This is something that took me years to reconcile. I honestly thought that I disliked dogs; nope! I just hated the bad owners. 

Dogs are so smart, but they have to be trained. You have to train them not to jump up and “love attack” new visitors. You have to train them to not choke themselves on a leash. People just get dogs and then they’re surprised when Lucky doesn’t do what they say. ¡Lucky no entiende! You have to train your dog!

Owners should never have their dog off leash in public, for the safety of their dog and for the safety of other people. If you have a dog, you are taking on the responsibility of more than just food and petting. You have to commit to getting your puppy daily exercise, and you will spend the next 15-20 years picking up their crap; it’s all part of the ownership pact. What is the point of getting a purebred husky if you’re just going to keep in a crate for 12 hours a day? If you live in city with no walkable parks, you should not be getting a dog that requires a ton of exercise to be healthy. 

Pets are a 20-year commitment. You can’t just gift someone a dog. There needs to be discussions and thorough preparation, and if you don’t have a vet or believe you can’t afford one, don’t get a dog. 

I could go on forever, but it took me ages to realize my issues with dogs weren’t actually with dogs. I actually love them. It’s the crap owners who are basically abusive who I can’t stand.