Meaning & use
fur baby dog
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableinformal
A dog that its owner treats with the same love and care as a human child.
Grammar: Countable: use 'a fur baby dog' for one, 'fur baby dogs' for more than one.
Patterns
- a fur baby dog
- someone's fur baby dog
- treat something as a fur baby dog
Since she lives alone, her little terrier has become a real fur baby dog to her.
He posts photos of his fur baby dog on social media almost every day.
They bought a stroller for their fur baby dog, which amused the whole neighborhood.
nouncountableinformal
A dog that someone cares for like a child, used when talking about pets in general.
Grammar: Often used in the plural to talk about pets as a group: 'people and their fur baby dogs'.
Patterns
- fur baby dogs
- people and their fur baby dogs
The park is full of fur baby dogs and their owners on weekend mornings.
Many young couples now spend more on their fur baby dogs than on themselves.
Word forms
| plural | fur baby dogs |
|---|
Common combinations
- a furry friend
- Her furry friend waits by the door every evening.
- a pampered pet
- Their pampered pet sleeps on a special cushion.
- a rescue dog
- They adopted a rescue dog from a local shelter.
- a lap dog
- A lap dog like a poodle suits a small apartment.
- pet owner
- Every pet owner in the building knows that friendly beagle.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pet
- 'Pet' is the neutral everyday word for any animal kept at home; 'fur baby dog' is warmer and more affectionate.
- companion animal
- This is a formal, slightly technical term used in official contexts; 'fur baby dog' is informal and emotional.
Word family
- fur baby noun
- An informal word for any much-loved pet, not only a dog.
- fur parent noun
- An informal word for a person who treats a pet like a child.
Commonly confused: fur baby dog or furby?
fur baby dog vs furby
A 'Furby' is a toy robot pet, while a 'fur baby dog' is a real, living dog.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'fur baby dog' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
'Fur baby dog' is an affectionate, informal phrase for a much-loved pet, so a dog sleeping on the owner's pillow fits perfectly. Working dogs on a farm or in the police are described as working dogs, not fur babies, and the phrase is far too informal for a job application.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fur baby dog”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.