Domesticated canines serve no utilitarian purpose, nor do they have any responsibilities. They're called companions, but they can't give back to their owner beyond showing affection; even then, the 'love' dogs give is typically Pavlovian, as in they do it in exchange for treats and attention. Even though plenty of breeds can help with herding, hunting and aid the disabled, that doesn't change that the vast majority of dogs sit around and do nothing all day but lick their paws and defecate.

I want to make clear that I'm not against keeping pets, and if someone would rather have a dog as opposed to rearing a child, it's their decision. I don't even mind treating dogs like members of the family, as long as it's within reason. The problem is that domesticated animals don't do anything, and in many cases just serve as time and money sinks which owners guilt themselves into thinking have more value than they really do. For instance, a 'well-behaved' dog can sit, heel and run courses, but it lacks the capacity to understand why it's doing these things, since these animals perform tasks based off of basic risk-reward calculations and not rationale.

It's okay for dogs to be dumb, cute things we take care of and integrate into society, but the sheer magnitude of this practice seems strange to me. I myself have family members who love dogs and, once I grew up, I began to realize just how much of their lives were spent caring for what is effectively a useless creature that cannot think, feel, act or respond to them the way another human can. But many dog owners, including ones I know personally, believe otherwise, and I just don't think that's right.