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You will get an answer to this if you look into the dynamics of a cat-human and a dog-human relationship.Before I start I will let you know I am an animal person , un-biased and have worked with, love and been around both species.So , A Dog-Human relationship. Here, below points are not for animal lovers who prefer dogs. There is nothing wrong in being a dog person and the points below are applicable only for dog obsessed dog lovers WHO HATE CATS. I’ll be concentrating on dog characteristics that are in relevance to where the hate comes from. In no way implies those are the only characteristics of dogs.Dogs evolved down from an Ancient wolf like species through more than ten-thousand years of evolution in the presence of man. A wolf in itself had nothing useful to a man, except we recognized their hunting pattern, which is very similar to ours ( Persistence hunting - Persistence hunting - Wikipedia) .Humans recognized their pack behavior, hunting behavior, and used it to our advantage. Wolfs were humans’ natural enemy when it came to competition for food and survival, hence it was needed that they be tamed and domesticated. There are two theories that go about how dogs came to be.a. Wolves hung around human camps and scavenged for leftover food. The tamer, calmer ones were welcomed and the wilder ones were killed or attacked. And slowly they evolved into a dog.b. Humans took a bunch of abandoned wolf puppies and started breeding them. Inflicting more puppy like characteristics into an adult dog.In both cases, a dog’s behavior, especially modern dogs such as the pug, Labrador, German shepherd, blood hound, mastiff etc. have extreme human touch to them.And on the other hand there are wild dogs too and a sister specie, the grey wolf.1. Dog lovers, love dogs for the specific traits they possess.2. Dogs are awesome. Dogs are kind. Dogs listen to you. Dogs do as you please. Dogs will be happy with anything you provide them. People who don’t like to be questioned prefer dogs.3. Dog lovers expect a lot from the animal. They expect the animal to worship them, then and only then are they lovable.4. Dogs are needy, clingy and show their attachment and flip out if suddenly left in a strange environment and look to you for guidance. People who are narcissistic and who constantly want attention would definitely love a dog.5. Dogs are highly expressive, People who are mostly extroverts, tend to like dogs.6. Dogs need to be made submissive in the household to prevent aggression (This establishment of pack leader need not be done with violence). Hence, People who like to control or have control over others tend to like dogs. Sadly, i have seen many dog owners resort to violence when it comes to disciplining their dogs.Edit: The pack leader,alpha male concept is quite misunderstood. It is about family and the one that establishes dominance regarding who would lead the group.7. Dogs are useful; they can do so many things! People, who tend to find some usefulness in every relationship they have, tend to like dogs.8. Dogs, even when you torture them, will come back to you wagging their tail. An unhappy dog will still stay with you because it has a better chance at survival with you than outside.9. Now, Dogs in fact where chiseled by humans ourselves. We created an animal that will be useful to us , dogs work in so many fields! farming-hunting-guarding-herding-military-therapy-narcotics-i could go on and on. An animal did not evolve by itself to serve us humans. We made it happen, systematically, staying side by side,interfering. An animal that holds us in high regard, makes humans feel good about ourselves.10. Dogs want to please you.A Cat-Human Relationship now.Cats weren't domesticated like dogsOur house cats/or ferals are almost the same as Wild cats. Wild cat is a specie in itself found around the world. A result of natural selection, not artificial selection by humans.Wildcat - Wikipedia - See, that could be your pet Tabby!Wild cat became associated with humans when we started agriculture. They helped in killing rodents and so we kept them around. We were not their natural enemy and they were quite small to be a real threat. Since there was no real threat there was no need to domesticate them. They went on about their business killing rodents which helped us. We needed their wild nature and they slowly became our friends. They domesticated themselves.The below points are again, not the only characteristics of a cat. But ones relevant to why some people might hate cats.1. Cat lovers, again love cats for very specific but different reasons. Keep matching the stark