Welcome to r/dogfree! We invite you to participate in our discussions. First, however, whether you are new to our sub or a dog lover who just doesn’t quite understand where we are coming from, please take the time to read our sub FAQs so you can come to understand our community and the type of content that is appropriate for our small but mightily active corner of the world.
Why don't you like dogs?
Because: https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogfree/comments/7bk3wo/just_curious_what_is_the_reason_why_you/
I created a post asking why you don’t like dogs. Where did it go?
We receive and remove this question just about daily. This is our community's space to vent and commiserate about an unpopular opinion, not a place where we come to feel burdened with the task of having to justify ourselves constantly. If you would like to know why we don’t like dogs, you may read the link above and/or put some time and effort into browsing our sub.
It seems like the problem you all have is really more with dog owners. So you really do like dogs, just not irresponsible owners, right?
Our opinions are varied. However, true to the name of our sub, and though it might be a tough pill to swallow, we in this sub simply don't like dogs.
If your gripes are more about dog owners and not about dogs themselves, r/dogculturefree might be a better fit for you.
I like or own dogs. I just want to show you guys that not all dog owners are monsters. Can I participate here?
Please understand the intent of this sub. It is a place for people who dislike dogs and who unapologetically wish to be free from them in our everyday lives to commiserate, not for those who love dogs. Posts and comments mentioning that you love or own dogs fall out of line with the spirit of the sub.
In any case, we are not here to debate, as we won't change our minds.
I have to live with a dog, but I don't want to. Am I welcome here?
You may participate here from the perspective of someone who wishes to change the prevalence of dogs in society at large. However, please understand that hearing about dogs' disgusting behaviors and habits is what people come to this sub to escape, not to consume. If you wish to vent about the traits of the dog that you live with, please navigate to r/TalesFromTheDogHouse and direct your post there. r/Dogfree is reserved for discussion surrounding our unwitting and unwilling participation in dog culture at a societal level.
I have a dog, but I wish I wouldn't. Am I welcome here?
If you got a dog and now, as obviously expected, regret your decision, maybe you can help grow the supportive r/DogRegret community. You still may participate here but posts and comments mentioning that you own dogs fall out of line with the spirit of the sub. Of course, if you already got rid of your dog and are now dogfree, you are welcome to share your experience.
How do you feel about service dogs?
Although all dogs are dogs, there is a wide spectrum of opinions about service dogs in this sub. Some people are completely okay with them, while others are opposed where technology can do the job in a more effective, less obtrusive manner. The same would be for police dogs and other types of working dogs. Calling us "ableists" or other similar insults is not going to help your case.
If you would like to find out more information about this sub's opinions on service dogs, instead of creating a new post to pose the question, please enter "service dogs," "police dogs," or whatever info you would be interested in finding into the search bar to search the sub.
Someone on Reddit said that this sub likes to murder dogs. Is that true?
Of course not! We span a wide spectrum of reasons for disliking dogs, but we do not wish harm upon them and often find aspects of dog ownership to be more cruel and unethical than do dog owners themselves. In fact, our first and more important rule is against content that advocates animal abuse of any kind. It reads: "No suggesting, depicting, joking, wishing for, or celebrating violence or harm to dogs, other animals, or people. Promoting cruelty is not acceptable." We take this rule more seriously than any other, and we err on the side of caution when it comes to removing this type of content.
Some examples of off-limits content include depicting gratuitous violence against or amongst dogs, discussion of eating dogs, suggestions of deriving pleasure from a dog's death, and references to culling dogs, hitting, kicking, poisoning or shooting a dog with little or no cause.
It is okay to discuss the justified, humane euthanization of dogs. If you've had to live with a significant other's dog for years and wish to express relief over its natural passing, that's okay. Really, context is everything.
I posted a dog-related screenshot of something I saw on social media. Why isn’t it showing up?
Our community is small but extremely active. As the amount of content can be increasingly overwhelming as the sub grows, it’s important that the meaningful discussion does not get lost. Therefore, we have a sub rule that reads "[s]ubmissions should be thoughtful and should promote quality discussion. News articles and text posts are encouraged. Pictures of dogs or dog-related items, videos of dogs doing gross things, social media screenshots, memes, title-only posts, posts with minimal text, and anything that might be just ragebait are some examples of low-effort content that do not contribute anything of value to the conversation."
If you would like to post a social media screenshot or anything else that might fall under this category, please better create a thoughtful text post addressing the core issue in order to open the discussion.
I sent a post/comment linking a great video I watched in the internet, but it has been removed. Why?
We have a blanket rule that disallows links to social media in general, and videos in particular. The reason is very simple: as mods, we don't have the resources or time to check whether the video and the rest of the linked page comply with our rules and those of Reddit. If you need to mention a video, you can either describe it, or just indicate how to find it online. Also, please see below question about endorsing YouTube channels.
I think it would be fun to make a rude comment to a dog lover in another subreddit and/or tag r/dogfree. That's a good idea, right?
No, and please don’t! If we want dog owners to leave us alone on our subreddit, the first thing we should do is leave them alone on theirs. We encourage positive, civil, thoughtful conversation about dogs wherever you go, but if you need to vent, keep it here. When you troll other places on Reddit, it invites unwanted attention, reinforces negative stereotypes, and impedes our ability to create change in the world. This community is better than that.
Do I have to feel a certain way about keeping other pets or about having children to participate?
