Do You Refer To Yourself As You Dogs "mum Or Dad"?

[corvus]

No, but then, we don't have kids so it's kind of weird to us to call each other "mum" or "dad". We don't go there! OH's parent refer to each other and themselves as "grandma" and "grandpa" when talking to their dog. I guess it makes sense seeing as he was originally their son's dog. They call themselves grandma and grandpa around our dogs as well. This may have something to do with why we carefully avoid referencing having children in any way shape or form.

Most of my extended family refer to my animals as our furry family. That's what I call them as well. Me and OH are the head of the furry family, but not mum and dad. It's really sweet, actually. I have relatives that have never really kept pets and don't really understand why they are so important to us, but they gathered on their own that our pets are our family and very important to us and always ask after them all and always include them when they are wishing me well. I am very appreciative that even though they don't get it they acknowledge how important our animals are to us and at least understand what they mean to us.

[jazzy4]

guilty here too

[RallyValley]

I do hate the term furkids however, that drives me nutty

Yip - especially when people say "skin kids" too. It makes my skin crawl.

I calll myself mama in the privacy of my own home ("Mama's Home!", "Your mama wuvs you berry much") and I call them "my boy" and "my girl". Some people in my family say they're my kids, but I always say they are part of my family, but they aren't my kids.

I hate 'skin kids' and 'fur kids' too... although I will call dogs 'kiddy' when I am revving them up and getting them excited in the show ring, although they aren't my dogs (But hey baby goats are called kids).

I live with my parents so 'mum' and 'dad' are my parents I don't really like when people refer to dogs as babies or fur babies or fur kids. I just use 'the pups' or 'my dogs'.

Edited March 11, 2011 by RallyValley

[wuffles]

Sure, why not. If your dog knows its a dog and is happy and balanced then use whatever word you fancy.

Yep, we use mum and dad in our house. And in public. I don't really give a hoot what other people think of me when it comes to my dogs I don't baby them so they are just words.

[Bundyburger]

I live with my parents so 'mum' and 'dad' are my parents I don't really like when people refer to dogs as babies or fur babies or fur kids. I just use 'the pups' or 'my dogs'.

I only call them my 'babies' when I'm talking TO them, or sometimes someone will say 'you love your dog don't you' and I'll say without thinking 'he is my baby' I'm getting better at just leaving it at 'yes' though ... But generally when talking to other people it's 'the dogs' or 'the boys'(cos they are ) They know they are dogs, and they're treated like it too.

[montall]

Yep, another doggie Mum and Dad here too, and our dogs are definitely not furkids. :banghead:

[Dory the Doted One]

Other people call me Dory's Mum. I just think of her as my buddy. My daughter is not her sister. And the BF is just one of her 'favourite peoples'.

Don't mind how other people refer to themselves. And have no probs with the terms skinkids or furkids, unless said in a tone that suggests the dogs babied in the :omg: scale.

[Liath]

Mummy and Daddy to our dogs at home and in public. We have had some wierd looks in the past but I dont really care what other people think. They are a part of our family and if someone is uncomfortable with me referring to myself as my puppies mother then its they that have the problem not me. OH says we are their parents because we provide love, food and all the other stuff you do for your dependants whether they have 4 legs or 2. We dont refer my daughter as sister to the dogs tho.

[mita]

Other people call me Dory's Mum.

A single lady & her irish wolfhound, Flute, lived in the next street for about 5 years. She was never called anything else by the people around here, except 'Flute's mother.' She'd meet people out shopping who'd say, 'I know you. You're Flute's mother.'

[shells]

My DH tells our 2 dogs to "go find mum" when he has had enough - funnily enough he says it to our kids too

[ravenau1]

Half and half here OH is 'Daddy' and I am 'The Boss'. Because we don't (and won't) have kids, people do presume that our pets are child substitutes, which I find a bit annoying.

[Dxenion]

Mum and Dad (and Grandpa) are object associated words that our dogs recognise and that we use in cues, eg "where's Dad". Our friends refer to themselves as Aunty or Uncle (something they decided to do themselves) and our parents have resigned themselves to having furry grandkids, even asking how the grandkids are when they call. We refer to the dogs as our kids and use the term in conversation all the time.

Mum, Dad and Kids are just titles - we know they're dogs and they get treated as dogs however we do care for them, provide for them and worry about them just as Mums and Dads do for human kids.

[Katie P]

I do but only in a light hearted way

[Ons]

yep

[Tilly]

I don't normally refer to the dogs being my kids ... but I do often say the youngest is a "mumma boy" ....

[Kelly_Louise]

Yes...

Sasha knows my husband by 'Dad'... I'm Mama, but because I don't refer to myself much I'm not sure if she knows me by that title. I think I'm pretty nameless, but not to worry, cause I'm highly adored judging by the way she watches my every move with her big loving eyes, and is always following 2 inches behind me everywhere I go

She is known as Mama's Big Girl.

LOL.

[luvsdogs]

Same here. Years ago when April was alive & my boys were younger they always said to her, go find mum, & she would come to me. One day oh came home & told her to go find Jenny, she looked at him like, huh? I told him that the boys always told her 'mum' so he said go find Mum & she did. It's just a title, why confuse the dog with alternate names especially if you have human kids.

[Shelby]

No, I don't call myself Mummy to the dogs but do tell them "Oh look, Nanny & Poppy have arrived" They know who I mean as well

[jacqui835]

yes, I can't help it, and he likes it lol.

I think it's weird, and I try not to do it in public, it happens automatically before I can stop it.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I sometimes refer to other people at the dog park as this dog's parent (mum or dad). I use "boss" often but sometimes that's up for debate. And I refer to myself as EH's Boss or Bitch depending on who I think is running the show at the time.