I grew up with 3 large dogs in the woods. It was a good life for me and them. The dogs could pee on a tree and so could I and no-one was unconvinced. However bringing animals into human curated spaces like homes, parks, sidewalks etc I feel that animals that can not routinely sustain appropriate behaviour in human curated spaces don’t belong there.
So what do I expect? Well if my child were to pee on your leg I don’t think any of us would think that was an appropriate behaviour, or do a poo on a sidewalk, or run up and make off with food on your picnic blanket and trample with dirty feet the rest of the food there.
In the same vein if I’m walk in a cow pasture I expect to find cow poo about and I defer to the cows for space. If I’m in a “wild space” it’s on me to not pollute and to be aware of animals.
There’s much more that could be expounded in the topic but that general approach captures my general feelings about the topic.
> So what do I expect? Well if my child were to pee on your leg I don’t think any of us would think that was an appropriate behaviour, or do a poo on a sidewalk, or run up and make off with food on your picnic blanket and trample with dirty feet the rest of the food there.
Do note that those behaviors are frowned upon in dogs too except perhaps the sidewalk-pooping, but then you're supposed to pick that up and throw it in the trash as owner.
Recently my boyfriend of nearly 2 decades commented on a 'strange mark' in the middle of my back, we'd never discussed it, and he'd never asked before, but my initial reaction was to think for 2 seconds and answer 'oh, that'd be where I was attacked by a german shepard when I was 5, it chased me down and started ripping my back apart'.
I've never liked dogs since then, and dog owners that shame me for not liking dogs instantly fall in my respect for them.
So what do I expect? Well if my child were to pee on your leg I don’t think any of us would think that was an appropriate behaviour, or do a poo on a sidewalk, or run up and make off with food on your picnic blanket and trample with dirty feet the rest of the food there.
In the same vein if I’m walk in a cow pasture I expect to find cow poo about and I defer to the cows for space. If I’m in a “wild space” it’s on me to not pollute and to be aware of animals.
There’s much more that could be expounded in the topic but that general approach captures my general feelings about the topic.