Hello there!  We sure do love our animals, don’t we…..  and we know for sure they love us back!  That suggests a “relationship” to me.

So here’s a fun question: Do you “own” a dog (or other species…)?  Do you “have” a dog (in the sense that you “have” a house and a car…)?  Or perhaps you are “in relationship” with your animal, just like family members are in relationship.

The words “own’, “have” and “relationship” are very different from each other, but there is more to the difference than language. Words hold energy, and imply a psychology or perspective of how we perceive our furry friends.  Are they objects that we have and own, and so we take care of them like we would care for any our houses, cars and other possessions?

They are totally dependent on us, and there’s no doubt they are living in a world dominated by humans.

What capacities do you suppose they might have that could help them to navigate a human world?