Hahaha!! :thumbup:

I misread this also, so my vote isn't valid. I understand when someone has had a fearful experience with a dog, but I wonder about a person who dislikes dogs. I do have friends who are loving people who aren't crazy about dogs. They do, however, understand and respect my love of animals, but they don't share the intense love that I feel for dogs.

No no...not a baby hater. Just a children avoider. :D

Seriously, I love kids..as long as they behave and go home at the end of the day. hehe

Usually it wouldn't change the way I think of someone. I have close friends that have fery different opinions of animals than me. Blatant abuse and neglect is different.

I think it definitely depends on the person feels and why. As long as someone has compassion for an animal. I am good. If someone says cats are disgusting for no reason, then I do not think I can be friends with them. There are dog people and cat people and some are just crazy animal people ;).

I have several friends who are not "dog" people. Some are truly scared of dogs (due to a bad experience or two especially when young), some just don't get the idea of dogs or cats as companions.

How-ever I would never knowingly have for a friend anyone who mistreats animals of any kind. If we were friends that would break our friendship.

This is very interesting!
'yes' and 'depends on how the person feels and why' are neck 'n neck ;)

We should make one of these regarding children :D
In almost every post, children are mentioned :D

For me it would depend on the reason they hate or dislike dogs.

If they were viciously attacked by a dog as a child and never sought some sort of post-trauma therapy, and therefore hate all dogs - that would not change my perception of them at all. It would make me want to help them overcome their fear and hate of dogs, but it wouldn't make me dislike them.

If they hate dogs because a dog of theirs that they were extremely close to died, and there's no way they would ever like another dog or open their heart to another dog - that is because it's the way that person's heart is wired. It's their sensitivity level and a heart matter - wouldn't make me dislike them or change my perception of them.

If they hate dogs because they say they're dirty, smelly or just hate them for no valid reason...I'd definitely steer clear of them. A person who hates a living, breathing, warm blooded mammal just to hate them for no reason? Something more sinister there on the underneath if you ask me and I would want zero acquaintances in my life like that.

I think it would change the way I view the person depending on how they treat not just dogs, but animals in general. I think I would have to see how they are around the animal, and wouldn't judge just based on their opinion. I think the way someone behaves around animals can tell you a great deal about the person.

I'd just assumed the question would not include people who had a history of a fearful or painful experience with a dog or dogs or living with fears or phobias they developed for whatever reason. I thought the question would be just about a person's preferences unrelated to traumatic experience or fears/phobias. Aside from those people who don't like dogs due to those issues, a person who just dislikes or feels disgusted by the amazing dog, I'll never be able to fully appreciate that person's good qualities to the fullest for wondering why they can't appreciate an animal who has helped further and better our existence on this earth so very much. By simply just helping us hunt more easily with less wear and tear and expense of energy, injury and time - and find, kill more meat and have the skins to wear, dogs did man a HUGE favor that helped us grow stronger, healthier and larger and explore farther, expand our boundaries, meet other tribes, co-mingle and go on from there and prosper intellectually due to more challenges. And that's aside from the companionship/protection of an early, lonely hunter cut off from his people except for his dog or the woman and kids back at camp with a dog for protection and entertainment for the children. That's just a tiny part of what dogs have done for us in growing and branching out as a species. How someone can look down or discount that lovely and noble creature as dumb and dirty, gross, unworthy - I'll never understand.

Different cultures have different beliefs about dogs, think INdia, China for example. Certain religions also teach that dogs are un-clean.

If you think America has problems with strays, try travelling through INdia for several months.

India gets to almost everyone who visits there. For me, it was the dogs, the strays, the starving animals slinking away from humans, rummaging in the garbage.

Aside from learning of how some cultures treat dogs in school, literature, etc., as kids, as an adult just talking to many a soldier and missionary tell you how some cultures view dogs very negatively and how they therefore treat them.

I misread the question too... I thought it meant does it change the way I think about my dogs. Yes, if I knew someone disliked animals, I would not want to be more than aquantances with them like capt_noonie said.

This thing I don't get about India, is they fear dogs and think they are dirty, yet there is a temple over run with rats, and they kiss and drink the milk that the rats have drank. What is up with that?