand why the person is acting weird and themselves start to feel nervous. They don’t like change unless it is gradually introduced. I’d much rather live on an island full of dogs than an island full of people. It makes me sad so many of you here don’t like dogs. 

I do too. You're not alone. I disapprove of owners who cannot properly train their dogs, it's incredibly bad form. 

rustyb said:

I just don’t really get it and I find them unpredictable.

I can't wait till I'm old and can properly scold this irresponsible behaviour. BTW - a noticeable difference, in my experience, between the UK and the US is 99% of dog owners in the UK have their dogs properly trained - off lead, they do not pay attention to anyone but their owners. The US could use help in this matter. 

You don't have to like or love them and certainly a large furry tooth-filled thing hurtling at you at full speed can be terrifying ...however I'm also a dog owner who has on occasion had my own dog a pup run up to people in the same manner...although he did flopover and insist on belly rubs.  I was brought up with cats so getting a puppy was a huge learning curve.

If it helps you to feel more relaxed, maybe have a look online at dog body language so you can tell if a strange dog is friendly or not.  Obviously you are not obliged to interact with dogs if you dont want to.

I am definitely a cat person. We once had a quite enormous (not fat, just unusually large) Siamese tom, who would eyeball the neighbourhood dogs, get them totally rattled, then chase them.

Like the author James Joyce, on long walks I carry a walking stick, not because my legs are bad, but as a means of deterring dogs. I understand cat body language, but dogs seem to be hugely more unpredictable. Plus they make sudden loud noises, which make my sensory problems with sound go off-scale.

The wasps made me laugh because both me and my partner are afraid of them. We had a giant queen in our bathroom last summer and my partner shut it in there and asked me "what are we going to do about that wasp?"

There is no 'we' in this situation. It's every person for themselves.

I’m a cat person! Dogs are too unpredictable. I had a dog when I was younger and she was lovely and gentle, but I’m quite scared of dogs these days. 

I completely agree with you, and your opening line really made me laugh, it's so true 

I'm definitely NOT a dog person. I've had several very distressing encounters including being nearly pushed over a cliff when I was 5 by a bulldog who's owners just laughed and said 'he's only being friendly', there were signs saying all dogs to be kept on leads! 

Like others have said the irresponsible way that owners let them off their leads or allow them to run at or jump up at people is IMO unacceptable and to allow it and say they are just being friendly is rude and inconsiderate. I also find the attitude of dog owners expecting you to love their dog as much as they do very annoying.

I dislike the smell and the hair all over everything too and the slobber and wiping their bums on the carpet, eeww!

I deliberately don't go for walks in lovely places designated for walking because they are always full of irresponsible dog owners (notice I'm not blaming the dogs, they are just doing what dogs do) and I also wont go in cafes, restaurants etc that allow dogs.

Please don't think I'm hating on dogs, I'm not, they are just not for me. I have similar opinions about other peoples children