We Are The Cure Blog | Canine Cancer Information

While browsing the net, I stumbled upon a news post where David Blouin, a cultural sociologist at Indiana University South Bend, explored the various types of relationship between man and his pet. I found this rather interesting. So just thought of sharing this with you. Since the time I adopted Rover, this thought crossed my mind several times. I finally found an answer to this.

Blouin says that man’s outlook towards dogs changes with the changing circumstances in his life, especially after having children. David Blouin has divided dog ownership attitude into 3 categories based on several interviews. They are humanist, protectionist and dominionist. In the first type, dogs enjoy unrivalled companionship of their owners. In the second type, the owners are normally herbivores. So, they love all animals alike.  However, quite unlike the first two, the third category display a domineering attitude towards their pets. They make them live outside their homes and use them only for hunting purposes and for controlling pests.

Blouin explains that these attitudes are shaped by factors like family structure, environment and cultural influences.

However, he adds towards the end that these attitudes are not always their own, these are influenced by different packages and ideas promoted by different groups, like the Humane Society or kennel clubs.