Dogmeat wrote:Salus Maior wrote:
That's not a thing in ethics. Consent is consent, and if there's consent it's not coercion.
Maybe finish the paragraph.
Consent for dogs is much like consent for children. It's not something they can meaningfully give.
And so you, the steward of the dog/child must make sure that what you are asking of them is ethical. Because it's not something they are equipped to do.
Alright, so if we’re going to count dogs as being like children (which not only do I not agree with but is completely ridiculous and clearly anthropomorphizing the animals), then they can’t consent to being pets for life either. They can’t consent to any form of work, including breeds which are explicitly made for that purpose (ie sheep dogs) and would have a lower quality of life if not allowed to do that.
And before you attempt to make an excuse that farm dogs aren’t doing unethical work, farm work is still dangerous, particularly herding animals, and certainly not something you would let a small child do.