Daddy/mommy or owner/handler?

Tortilla

Blonde Raccoon
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
1,637
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Ontario, Canada
#41
I've pretty much always referred to myself as their owners. Sometimes I joke around and call my mum Seamus' grandma just to annoy her (she says it makes her feel old :p ). Sally is the family dog and we got her when I was eight so it'd be sort of weird if I referred to myself as her mum, lol.

When I started working at the dog daycare I thought it was kind of weird when we referred to people as 'Lucky's mum' and so on. I tried to resist for a long time and just call them the owners .. But now I've just gotten used to it. :p
 

Toller_08

Active Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2006
Messages
8,359
Likes
1
Points
36
#42
I really find it weird when people refer to me as one of my dogs' mom. It's just... odd. I'm not a mother to anything. That said, I do tell my dogs to "go see mom", but only because she's my mom and that's what I call her. So they know her as 'mom' as well. Same with my dad when he comes to visit. And my grandma. Basically, they know people by anything that I personally refer to them as. Except for Keira and Ripley's breeder. They know her has "Auntie Sue"... I don't even know why, haha. But hey, it works.

But anyway, I've never really referred to myself as anything. I call them "my dogs", but don't really like the term owner. I don't feel necessarily like I own them like a piece of property (because I love them more/they mean something different than a typical piece of property), eventhough they are just that essentially. But I certainly don't feel like a parent to them either. If somebody were to ask me though, I guess I'd say I am their owner. Because I do own them - they are mine.

As far as terms like fur/skin kids, I don't really mind furkids, although I do not refer to my dogs as such. Furbabies bothers me much, much more. Skin kids is kinda weird though. Makes me think of aliens, haha.

Working in pet retail I get much better reception when I call a dog's owner their mom or dad. When I worked very briefly for a big chain store it was a requirement, actually. The place I work now doesn't require it, but I find some people get a little offended if I refer to them as their dog's owner rather than their parent.
 

RD

Are you dead yet?
Joined
Aug 1, 2004
Messages
15,572
Likes
0
Points
0
Age
34
Location
Ohio
#43
I don't like the parent/child thing, the furkid thing (and the word FURBABY just freaks me out) or anything that tries to make dogs more like furry human children.

My dogs are my dogs, my companions, or my friends. I am not mommy. My boyfriend is (usually) not daddy. We call ourselves their owners because no matter what touchy feely crap people want to assign to it, about how you never really own an animal, we freaking own them and they are ours.
 

*blackrose

"I'm kupo for kupo nuts!"
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
7,065
Likes
3
Points
38
Age
33
Location
WI
#44
I refer to the dogs as, well, "the dogs". Can you let the dogs out? Have you fed the dogs? I bought a new toy for the dogs. Actually, Gracie, Cynder, and Cooper are "The Munchkins". Chloe is "The Fuzzy".

When we are impersonating the dog's voices (you know, when you talk for them ROFLMAO), Mike and I refer to each other as Mom and Dad. And my mom refers to herself as their "grandma". When we bring the dogs out, she says, "Oh, look, my grandkids/granddogs are here!"

If someone asked me, "Are you Chloe's mom?" I wouldn't find it odd or be grossed out/offended. But I refer to myself as "owner". I own her, she is mine, she is not my child. Although when I sign my name to pick up prescriptions from Walmart, I say I am their "guardian". lol

Either way, they are dogs. Pets that are a treasured part of the family. They aren't just "a dog" (not part of the family), but they aren't "kids" (I own them, they aren't furry little people). They're that perfect in-between.
 

StillandSilent

Active Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
2,550
Likes
0
Points
36
#46
I will chime in to say, though, that when Argon and Gambit were both alive, I referred to them as the 'Little Men" to other people. No, I really have no idea why, it just started one day.

Now that it's Gambit and Shiva, I call them the heathens.

The cat is referred to as either 'the fat' or Brittany. Yeah, her actual name is Cheshire.
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Messages
6,405
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Minnesota
#47
I refer to Maisy and Squash collectively as "the youngsters" sometimes. Even though I use "mom" or "dad" at home, and even "brother" or "sister" between the dogs, I don't think I've ever used the word "kid" or "furkid" - which honestly kind of skeeves me out a little bit.
 

AdrianneIsabel

Glutton for Crazy
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
8,893
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Portland, Oregon
#48
Shamoo is our grandma and Arnold is our weird uncle. Backup is the child no one claims and Sloan is the perfect child.

In pairs it's the pit bulls and the Malinois or the bullies and the gators.
 

