Rain Jordan of Expert Canine with Dahlia.

Do you own your dog, or are you her guardian? (I know … if your pet is a cat, she owns you.) Do you absolutely cringe when people call their pets “fur babies,” or are you a “pet parent”? If you show or compete with dogs, you are at least sometimes also a “handler,” and most of us would agree that we have “companion animals,” but if you had to give yourself and your dog a label, which would you select?

I think it’s interesting that as a culture we ascribe human social rules to our dogs and don’t call ourselves out for anthropomorphizing. Then when we discover they got “into trouble” and supposedly “look guilty” for breaking those human rules, again we don’t call ourselves out for anthropomorphizing. Yet if I say my dogs are my children, I’m an anthropomorphizing heathen.

That’s just a for-fun aside. Email me yours if you want to.

It may seem like goofy fun and games, figuring out how to label our pets, but there’s also serious political debate. Those who are anti-animal rights are adamant that we must remain “owners” while those who believe animals should have more rights prefer “guardian” or other less objectifying terms. But it isn’t that simple. Owning an animal means the animal is personal property, and so far that has meant the animal is viewed more like a microwave than a separate living being if stolen or harmed.

No Amber Alert will be sent out for a piece of personal property. Being the guardian of an animal, it is argued, implies that the animal is a ward and thus may be more removed from a guardian if a guardian is accused of mistreatment or inability to care for the animal. Note, however, that many an “owned” animal has been removed for the same reasons, while many children — aka wards, whether biological children or under legal guardianship — are mistreated by and remain with their neglectful guardians. These kinds of inconsistency are perhaps why the debate drags on.

Sparing you my most esoteric musings, here is a summary of my thoughts regarding the question of labels:

If you are not worried about your or your dog’s “rights” whether to ownership or anything else, but rather just wish to honor your dog as an individual, sentient being, then the labels “companion,” whether companion human or companion dog may work for you, or simply “human” and “dog” as in “dogs and their humans enjoy beach walks” or “companion canines and humans relax over the long weekend together.”

If you seek to express that you see your dog as family/child, then perhaps parent/children is the way to go as that may be taken more seriously/draw less ire than “fur baby”; e.g., “dog parents and their canine kids are welcome to attend the party,” or “my dogs are my children and I’m the happiest dad ever.”

If your priority is the rights of the animal and you feel certain you can protect your dog — and can afford an attorney if the need ever arises — then by all means, go with guardian. “I am the guardian of Zigster, a genius, affectionate cattle dog.”

If you are happy with being a dog “owner,” you already have your label — the old standby. That is fine. It does seem to provide some assurances, and as much as I would love for my beloved animals to have more respect and status in the world, there are times when I am glad to have the label in order to have a little less worry for my dogs. I do also have my concerns, however. For example, the fact that if a service provider harms my dog, they may be able to argue in court that my dog was only worth her “retail replacement value” is alarming and emotionally disturbing. That would not sit well with me and I would be in for a fight. Additionally, the idea that dogs could be divvied up like flatware in a divorce settlement or other action is one of many ways that “ownership” meaning they are viewed as objects could do serious harm to them. One hopes that it never comes to that, and if it did, there would be ways to protect and keep them together.

Did you know that only about 17% of all dogs in the world live in human homes? The rest roam freely, with a small percentage being owned but unconfined and the others free-ranging street strays and feral dogs.

Rain Jordan, CBCC-KA, KPA CTP, is a certified canine behavior and training professional. Visit her at www.expertcanine.com.