apparently in yankee land, “outdoor dogs” are a thing
and not like guard dogs or anything
they just have a pet that they don’t want in their house
this makes sense to them somehow

A dog is seen in a couple of ways. It can either be a substitution for a personality and frequently enjoyed by certain people who are too emotionally immature for human relationships. Feed a dog and it will love you forever and you can (perceive) to have control over it. It’s not an actual living being but a car with fur with the exception that people tend to take care of a car better than the dog. Imagine a fucking great dane hold up in a hole in the wall apartment.

Also the hygiene of some dog obsess people are nauseating and they think having dog hair all over themselves and their home is funny and French kissing fido is completely fine.

Cats have too much of an independent personality so they tend be viewed less favorably than the dog and subject to abuse by crazies but can certainly be seen in the same light . Something to own by an asocial personality and are frequently seen in hoarding situations.

Edit: in fact I’m wondering how much pet culture is effected by the lack of mental health services here in the u.s. Don’t bathe themselves or the dog, feeding it human food because you can’t muster the energy to get it proper dog food now the dog has diabetes, don’t walk it so it becomes “a chonk”, can’t control the dog you made anxious from not taking it outside but decide to get three more just cause, not training it so it breaks out and bites someone, neglect the dog but will throw hands with animal rescue when they try to save it from you.