difference.2. Being with a cat feels more like being with a human. A friend wouldn't listen to everything you tell them to do would they? They make their own decisions and their decisions don’t usually bother us.3. When a cat is with you. It's because the cat has decided to be with you. If there is an unhappy cat, it will look for every means to escape.4. A cat can take care of itself, are not needy and if you leave them in a strange environment, they won’t run straight back at you or even consider what you plan to do in that place. What they would do is explore, look around, if happy stay there for a while and get back to you in their own time.5. They are expressive too, but it needs a special amount of understanding and patience to perceive it and it’s priceless.6. A cat knows when it's not satisfied, if it could have a better life elsewhere and has some amount of self-esteem. You cannot bring a cat to submission, there is no such thing in their dictionary. You cannot make them do something they don’t like to do. They'll try their best to get away from you.7. When a cat is with you, He is not being your slave or a pet. He is your friend and a companion who has mutual respect for each other and respects each other’s boundaries. People who can handle normal relationships wouldn’t mind a cat.8. Again, you treat them ill, they’ll know it. They will get away from you. They don’t need you.9. A cat is unaltered in its basic characteristics. People who don’t get intimidated by nature and it’s wild-ness, who appreciate nature, tend to love cats.10. Cats don’t want to please you, instead they bring dead animals to tell how much you suck at hunting. :P11. And again, cats are not yet as useful as dogs. They don’t have an obligation towards humans to be.With the above points, you can see that a cat lover will not really have an issue with a dogs nature.On the other hand, you’ll automatically see why dog obsessed dog lovers hate cats. Because they cannot handle an animal that has a mind of its own and knows what it wants.An animal that can take care of itself and doesn’t really need a human to take care of them.An animal that wouldn’t provide anything useful or give their lives if need be for themAn animal that doesn’t worship them and accept whatever is done to them.An animal that doesn’t treat you like a master but as an equal.An animal that is as intimidating to look at, similar to that of looking into a wild cats eyes.An animal that can be so quiet and sneaky.You’ll also see why a cat obsessed cat lover, tends to hate dogs because they are loud, Needy and clingy.They get over excited for almost anything. Cannot be left alone for long hours. A dogs tendency to be bitey sometimes. Because they can be dirty and need to be washed now and then. Most cat people hating a dog are ones who cannot handle a bit of dirt or find it disgusting to get their hands dirty. I am sure there is a word for it like “Squeamish”, not aware.Now, what’s similar between a dog and cat that applies to humans who love both equally?Both are capable of unconditional love, they are expressed very differently.Both are great companions and will know when you are sick, sad or hurtingDogs wag their tails, Cats purr.Both snuggle next to you to sleep.You can have play sessions with both of them.Both can be friends with each other if introduced in the right way.Both are driven by survival instincts and many many more..Someone who can love both, knows and understands their differences and accepts them, does not love a dog because they are useful and does not love a cat because they are clean.We have started domesticating cats too in a very extensive way. Trying to tone down their hunting instincts, making them more kitten-like which as someone who loves the Feline family really upsets me.I love wolves, Naturally my favorite dog breeds are Huskies, German shepherds, wolf dogs, etc because i feel they at-least look like wolfs. My least favorite being the pug, poodle and the likes.Edit: By dislike, i don’t dislike pugs, i dislike the fact they exist because of us and endure so much suffering. If you are wondering what kind of suffering, it’s getting abandoned, breathing problems, joint problems, unable to “be a dog” . Because we made an ugly dog which is not half a dog. Just because we can. So we can say “ Aw so cute.”Same with munchkin cats. We could seriously stop with shortening their legs, and making their ears round and small, Flattening the face? WTF? I don’t understand the logic in making majestic/Beautiful animals ugly. Nope it is not cute. Get a teddy bear.From various encounters with people, observing ones who hate dogs and who hate cats.

