yes it is an insult to the dog sometimes.
i am not a pet person, simply, since i get too attached and spend all my life with my pet and that could cause serious problems with family lol.
however, a childhood friend of mine, in Vancouver, runs a dog shelter and when we talk i listen to his stories for hours. i know most of his dogs by first name just through phone and skype conversations.
cats are a different story, i fucking hate them. they remind of me semitic people. same traits.