I think for most people the answer is that pets are not considered peers. They have gender but we will never consider them on a level with human adults - maybe on a level with human babies or young children. We love and prize them, but we don’t give them equal rights and respect. Just like
with children.
It probably doesn’t help that we also spay/neuter them at birth, which not only prevents them from ever becoming reproductively viable adults, but also affects their hormonal development permanently. I’m no biologist but it may be accurate to say they never fully mature, even if they do eventually age.
FWIW I personally have two human kids and I refer to our German shepherd as the 3rd grownup in the house. I do say “good boy” but I also say “hey man” and call him “old man.”
I think for most people the answer is that pets are not considered peers. They have gender but we will never consider them on a level with human adults - maybe on a level with human babies or young children. We love and prize them, but we don’t give them equal rights and respect. Just like with children.
It probably doesn’t help that we also spay/neuter them at birth, which not only prevents them from ever becoming reproductively viable adults, but also affects their hormonal development permanently. I’m no biologist but it may be accurate to say they never fully mature, even if they do eventually age.
FWIW I personally have two human kids and I refer to our German shepherd as the 3rd grownup in the house. I do say “good boy” but I also say “hey man” and call him “old man.”