I used to look at dogs and think that if any other sentient species came by, the things we'd done to an apex predator would be sufficient to mark our species for quarantine at best, but I was playing with a friend's dog the other day and it occurred to me that we've aggressively selected for the happiest, most loyal, friendliest critters we can find - that's what we want, that's what we want to be around*. The world's complicated and our actions in it don't always reflect us at our best, but there's something redemptive about our choice in companions.
(*Yes, some dogs are bred to be dicks, and some people are dicks, but most dogs are good dogs, and most people are, too.)
In some countries, dog owners don’t give a shit and let their dogs poop everywhere (France for example).
Many dog owners can’t handle their dogs.
Dogs are scary for some people, especially children. Most dog owners don’t understand this and say "it’s a good dog, he doesn’t do anything" instead of doing the only sane thing: "you’re scared? I take the dog away".
It only takes one dick owner with a dick dog to instill fear in people (children) with significant and long-lasting consequences for their lives.
So yeah, some dogs are cute and whatnot, but unless you have a remote ranch or a huge property, and dogs can be dogs there, we actually need less dogs.
I suspect from your comment you have not had a good dog in your life before. I’m sorry for you for that.
Dogs, when raised well and taken care of, have incredible emotional intelligence and can communicate extremely well with humans. This combination can make them real friends and companions, not just cute animals. When people say, “man’s best friend” they really mean it.
Or, perhaps, OP has had good dogs in his life and recognizes the negative externalities many dog owners push onto the rest of us.
I'm still annoyed at whoever let their dog crap in my yard and didn't clean it up. I stepped in it while doing yard work, didn't discover it until the next day, then spent two hours and multiple runs through the washer cleaning the darned shoes to a usable state.
> dog owners don’t give a shit and let their dogs poop everywhere (France for example).
This is an understatement. I’ve never seen sidewalks made out of dog poop instead of asphalt until France. It’s endemic, it’s everywhere, and people feel entitled to leave their dog poop where it dropped. You really have to see it to believe it.
Thailand, homeless dogs run around in packs in the streets. The Buddhist culture isn't going to put them down, but with folks actively feeding leftover food to the strays, there's a bit of a problem in almost every city--especially if rabies starts floating around. They'll get into hierarchical scuffles at night leading to a some very short but very loud howling. That said, unlike those with an owner, most would rather avoid you than bark and get needlessly aggressive for you just walking on a public sidewalk.
> In some countries, dog owners don’t give a shit and let their dogs poop everywhere (France for example).
I grew up in the American rust belt, and when taking family walks around the neighborhood, my parents were eternally yelling at me to not step in that broken glass, or that dog poop.
I used to look at dogs and think that if any other sentient species came by, the things we'd done to an apex predator would be sufficient to mark our species for quarantine at best, but I was playing with a friend's dog the other day and it occurred to me that we've aggressively selected for the happiest, most loyal, friendliest critters we can find - that's what we want, that's what we want to be around*. The world's complicated and our actions in it don't always reflect us at our best, but there's something redemptive about our choice in companions.
(*Yes, some dogs are bred to be dicks, and some people are dicks, but most dogs are good dogs, and most people are, too.)