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There's a video on the internet of a dog under the covers and the owner lifts the covers as the large dog spills out and onto the floor like water. The person refers to the dog as "she".

In one of the replies, it read: "Why would you do that? they were so cozy"

I looked at the video again, expecting to find two dogs or a dog and a cat, thinking I missed the point of the video, and asked about it. I was told it's the singular version of 'they' that has been in use since the 1300s.

Is this the correct usage?

Astralis Lux
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    Language is changing. The singular "they" never used to be used this way (it's been used since the 1300s, but almost always only for people of unknown gender). However, its use is quickly becoming much more widespread. There are no real rules for it yet. Ask again in 100 years, when the new rules have crystallized and been written down. – Peter Shor Dec 29 '21 at 22:44
  • "They" might be appropriate if the dog identifies as non-binary, but how could you tell? – Old Brixtonian Dec 30 '21 at 03:57
  • I've noticed that in the public universities in New York State, "they" has taken over other pronouns -- even when the gender is known -- for all staff including student workers. Me, I'd tend to say "it" in your scenario. – aparente001 Dec 30 '21 at 05:04
  • It's possible the person commenting didn't hear or remember the dog's gender. You haven't established that the commenter knew the gender, and if it's spoken they might have seen the video without sound or skipped part of it. – Stuart F Dec 30 '21 at 11:23
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    Using the third person plural as a third person singular of indeterminate gender is becoming more and more common as time goes on but it is unusual, in my opinion, to hear being used for a non-human animal. The usual gender-neutral term for an animal is "it". Presumably the person who used "they" is someone who has a great affinity with dogs and considers pet dogs to have a status close to, if not equal to, that of humans. – BoldBen Dec 30 '21 at 15:23
  • @BoldBen - Or, the person has been thoroughly trained at a public university in New York. – aparente001 Dec 31 '21 at 02:57
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    @aparente001 Or they agree with Mark Twain's opinion "The more I learn about people the more I like my dog." – BoldBen Dec 31 '21 at 08:15

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The singular they could certainly be used to refer to a dog of unknown sex, though it would certainly be much more common. Presumably the commenter did not pay attention to the fact that the video specified the dog's gender.

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