I have read the other answers and I concur for the most part. But can I just add, WHY would it even occur to you to LICK the dog?! I get wanting to bomd with your pet, I frequently give my Sadie (coonhound mix) so much affection that my husband gets a case of the jellies! Seriously, though, licking the dog? It would most certainly cause confusion for the dog as aforementioned this is a submissive behavior. Also, unlike cats, who interpret our behavior in context of theirs (basically they think we are very large, very odd-looking felines) dogs have figured out that we are not dogs, but rather something quite different and can interpret our body language and facial expressions independant of similar dog behavior. This is why wolf behavior is so different from domestic dogs. So, while I'm sure licking Sadie would confuse her as much as if I started barking at the postal worker, I'm not entirely sure she would be confused by the fact that licking is submissive behavior when performed by another dog, but rather she would wonder why was I exibiting dog behavior when I'm clearly NOT a dog?! I don't intend on trying this theory out either, I am very curious by natutre, but ypu have tp draw the line somewhere! As for rescues not bonding as closely with their owners and therefore having more unpredictable behavior, here I have to disagree. I have only ever had rescue dogs. Two I rescued as puppies and they knew almost nothing but my care. Three were rescued past one year old. If you are going to rescue an adult dog (and I think in most circumstances this is best, few individuals have the time or expertise to properly raise, train and socialize a puppy or the funds to send it to daycare) you should read up on how to interpret their body language and thoroughly vet out their behavior. You have to ask the right questions. What is their reaction to dogs in adjacent kennels when feeding time comes? To they bark or growl if another dog wanders near? Or if a human handler comes to take their bowl? How do they react when another dog (or cat) walks by their kennel? Is it play time or world war III? How do they react to necessary handling for vaccines or nail trimming? If you have any special circumstances (mobility equipment, other dogs or pets, children etc) make sure they are exposed to such and watch their reaction carefully before formally adopting them. Most problem behaviors can be felt out (and some dealt with) with the proper knowledge and application. For example, when I picked out my Sadie, I brought my 7 (now 8) year old and a cane and a transport wheelchair to ensure she wasn't frightened by my equipment and to see how she would react to a child. I greeted her in her kennel and she was eager to meet new friends. She came forward with forward erect ears, a tail wag that was including her butt, and “soft eyes” curious and alert but not challanging or shying away from eye contact by me. What this told me was she was confident and happy to greet a new friend in what she considered to be “her” space. She didn't expect me to mistreat her and she was well socialized. As she walked past the other kennels, her behavior was similar, she paused at one or two, greeting the occupants and walked on by, no aggression, no fear. Once we got to the “meet and greet” fenced area, she took off like a rocket! She was clearly excited to be outside! She picked up a toy and ran up to me and quickly got distracted and dropped it and ran off. I picked it up and got her interested and took it away from her again. She released it immediately when my hand reached her muzzle. So far, I knew she wasn't food aggressive (I asked the worker how she acted during meal time), she wasn't toy aggressive so on to the “special circumstances. I called her over while leaning on my cane, started petting her and deliberately knocked it over in her direction (mimicking it getting knocked or dropped). She dodged so it wouldn't hit her (clever girl) and immediately turned around and sniffed it and nonchalantly walked away. So, she wasn't afraid of that. I opened my transport chair in front of her and ahe walked right up to this novel object and sniffed, but seemed unconcerned, so I pushed it forward in her direction and, again, she moved out of the way but was more interested in dashing arpund the open space and getting attention than anything else! Contrast this with the one dog I had to give up on for safety reasons. When I encountered Jonah, he was at the back of his kennel making himself as small as possible. His ears were down and back, head lowered, tail (such as it was) tucked and he wouldn't even take a treat from my hand. He only sniffed at it when I set it down and moved back a few feet. I knew he was afraid of me and almost everything else at that point. Unfortunately, my (now ex) husband had (not knowing ANYTHING about dogs or their behavior) had already fallen in love. I knew this was potentially a bad idea but I let my heart rule my head and took him home. He seemed to perk up a bit when we put him on a leash and walked him around the pet supply store that was holding the adoption event, seemingly social with the other dogs if not with any people. He turned out to be so emotionally disturbed crate training was impossible. So was potty training. And so was obedience training. He eventually slipped his collar and leash and bit a stranger completely out of his way and unprovoked and that was the last straw. We lived in an apartment complex and we were not able to completely eliminate the possibility that he would slip his leash and attack someone else. If I had followed my instinct and what I knew about dog behavior, I would have chosen a much better companion for a first-time dog owner. Before you adopt, read up on dog body language. I could have learned enough to avoid disaster in less than an hour on YouTube. I recommend videos because you can get a visual of what different signals look like and select the best companion for your home and experience level. Sorry this was so long but I felt I had to correct the misconception that rescue dogs always come with unknown problems and can't be 100% trustworthy. And as a reward for reading to the end, here is an adoreable pic of my Sadie!