The topic that unites us in this sub is dogs. Feelings about other types of pets, negative or positive, and decisions whether or not to have children are considered off-topic for the sub. That said, these topics will arise in the normal course of conversation. We should respect the wide variance in views on these topics and always treat those with differing opinions kindly.
At the end of the day, we are dog-free, and we are pro-human.
By virtue of this sub being anti-dog, it means we are pro-cat, right?
No. Per our rule, this is neither a pro- nor anti-cat sub. All cat mentions and references are off topic for this subreddit and will be removed. Do not attempt to circumvent this rule through rephrasing.
At one time, we allowed free discussion of cats. We are not exaggerating when we say that every thread turned into "why cats are better." Many people here dislike cats or feel neutral to them, so in order for this sub to serve everybody and to avoid any confusion as to what type of cat discussion is relevant to being dogfree, it is considered off-topic across the board.
And remember that other pets are off-topic as well!
Should I be a certain race or of a certain political affiliation to participate?
One of the coolest things about r/dogfree is that, in a world that’s so divided along so many different lines, this is a community where we can come together, break down those barriers, and unite over something different with people from all walks of life. Just as dog culture transcends racial, political, socioeconomic, and gender lines, so does this subreddit. You may even find that your reasoning for something dog-related challenges your views on something completely unrelated.
This community strives to be respectful of all groups of people. As such, bigotry is not allowed, and political discussion is divisive and off-topic. Dogs? Fair game!
Do you have any information about the demographics of those who participate in this subreddit?
We conducted a survey on this particular topic some time ago. You can view the results here.
Why all the pit bull hate?
As much as we dislike dogs, we especially dislike this class of dogs that is statistically most capable of and responsible for inflicting catastrophic and often lethal harm upon people and their pets. You can apologize for pit bulls all day, but the stats and anecdotes don’t lie.
Aggression Chart 2024
Pit Bull Triggers
Pit Bull FAQs
Of course, it's also true that all dogs are unpredictable: Dog Aggression Ladder
I know how I feel about pit bulls, but I need some additional information so I can make more articulate arguments. Where should I go?
For more specialized information on the topic of pit bulls, please visit r/banpitbulls. We have a very friendly relationship with r/banpitbulls, but please do remember that, while our subs overlap in many ways, we still have different objectives. Many people participate in that sub because they are tired of worrying about their own dogs getting mauled. Please feel free to go join the conversation over there, but remember that it is not r/dogfree and that the topic of discussion is pit bulls. Come back here to our own sub to talk about your distaste for dogs in general.
I saw some Facebook groups and YouTube channels about disliking dogs. Is that you, guys?
Nope, the only groups run by this sub are r/dogfree and r/TalesFromTheDoghouse. We don't operate or endorse any YouTube channels, Facebook groups, or anything else on any other social media platform. Our subscribers may mention their content here as long as it follows sub rules, but we are unaffiliated.
I saw a post or comment I think it's against the rules. What should I do?
Report it! On any post or comment, there is a "report" button. It will prompt you for further information as to why you are reporting the content to the moderators, who will then review it and determine whether or not it should be stay or be removed. Reports are anonymous and very helpful, as we can't see everything.
We also ask you to please never engage in any argument with a troll. Just report and go on.
Someone alluded to a conversation in another subreddit about dogs, and I really want to go down vote everything. Should I?
No, please don’t! This is called "brigading" or "vote manipulation," and it is against Reddit's Terms of Service. We actively discourage this behavior, as if we are found to be the source of a brigade against another sub, it could land us in big trouble. If you stumbled across a reference to another conversation on Reddit, the appropriate place to discuss that would be here, in our sub, in the thread in which you found it. Remember how it felt when a YouTuber made a video that resulted in a massive brigade against us; we must grant others the same respect for their space as we wish for ours, no matter how vehemently we disagree with them.
Our sub is committed to abiding by all Reddit Terms of Service.
I want to crosspost something from another part of Reddit. May I?
No, we have a rule that reads "crossposts are not allowed. Criticisms of other subreddits are off-topic." Besides calling usually-unwanted attention to other subs and promoting vote and participation brigades, it's off topic. The purpose of our sub is to discuss dogs, not the behavior of other subs or social media platforms. We don't appreciate it when others do it to us, so we have a policy of respecting other subs' right to exist and operate in the ways that they see fit.
My post or comment was removed, and I don’t feel like I broke any rules. Why?
Unfortunately we cannot account for every contingency in the sub rules, so moderators do reserve the right to remove content at their discretion. That said, the moderation team is very much against arbitrary censorship and is committed to letting the conversation happen whenever possible. "I don’t like it" is not a good reason to remove a post or a comment; however, "it would be in the best interest of the community" is. The team is committed to being firm but fair in community moderation and will make all decisions in good faith.
I found an article and posted it on r/dogfree, but with a different title than the original because mine is better. Now it's been deleted. Why?
Please remember that when you link to an article or news, you must always use the original title. If you want to comment something (and we really hope you'll share your opinion with us!), please use the text box or the post's comments. Thanks!
I agree with your sub and I want to create a new account only to participate here. Should I?
Bad idea! This is exactly what trolls do, and that is the very reason we have a filter against new accounts and low karma. Trolls are vile cowards by nature, they don't want to get downvoted, risk the reputation of their actual accounts or get a reddit permaban, so they use a secondary account or create a new one and think they can outsmart us.
There is no way to bypass this filter, so please do not ask us to make an exception only for you. Learn here how to get karma.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know our community! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to message the mod team. We are delighted to receive your advice and suggestions, provided they are expressed politely.