Finkie_Mom

It's A Red Dog Revolution
Joined
Feb 7, 2012
Messages
1,794
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Bensalem, PA
#51
I prefer owner/handler, but working in the industry has me calling people ____'s Mom/Dad. I've just found that Mom/Dad is really a lot easier, and people seem to like it. That being said, in the house I definitely use baby talk at them. I'm Mom, my husband is Dad, but that's actually it - no Grandma/Grandpa/Aunt/Uncle, etc. Obviously I'm aware that they aren't kids, but I totally call them babies, and little ones. They like the baby talk - it gets them all happy and excited, which can be helpful in training, too. It doesn't make me treat them not like dogs, however. I own them, I paid for them, I care for them - I have the right to talk at them weirdly :p
 

Moth

Mild and Slightly Nutty
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
5,039
Likes
2
Points
38
Location
Madison, WI
#53
My pair is referred to as the curly tails, the dogs, the heathens, and yes at times as the kids. With the uninitiated it is usually just the dogs.

Watson is the boy, buddy, or at times monster.
Menchi is girly, babygirl, or chunky monkey.

I am their owner...with friends and family I am sometimes referred to as mom and my better half is dad.

Yes we "own" them...but our responsibility to them is much the same as it would be caring for a child. We feed them, we house them, we take care of their needs, clean up after them...pour our hearts and wallets into their lives... *shrugs*

I do agree though that they should never been seen as little people...

I also agree with the talking for your dogs is hilarious thing though :D
 

adojrts

New Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2006
Messages
4,089
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Ontario, Canada
#54
My dogs are a lot of things, my friends, companions, bubbies and my dogs. I am their owner, bubby, companion, friend, slave, maid, provider, handler. I am not their mother. I have one owner of a dog I bred that calls me Gammie..........makes me shudder everytime.
 

Mach1girl

New Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2005
Messages
877
Likes
0
Points
0
#55
I consider myself as their Mommy....unless they step out of line, then I am their owner/handler/God/punisher! Zeus knows this lol.
 

JessLough

Love My Mutt
Joined
May 16, 2009
Messages
13,404
Likes
2
Points
38
Age
33
Location
Guelph, Ontario
#56
I will chime in to say, though, that when Argon and Gambit were both alive, I referred to them as the 'Little Men" to other people. No, I really have no idea why, it just started one day.

Now that it's Gambit and Shiva, I call them the heathens.

The cat is referred to as either 'the fat' or Brittany. Yeah, her actual name is Cheshire.
The ferrets as a whole are referred to "the little ones" when talking to other people. When talking to Rosey or someone in the house, we are apt to call them "the babies" because its what we use for rosey so its second nature.

Rosey and the ferrets do, however, know my parents as mom/mommy and dad/daddy, especially Rosey. For the sole reason that we were 4-7 years old when we got her, so that's what we called them. Also our grandmother as Nanny.
 

CaliTerp07

Active Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2008
Messages
7,652
Likes
0
Points
36
Age
38
Location
Alexandria, VA
#57
I totally use the mom/dad thing, despite swearing that I wouldn't when we first brought her home. Yeah, that lasted about 6 months before I caved. We are constantly asking each other "Did you feed Baby"? or "Has baby girl been let out yet?"

It's obnoxious just to type it, but so natural in the house.

I use it all the time when teaching agility too--I can remember dog names, but never seem to learn all the people in the class. Much easier to say, "Muppet, go find your mom!" when holding the dog on the other side of the tunnel or whatever.
 

Doberluv

Active Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2004
Messages
22,038
Likes
2
Points
38
Location
western Wa
#59
To other people, I just say "they're my dogs." "My dogs do this." "I have two dogs." But to my dogs, I say things like, "Come snuggle with mommy." "Wanna go for a car ride with Mom?" Or I might just say, "wanna go for a car ride." But yeah, to them, I refer to myself as Mommy. I don't really know why. I just do.

I would say they're my companions, partners, where I'm not really higher on some kind of rank...other than a parent might be. I see them as no less than I am. They're a different species, but I don't see them as a lesser species. I am also like a parent in that I guide, teach, and hang out with them. No, I didn't give birth to them and they're not the same as my human children. But I always taught my human children things, hung out with them, did things or went places with them. So, it's kind of the same.

Anyhow, that's the first time I've really given it a lot of thought. I do talk squeaky baby talk to them sometimes because it makes them get silly and they think it's fun. So, I say, "come to mama" in a silly voice as I might shake a toy for them to get.
 

Saeleofu

Active Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
9,036
Likes
0
Points
36
#60
I not only talk for my dogs, I talk for all the dogs at work and all the animals at my other work :rofl:

My entire family has always talked for the pets...maybe we're just odd ;)
 

Members online

No members online now.
Top