Who owns the dog?

When you get a new puppy most of the time it sticks around one person. But if others living in the house love the dog just as much who really owns the dog? http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/confused.gif

Its my feeling that pets are not owned. Some of us with pets, feel that we are simply their guardians.

I think its better to think which person in the house, your dog owns.

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Recently adopted by 3 cats: Jackson, Rosie, Fluffy; a dog: Eli; some fish, and my fiancee: Lynn (Vi Co Bi)

Thanks,
See my puppy nikki loves me very much but at the same time someone else loves her even more and says that nikki loves who ever wants her. This i think is incorrect, now that you mentioned it I think nikki can love every one just as much as the next dog. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif
Do you think so too?

I absolutely think that just as a mother can love all of her children, a dog can love all whom she lives with, and even some she doesn't! Ownership is a legal concept, not a concept the heart necessarily recognizes!

I agree with Karen, ownership is not necessarily a concept that the heart recognizes.

Legally it is my sister who "owns" my cat Prema since she was the one who adopted from the local rescue shelter and her name appears on all the official documents. After only a couple of days though Prema decided that she would adopt me and would follow me around everywhere, therefore my sister had to leave her with me when she moved back to her own apartment! (Lucky for me... Prema is my little angel and I would not give her up for the world)

There are some dogs who will bond with a particular person in the household, and as one might say become their dog. When I was a young girl of 12 or 13, my mother bought me a little Rat Terrier whom we named Texas. I took this responsibility very seriously. The very first night I put the puppy on my bed with me, and it jumped off and went over to my mother's bed and jumped up there. After returning it to my bed, it did the same thing again. The little puppy had decided it was going to be my mother's dog and that was the way it acted for ever after. I was very mature for my age and not in anyway frightening or overwhelming the dog, it just chose my mother. As I was born a dog lover and this was to be "my dog", this simply broke my heart. I subsequently did get another puppy, a Shetland Sheepdog, who bonded with me just fine, but needless to say, I don't think I ever got over the "rejection" from my little Texas. Our current dogs adore my husband but I am their primary caretaker and they pretty much know that. Luckily one sleeps slapped up against him and the other slapped up against me. I would say they are equal opportunity lovers. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/wink.gif

Well now that I think back my puppy Nikki goes from bed to bed at night too. To start she goes to my dad then comes to me and ends up in the hallway. It crazy to think but she might love the hallway more than any thing or anyone else! (except her chew toys) http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

I, too, have a don't really care for the term "owner". I like "care giver", or "guardian". Bandit used to sleep with my daughter and Jeffrey with me. A few weeks ago they switched places. Don't know why. My daughter and I are both involved in their care, feeding, bathing, walking, playing. I think they prefer the person who has an open lap! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

I also believe there are no owners of any animal, only caretakers or guardians. In our house Perry considers his Dad the alpha and looks to him for guidance, however he loves to lay with me on the couch and gives me lots of kisses. Daisy on the other hand believes her and I are on the same alpha plane and I have to work very hard with her to get her to listen to me. She will run to her Dad first, sleep on his lap, but she sleeps next to me. So we are pretty evenly divided, they love both of us and we love both of them. When we go out, Perry is a pretty big Mini Schnauzer so his Dad takes him on his leash, and Daisy is a very small Mini Schnuazer and I take her. No one owns anyone, well maybe they own us, we are just one big happy family.

I decided to look up the meanings of "owner" and "guardian" This is what Funk&Wagnalls Dictionary said.......

"owner"-n.-One who has the legal title or right to or has possession of a thing.

First of all we do have legal title over pets. But the legal possession of this thing is not a correct meaning. Pets Are Living Feeling Things. My mom says that dogs are the most sensitive to human emotions.

"guardian"-n.- One who guards or watches over something.

This something is a pet. Owner is a term for "would the OWNER of the black pickup please move it"! Dogs are guardians of homes sometimes and we are their guardiand because we watch over them. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Snoodle Poodle (edited March 27, 2001).]

Well said, Snoodle Poodle! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

Thanks Genia! I took the liberty of lookig these words up to show what they truly mean.

As far as I know NO LIVING ANIMAL OR PERSON SHOULD BE PROPERTY OF ANOTHER!!!! Its just not right.

[This message has been edited by Snoodle Poodle (edited March 29, 2001).]

Legally or not, I think I am the one owned by my cat Pesto, that's for sure!

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Personal servant for Pesto
http://www.angelfire.com/80s/pestoswitzer/main.html
http://www.angelfire.com/pq/coolcatclub/main.html

I agree with pam_pesto, my beagle Hannah definitely owns me :0)

No one i think the dog will become the family
pet.

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CRS

well as in taking car of the dogs, playing with them, washing them, walking them, feeding them, brushing them...... I do all of that. and nobody in my house does any of it. I live with 5 people (Parents and siblings) and none of them do anything with any of the animals other then the cat because she demands it. My dogs do act like I am their only human compainion though.

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"Even the smallest of creatures steal my heart." -Me

i am my dog's legal guardian. however, we are more like pack mates. i am simply a friend to him. not a sister, not a mom, not a pup, but simply a friend. i think my fiance is the other human who took us in. togeather as three loners, made our own pack. we broke off from our family packs.

I think we have the word owner backwards in our house WE know who is the owner. We clean up the poo, a look gets a treat, a (fake) injured paw gets extra love, and who sleeps on the couch all the time. Merlin owns us.

we are the ownee

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"Even the smallest of creatures steal my heart." -Me

MY DOG LOVES ME SOOOOOO MUCH!! I FEEL SOOOO HAPPY!!!! :D