4 ms·

What is a basic need? Something that you can't live without. A bare minimum that you can live with: Clean water, food, internet access, education, safety, housi

What is a basic need? Something that you can't live without. A bare minimum that you can live with: Clean water, food, internet access, education, safety, housing, healthcare, a mattress, a fan in the summer and a heater in the winter, a mean to get to work are all basic needs. In most parts of the US, a driveable old car that doesn't break down every month is a basic need; a new, very safe, very reliable car is a luxury. Old people might be able to argue a dog being a basic need. But young non-disabled people who can go out and make friends saying I absolutely have to have a dog, I think, is pushing the definition of a basic need way too far. A dog is definitely a luxury to me, especially in sub/urban areas. Maybe your (and my) parents used to spend very little for a dog and we have to spend a fortune now, but it doesn't make having a dog a basic need. It's just as good of an argument as they used to dream about a projector and now you can get one for $200. The dynamics of having things changes: Being able to get something cheap doesn't make it a basic need. I am speaking as a dogs lover and the only reason I don't have a dog now is that I don't think I can afford a dog.

dpark 8y ago
> Maybe your (and my) parents used to spend very little for a dog and we have to spend a fortune now, but it doesn't make having a dog a basic need. What exactly has changed about the cost of having a dog? Veterinary care has not drastically increased in price so far as I know, so what about having a dog is so expensive? My last dog was “expensive”, but I’m acutely aware of the fact that most of the expenses were things my parents simply did not do: buy a specialty breed from a reputable breeder for >$1000, have a dog walker visit daily, feed the dog expensive food, lots of toys and expensive treats. Growing up, my dog was from a local breeder who probably ran a puppy mill. He ate pretty cheap food that came in a 30lb bag from the grocery store. He played in the yard with a tennis ball. No one came to walk him because he was outside all the time anyway. If I cared for my dog the way my parents did, the costs would be comparable. I fully agree that having a dog is not a basic need, though.
- jimmies 8y ago
  >What exactly has changed about the cost of having a dog? If you have land, I suppose having a dog is not more expensive. That's what my parents had, and I don't. Part of what makes having a dog expensive for people who rent is the fact that they have to rent. When you have a dog you can kiss goodbye at least half of your rental options. The ones that allow dogs charge a premium on top of limited options. Plus, even when you have land, when you have a dog and wants to take a vacation you have to take care of the dog. When you ask/hire a someone to take care of the dog, you have to pay them, etc.
  - dpark 8y ago
    None of this is different from our parents though. Landlords didn’t want dogs in the 70s/80s/90s either. Nor did dogs take care of themselves when their owners went on vacation. Lifestyle expectations and the way we treat dogs is different. People who grew up with outdoor dogs in the suburbs now want to live in urban apartments with indoor dogs. But that’s kind of like saying cars are expensive because you have to rent a parking spot. You could see it that way, or recognize that as a cost of urban living instead.

dpark 8y ago

> Maybe your (and my) parents used to spend very little for a dog and we have to spend a fortune now, but it doesn't make having a dog a basic need. What exactly has changed about the cost of having a dog? Veterinary care has not drastically increased in price so far as I know, so what about having a dog is so expensive? My last dog was “expensive”, but I’m acutely aware of the fact that most of the expenses were things my parents simply did not do: buy a specialty breed from a reputable breeder for >$1000, have a dog walker visit daily, feed the dog expensive food, lots of toys and expensive treats. Growing up, my dog was from a local breeder who probably ran a puppy mill. He ate pretty cheap food that came in a 30lb bag from the grocery store. He played in the yard with a tennis ball. No one came to walk him because he was outside all the time anyway. If I cared for my dog the way my parents did, the costs would be comparable. I fully agree that having a dog is not a basic need, though.

jimmies 8y ago
>What exactly has changed about the cost of having a dog? If you have land, I suppose having a dog is not more expensive. That's what my parents had, and I don't. Part of what makes having a dog expensive for people who rent is the fact that they have to rent. When you have a dog you can kiss goodbye at least half of your rental options. The ones that allow dogs charge a premium on top of limited options. Plus, even when you have land, when you have a dog and wants to take a vacation you have to take care of the dog. When you ask/hire a someone to take care of the dog, you have to pay them, etc.
- dpark 8y ago
  None of this is different from our parents though. Landlords didn’t want dogs in the 70s/80s/90s either. Nor did dogs take care of themselves when their owners went on vacation. Lifestyle expectations and the way we treat dogs is different. People who grew up with outdoor dogs in the suburbs now want to live in urban apartments with indoor dogs. But that’s kind of like saying cars are expensive because you have to rent a parking spot. You could see it that way, or recognize that as a cost of urban living instead.