I volunteer with a Golden Retriever Rescue, having served as their adoption coordinator and a board member in the recent past, so I’ll speak from my experience. I will address “better” in two ways: humane conditions for the dogs and from an adopter’s point of view. Since Logan has covered much of this already, I’ll only briefly mention adoption options.Generally, there are three types of adoption organizations: breed-specific dog rescues (which I’ll refer to as rescue); non-profit private shelters such as The Humane Society and the SPCA; and county or city run Animal Control services and shelters.Animal Control – They pick up stray dogs, occasionally take dogs from abusive situations (rarely), and take owner surrenders. These are usually kill-shelters. For dogs deemed more adoptable than others, they will contact the private shelters and rescues to take the dogs. In my area, the two private shelters will keep goldens they acquire because they are a desirable breed that will be adopted quickly and draw many adopters to the shelter. It’s a bit of a marketing strategy. A good municipal animal control shelter will call a breed-specific rescue when they take in that specific breed. They recognize that we are best able to re-home the dog and it frees them up to keep another dog alive in their shelterHumane Society / SPCA / Private non-profit shelters - Shelters might use some foster homes, but many, or most, of the dogs are kept in kennels in the shelter. Living in cages can cause behavioral and emotional problems for the dog and have physical consequences, as well, if the dog lives in the shelter long-term. It’s heartbreaking. No-kill shelters are controversial. Naturally, most people want to support the no-kill shelters, but there is a downside. An undesirable dog may live in a cage in a shelter for many years. You have to consider if it’s more humane to keep the dog living like that or gently euthanizing the dog. Furthermore, the conditions in a no-kill can be deplorable when over-crowded. While working for a cat rescue I once had to go to Animal Control to pick out a certain number of kittens and adult cats our group could foster. There were kittens and adult cats running everywhere. The ones I left behind would be euthanized that day. It was a terrible experience for me, but companion animal overpopulation is a significant problem.Breed-Specific Rescues – A rescue is operated 100% by volunteers. Many people wonder why there are breed-specific rescues that don’t take all breeds. Some skeptics are even offended that such rescues exist and feel that they only want to deal with pure-bred dogs. The easy answer is that rescues are operated by volunteers only, and people who are crazy about a specific breed are considerably more likely to volunteer their services, including fostering the dogs and making donations. “Golden People” tend to be devoted to goldens for life. We have been willed money multiple times. Our adopters never ask if a dog has AKC papers. They are not looking specifically to have a pure-bred dog; they want a golden retriever, which happens to be a pure-bred, but that is not their goal. They are looking for the well-earned traits of being a wonderful family dog, intelligent, devoted, and flexible. On the very rare occasion that an intake dog comes with papers, we do not pass them on to the adopter.A rescue will serve both the dog and the future adopter better than a shelter will. There is no better place for a dog without a home, and this is what makes a rescue “better”. Keep in mind that not all dog rescues are equal. The specifics I mention are not necessarily uniform.1. Why rescues are better for the doggies - We never turn away a golden. Every dog has the opportunity to find a forever home with us. While most of the dogs we take in are well-adjusted and healthy, many are not. Unless a veterinarian determines that a dog should be euthanized because of pain beyond what can be controlled, we will take him/her. We take goldens with severe medical issues, moderate behavioral problems, dogs that have bitten, and dogs near death. We take dogs no one else will. We have had many, many dogs with cancer, deaf dogs, blind dogs, ones with severe diabetes, ones in need of hip or knee replacements, heartworm treatment, and the list goes on.Rajah, one of our