Maria looks at her cup of tea as if it were going to give her the answers. “I really don't understand it anymore,” she sighs. “Dogs have just become kids these days. And I don't just mean in how people talk about them, but how they treat them. Dog carriages, special blankets in cafes... What's wrong with just a collar and a walk in the park?”
Let's be honest: when you see a Labrador in a pram, you wonder if the world hasn't turned a little too far? You would almost expect him to have a baby ice cream in his paw and say “mom”.
Boundaries between humans and animals are blurring
According to Maria, it seems like some people no longer know the difference between a pet and a person. “I really understand that you love your dog,” she says, “but that doesn't mean you have to treat him like it's your baby, right?” She shrugs. “It's still an animal, not a child. And that's totally fine!”
She sighs and tells how she was with a friend the other day. “She has a twenty-kilogram Labrador, and that animal was just lying on the couch. Like it's the most normal thing in the world! When I asked if she didn't find that a little unhygienic, she looked at me like I was crazy.”
For Maria, it's simple: dogs don't belong on the couch or in bed. “They walk outside in the mud, sniffing at everything that's loose and stuck, and then you think it's okay to leave them on your pillow? No, thanks!”
Fashion grills for four-legged friends
What surprises Maria the most is the growing trend to dress up dogs. “Jackets, shoes, sunglasses... It seems like people forget that dogs have fur. They can adapt well to the weather,” she says with a laugh. “I mean, a Chihuahua in a leather jacket? That's not a fashion icon, that's just sad.”
She sees it everywhere: dogs in designer outfits, complete with matching accessories. “I even saw a dog with a backpack the other day. What does he wear in there? His tax papers?”
Dogs don't belong in restaurants
Perhaps what bothers Maria the most is the way people take their dogs with them everywhere. “The other day, I was sitting in a restaurant and there was just a dog walking between the tables. People sat there eating quietly! I really thought: is this a zoo or something?”
She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “I'm really not against dogs, you know. I love them. But there is a time and a place for everything. You're not taking your guinea pig to dinner either, are you?”
Why do we see dogs as children?
Maria thinks it has to do with the zeitgeist. “People are looking for company and love, and that's what they find in their pets. That's not bad in itself, but they sometimes forget that it's an animal.” According to her, it's a sign of our society where people feel lonely and seek comfort from their pets. “And that's fine, as long as you remember that it's a dog and not a person.”
Time to get back to normal
For Maria, it's all about balance. “Of course, you have to take good care of your dog. Give him what he needs: exercise, good food and love. But that doesn't mean you have to treat him like a baby who can't live without you.”
She takes a last sip of her tea and looks determined. “We have to get back to normal. Dogs are great animals, but they are still animals. That's exactly what makes them so much fun!”
With a laugh, she adds: “And please stop with those pushchairs. Those legs are there for a reason.”