I am not a dog person, and I am not afraid to admit it. I grew up wanting a dog as a young girl, but now I can understand why my parents always said no. I mean sure, they're cute, but as Shania Twain would say, "that don't impress me much." Now, before I get into the nitty gritty, I would just like to make one thing clear: I do not hate dogs (although after reading this you may think otherwise). I simply don't freak out every time I see one or have any desire to own a dog at all whatsoever, and here's why.

1. Their breath stinks.

My cousin has a beautiful dog, and I do mean beautiful. However, when she gets all up in my face and starts breathing on me I want to vomit. Who wants that in their life? Seriously, it's disgusting.

2. They just smell bad.

It's not just their breath. Unless you bathe your dog rather frequently, they tend to smell bad all around. I think I'll just stick to bathing myself.

3. They shed.

I don't know about you, but I prefer to have a clean home. Having a dog that sheds makes that an incredibly difficult task. Dog hair will be on the carpet, on couches, and (as if it could get any worse), the hair gets all over your clothes and as soon as you get it off, more appears! It's just a never ending cycle of hair.

4. They're expensive.

Dogs are not cheap. To initially buy a dog, you've got to be willing to put down a good chunk of money. On top of the cost of just buying the dog, you've got medical and food expenses to take care of. As a college student (and later as a teacher) I simply will not have the money for this.

5. They limit your freedom.

If you leave them home alone too long they won't get fed and they'll pee everywhere. You bring the dog out and you're stuck watching the dog instead being free to do whatever you want. And then there's the issue of finding a dog sitter when you want to go on vacation. Let's just add that to the list of expenses, shall we?

6. They only want you for survival.

Dogs are not people. They are not capable of loving the way humans love. The "love" that people swear they receive from their dogs is simply the dog being good in order to receive food and a nice belly rub as a reward. I hate to break it to ya dog lovers, but dogs only want you for survival purposes.

7. They're loud.

Dog sees a squirrel? Bark. Dog sees another dog? More barks. Then there's the annoying yapping noise small dogs make. I think I'd rather hear nails on a chalkboard.

8. They go to the bathroom, but not in a bathroom.

Dogs pee and poop inside homes when they aren't trained. They do it in the yard when they are trained, leaving it to be stepped in or cleaned up. It's a lose lose situation.

9. They vomit without warning.

My family watched my cousin's dog once, and it puked on our living room floor. I might add that the living room is carpeted, and l am pretty positive there is still a faint stain there. Gross.

10. They jump all over you.

It doesn't matter if the dog is familiar with you or not, they have no sense of invading a person's personal space. There's nothing more uncomfortable than trying to get a dog's nose out of you-know-where.

Okay, so it looks like I hate dogs, but I still think hate is a strong word. I prefer the term "dislike." For all you other dog dislikers out there, no worries, you're not alone!