blind rescuesMy two dogs were rescued as puppies. One was about to be drowned by a “backyard breeder” (a large-scale operation that sees dogs only as a commodity, with dogs kept outside and not well-cared for). The other was from a litter of 7 we rescued from a breeder who was intentionally withholding food and water from the puppies so they would die, rather than providing them with expensive treatment for parvo or contacting a rescue. We took custody of the puppies, put them in quarantine at a vet, and provided for their parvo treatment that cost upward of $1,000 per dog.One of the 7 puppies being starved with the intention to killWe have participated in puppy-mill rescues, most notably one with 88 goldens (plus three were pregnant and each had 10 puppies). We took 10 dogs that lived in conditions you couldn’t imagine, and we didn’t know if they would all make the 4 hour trip home. Most people would have considered these poor souls unadoptable, but after months of rehabilitation in foster homes, they all found warm, caring forever homes. These dogs would never have been taken or kept alive by a non-specific dog shelter. Never.2. Why rescues are better for our adopters – A rescue such as ours has much better control over where our dogs are placed. We have very stringent adoption requirements. Our application is extensive. We do background checks. We conduct thorough home visits to determine the safety of the home and the suitability of the potential adopters. I once had a prospect hit his dog in my presence! While most rescues have hard-set rules in their by-laws, we are smaller and consider each adoption individually.We are often asked why we are so picky. Why aren’t we happy to have anyone adopt one of our dogs? The simple reason is that we work for the dog. We need to find the best possible home for a dog because she deserves the best home. Even if a dog has come from a good home, he will be traumatized by being given up. We have untold numbers of goldens relinquished at 10 years of age or older. It is impossible to understand how a family can get rid of a dog they have had since puppyhood. My job was playing matchmaker. For any particular dog, we might have 5 or 6 applicants. We can afford to be as picky as we like.Rescues use volunteer foster homes for 100% of the dogs. Most of our foster families are former adopters who have already gone through our approval process. Many of our fosters take an elderly or sick dog into their home knowing it’s unlikely the dog will be adopted. These are very special individuals. Other than providing for the well-being of the dog, a foster family will evaluate the dog in terms of temperament, personality, behavior, and needs. We will know if she is comfortable with, or needs, another dog in the household. The dog can be tested with young children and cats. We will find out if a dog needs a fenced yard or not, and how much exercise he needs. With foster homes, potential adopters can visit the dogs and bring their own dog along, if they have one. There is no better way to find the dog best suited to you than to have her living in a normal setting.A puppy in foster care being acclimated to an adult dogNot all rescues are created equal, though, so it is incumbent on any future adopter to do some research. Find out what the rescue’s adoption policies are; do an internet search to see if there are any news articles about the rescue; and check with the local vets. They are one of the best resources, as they will know everything you need to know about how the rescue cares for their dogs. Likewise, your local Humane Society, SPCA, and private shelters might be good places, run by a dedicated, paid staff as well as volunteers. The ones in my area are well-run and responsible, but many dogs are kept in cages, nonetheless.I always encourage people to adopt from a rescue. The chance of getting a dog that fits you and your lifestyle is much greater. And contrary to what many believe, most of our dogs are not problem dogs. Some have challenges but we have found that the worse the situation she comes from, the more grateful and loving that golden becomes with time and proper care. Most importantly, please don’t buy a dog or cat. There are too many homeless companion animals that need homes.I am the guardian of two goldens and three cats.