Daddy/mommy or owner/handler?

[Finkie_Mom]

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

[Moth]

Originally Posted by MandyPug

Izzie has her own voice too. A kind of gangsta bitch voice... She swears a lot and is rather demanding.

Izzie swears?

She looks like such a lady...

[Moth]

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

[adojrts]

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]

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]

Originally Posted by StillandSilent

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]

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.

[~Tucker&Me~]

Originally Posted by ~Jessie~

Each of our dogs totally has their own voice. Haha

I am SO glad I am not the only one who does this... Just sayin'.

[Doberluv]

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]

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