Minors (under 18): Do you refer to your dog(s) as "yours"?

The dogs a legally my mothers. She pays for EVERYTHING; dog walking, vet bills, food bills, insurance etc. I cannot financially do that.

Fern was my 15 birthday present. No one in my house really likes dogs very much.

The dogs are walked by the dog walker during the day, however when I come home from school I walk them for 90-120 minutes, everyday. I work every other Saturday, so my mum walks them- though I rather she didn't! Then of a Sunday, I do gundog training classes in the morning, and obedience/agility classes in the afternoon.

Oh, I am paying for half the health tests we are having done on Fern.

All the training is done by me. I also groom them and bath them. Basically all my mum does is pay the fees!

I don't trust my family with my dogs. I was walking Herbie by myself since the age of 11. But NO WAY would I allow my 11 y/o brother or 14 y/o sister to walk either of my dogs alone. My brother comes with me some days and helps with the training but that is about it. I am going away for 2 weeks next Saturday, so Fern is going to stay with my trainer for a few days because I just cannot trust my mum with her!

I take them to the vet though.

Also ALL my family, fiends, family friends, trainers etc.. EVERYONE I know, refers to the dog's as 'Catherine's dogs' (that's me by the way!).

Well, I'm 18 now but when I got him, I was only 16, so he's still technically my parents.

They buy everything. I don't have a job. I had wanted a dog for SO long and I said that if she bought me a dog, I would go to school everyday and get good grades (I was dropped out of school at the time). My mom agreed. She bought me him as a christmas/birthday present (it was VERY planned, so no one freak out) and I've lived up to my agreement. She pays for everything until I graduate high school and get a job. I train him, walk him, clean up after him, feed him, all of that, I just don't pay for anything...except grooming, I have to pay for that ://

But yes, I consider him MY dog and so does my mom :]

Lol this makes me sound like such a spoiled brat, I'm probably going to get some TD's, but I appreciate and love my mom for it so much :D

Happy St. Patricks Day!!

It's funny that you asked this question, because my family & myself where just talking about this.

Anyway to actually answer the question, yes I do refer to the dogs as "mine" my parents don't always mind (sometimes they might say something about it) and actually it's my three siblings that will argue with me about it. I have a twin brother, a 12 year old brother & 9 year old sister and even though we all love animals and all love our animals dearly I have always been the big animal person & care taker. My parents do buy the food & normally pay for the vet bills (especially my mom, my dad likes animals but she is more of the animal fanatic like yours truly;). And my parents "bought" Murphy (payed the adoption fee) and Josh was my grandfather's dog but he gave him to us after he could no longer care for him.

I feed them for the most part (once in a while twin bro will do it), I picked out their food as well, I also do the grooming, and training. I do buy things for them as well, some are training tools (like you said) others are just little things like treats, bandannas, toys etc.

I am about to turn 18 (next month (finally) ). But I do see my dogs as mine even dough my Father got me Bank (my first Dobe who sadly passed away) when i was 14, my father legally owned him but I was the only one that did anything for Bank, except when grandma came to visit us from Mexico then she helped. After my parents divorce I still kept Bank because he bought him from me. When Bank was 2yrs old my mother bought me Baby Girl I was 16 at the time, and I bought Hercules when I was 17, I paid for him well I had half the money an my mother helped me with the rest on promises that I would pay her back within a year, and now half a year later I have paid her back and Hercules will be registered as soon as I am 18 so he can be legally mine, and I am also transferring ownership of Baby Girl to my name. I do everything for these 2.

Even dough St. Patrick's Day was yesterday, this is a question from yesterday so

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The issue here for you should not be whether it is legal or not. Being young and curious, and find the "answers" should come from the one you love and want to share your life with. Not from some weird people, females abused as children acting in movies, men enjoying raping girls (but pay them beforehand), etc. If you are only interested in their "clothing" or other "hard ware", I would not support them because the money will go to the same crooks. Any responsible government would want to protect children from entering these places. Whether it is illegal in you area, I will not be able to help you here. I hope this was not too much of a lecture? Enjoy life, you have 80-years to find the answers (the right way) and have a lot of fun on the journey.

I'm not a minor, but I think t's fine to call your dog whatever you want. He is your dog, he's your family's dog. He's only you're parent's dog because you can't legally enter a contract. I never had a dog growing up (mom and brother allergic) but I call my boyfriend's dog my dog. It's just easier than saying "my boyfriend's dog, who I take care of and train." I walk him more, feed him, make medical decisions, train him, etc. and in a lot of ways he is my first dog. I have a dog that is 100% mine now (although my boyfriend probably calls him his, too which is fine), but I treat them both the same.

With care, I take care of them more and I definitely pay for more stuff. That's just because I'm more into dogs than he is. Jack (his dog) would be fine without the extra stuff I do with him, but I enjoy it, so I do it. In fact, they're (my boyfriend and his dog) are moving 2 hours away next fall for school, so it'll be interesting to see how our roles change with the dogs.

I refer to my dog as mine. Because I do pay for everything. And take her on walks and such.

And I'm the one who decided to keep her when she showed up at our house. So if she does something bad, I'm always blamed for it. Lol.

Even though she's registered to them at the vet, because I don't think I legally can be..

My mom and I both kinda choose the food together. On what would benefit all of them most. But I don't pay for it because all of the dogs eat it.

I'm a better dog owner then them. Haha, because when their dogs poop on the floor like more than once a day, Maya has absolutely no accidents.

Along with the other two that stay with me at the side of the house I'm generally in.

:]

I'm 15 and yes, legally, Tess is my mum and dads. However, i did a lot with her when she was young and still do. I walk, feed and train(ed) her. I did the major things and even though my mum and dad pay for *most* (i do try and contribute to things such as training tools- i pay for them but my parents pay for things such as vet bills) of the things we get Tess, i do refer to Tess as 'mine'. I agree that owning a dog is not just about the money.

Millie IS my mums dog, she is referred to as my mums dog. My parents' pay for her and my mum has said she wants to train her. That's absolutely fair enough. Myself and Millie have a great bond through continuous play and walks. Unlike mine and Tess' bond which is *mainly* through the years of training we have did together, everyday, and the training we still do today.

I consider them mine as I am the primary care taker. I've lent money to my parents throughout my life from birthday/holiday money to saved up chore money so Yuki was their way of repaying me, especially since we had to get rid of my cat (brain damaged, was put down at the shelter) when we moved cross country (the move would have only made it worse). Vox and Sora are our way of repaying the community because of their being in SAR training. I do all the basics: Training, grooming, walking, feeding. My mother pays for everything unless it's something I can't afford like huge vet bills - Vaccines and routine checkups are on me, though.

My name is on their papers, and on some, my name is on as their breeder (I'm 14). Even with AKC is says for a dog to be shown by a junior/minor in showmanship the junior must OWN the dog. Also, there is no rule saying people under 18 can't show in the bred-by exhibitor class (:

I pay for some of the stuff, but I don't have a job. I don't think my parents mind, they'd rather me be invloved with dogs instaed of boys and drugs, lol!

I train, feed, show, and excersize/care for them myself. A few times has my mom had to take a dog back in for sits and downs because I had more than 1 dog in that class.