Comments on: Why I’ll Never Own a Dog Again

By: Pup Fan

Pup Fan — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:21:33 +0000

You know I love a post about words! So much to think about between your post and Kristine’s.

By: Lease a puppy — The Daily Dog Blog

Lease a puppy — The Daily Dog Blog — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 22:18:48 +0000

[…] read the article and let me know what you think. It seems timely, since Pamela from Something Wagging This Way Comes just wrote about why she will never own a dog again – this takes it to a whole new and […]

By: Basil

Basil — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 10:13:42 +0000

As always an amazingly thought provoking post – thank you!! Although you did have me worried for a moment when I first read the title!!

By: What I’m Reading: Looking Professional Edition | The Dog Ate My Wallet

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 22:04:42 +0000

[…] the words they do. Pamela at Something Wagging This Way Comes presents the argument for being a dog guardian. Kristine at Rescued Insanity counters in favor of the traditional dog owner. In these cases, I […]

By: A Frosty Walk Around the Blogs

A Frosty Walk Around the Blogs — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 21:48:49 +0000

By: Kolchak, Felix & Jodi

Kolchak, Felix & Jodi — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 06:53:00 +0000

Words have a lot of power; more power than most people realize, I think. I’ve also struggled with what to call myself. I’ve always thought there was more to a name than Shakespeare allowed and thought we put too much importance on names, all at the same time. I agree with you though, I don’t own my dogs anymore than I own my boyfriend.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 20:04:30 +0000

I tend to use the word “owner” because I seriously object to being my dog’s “mom.” (As a child-free-by-choice woman, I have issues with motherhood being the default idea for women.) The alternatives are all long, and I want people to know what I mean. Mostly I find that it doesn’t come up often.

I do think that our words are more powerful than we think .I try to be very careful about labeling Silas, because those things tend to self-reinforce. A label for a behavior very quickly becomes an excuse for that behavior, instead of something to work on. “Oh, he’s just … (dominant/submissive/fear aggressive/whatever).

By: Fisher

Fisher — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:36:15 +0000

Wonderful blog! I think all cat people know it is impossible to own a cat, and the subject rarely comes up. I appreciate your perspective regarding your dogs, and I could not agree more.

By: stanze

stanze — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 10:03:16 +0000

I don’t appreciate the concept of insulting people or animals to show affection either. It’s possible, that my employers act this way. I sometimes call Bach, their Bernese Mountain dog, stupid, when he behaves very stupid. But then I always feel as if the WWF would arrest me and the jury of the trial would consist of dogs.

By: 24 Paws of Love

24 Paws of Love — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 07:00:32 +0000

I agree with everyone. To mean if you own something it is a object, not a living breathing being. I used to really hate the idea of being called mom in reference to the dogs. It made me squimish. I’ve never wanted kids. Until we had the puppies and then it just seem to fit right in. It was the nurturing and caring feeling of love that made all the dogs and my husband and I feel united. Really we are all one together. An extension of the other.

But I don’t think of them as my kids, so to speak. I think of them as more of family of animals. I feel we are more equal than what a mother and child relationship is. Does that make any sense?