People & Pups

McKenna Booth, Hannah Tran, Michele Nunez, Mallory Trott

A Tail Waggers ZMET Procedure Report

MKTG 490

December 10, 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION & RESEARCH 1-9

WHY DO WE LOVE OUR DOGS?

METHOD 10-12

HOW DID WE DO IT?

RESULTS 12-18

WHAT DID WE FIND OUT?

DISCUSSION 19-21

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDIX

PARTICIPANT PROFILES INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS

“SIT, SHAKE, STAY” INTRODUCTION

Why is it that humans and dogs have such a strong connection? And why do some treat their

furry friend as if it were a child? To understand why dogs have become “man’s best friend” we

decided to investigate why dog owners feel this way. Throughout history, dogs have been at man’s

side, whether it was to hunt or to use as protection. Dogs always had a specific use, however, that

idea has changed with time. Now people see their pups as companions, friends, and family. Some

will even allow their dog to eat at the table instead of out of a designated bowl. We see popstars and

celebrities post hundreds of pictures of their dogs on a daily basis; people dress them up in costumes

on Halloween; others send their pups to day spas to get pampered. So why is it that humans feel so

connected to this animal—an animal that cannot speak the language of humans, an animal with no

sophistication, an animal who licks its own butt.

RESEARCH

A relationship between a person and his or her dog is made up of connectedness, happiness,

and love. Most people who own a dog don’t see it as a pet, but consider it to be a part of their family.

There is a have a deep emotional connection between a dog and its owner (Stoeckel, 2014). A dog

can influence happiness in a person; in fact, a person’s laughter is how dogs respond to them.

Human laughter has been a signal of playfulness to dogs. This is the signal that animals use

as a sign of playfulness. They respond to the energy from the ones that they are surrounded by

(Mitchell, 2014). That’s why if you’ve ever pretended to be hurt while playing with a dog and start to

1

whimper, the dog will automatically stop what is doing and make sure you really aren’t hurt—they

feed off of human interaction and energy. This not only shows how connected to humans dogs are,

but also an intelligence level as well. According to Dr. Stanley Coren, neuropsychologist and author

of “The Intelligence of Dogs,” there is three different type of dog intelligence. The first, adaptive

intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability) is specific to the individual animal and is

measured by a canine IQ test to see how well a dog can adapt to a new environment and lifestyle. The

second, instinctive intelligence, is also specific to the individual dog and is measured by and IQ test.

It measures the “gut feeling” of a dog and whether it can follow this feeling. The third is the working

and obedience intelligence. This varies from breed to breed but it measures how a dog can learn and

follow commands given by a human. The adaptive intelligence is what we see most from dogs. This

allows the dog to learn about its owner’s energy, lifestyle, and personality so it can adapt accordingly.

When a dog gets bored it can develop problems like anxiety to aggression. But if they are given a job

to do that contributes to their “pack,” these issues go away almost immediately (Parent, 2014).

Not only are dogs a very active animal, dog owners are generally more active and healthier.

Owning a dog encourages that person to go outside more, move around, and take part in more physical

activities in order to keep their dog happy and healthy. All dogs need to be walked and therefore those

that own dogs are out walking them (Utz, 2014).

Once a person brings a dog into their life, there is a new responsibility placed upon them, to

keep this living creature happy and alive. Human—Canine bonding is the mutually beneficial and

dynamic relationship that occurs between a person and a dog, a concept articulated in the 1930s

(Coren, 2011). In the United States alone, more than 62% of people have household pets, 37% of those

pets are dogs (Nitkin, 2011). This goes to show that humans continue to bond with humans. Another

example of this bond is when dogs are used as assistance animals for people with physical and/or

mental disabilities. Service dogs can be trained to sense oncoming seizures in the owner, assist the

2

blind to walk, and help the deaf. Dogs can also be used for people with autism. Dogs are trained to

assist its autistic owner to help them gain independence and the ability to get everyday activities done

(servicedog.org).

There is a common theme of animal lovers. They classify themselves into certain groups. So

people associate themselves as “dog person” as opposed to a “cat person.” This can lead to an

understanding of personality. In a study conducted in Austria and Hungary, there was an association

between a dog’s personality and an owner’s personality. The test found significant positive

connections between owners and the dogs in five investigated personality scopes— agreeableness

extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and openness (Turcsán, 2012).

People have a warm place in their hearts for their beloved pets, so much so that many young

women and couples are even using dogs to substitute having children. According to a survey of

23,000 dog owner participants in, one quarter of them said that they treat their dog like a small child,

while almost half admitted to allowing their dog to sleep with them in their bed (Cox, 2014).

Reported from the New York Post, “Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

show that a big drop in the number of babies born to women ages 15 to 29 corresponds with a huge

increase in the number of tiny pooches owned by young US women,” (Antenuccci, Li, 2014).

More and more people are finding that the love that they have for their dog will perfectly suffice that

for which they might have for a child all while maintaining their independence and freedom.

“The federal data behind the report show that over the past seven years, the number of live

births per 1,000 women between ages 15 and 29 in America has plunged 9 percent” (Antenucci, Li,

2014)

Once a person has a child they are obligated to that child for the rest of its life, every second of every

day your accountable for another living thing. The same thing goes for a dog as well, but there is

more leniencies when one has a dog rather than a child. Yes, a dog still needs to be walked, fed, and

3

loved daily, but a person is also able to leave the dog alone for short periods of time without having

to set up sitters or someone to come care for it. Also, the expense of having a dog is much less than

the expense of having a child. Children cost hundreds if not thousands of dollar a month, dogs

however, depending on the size of the animal of course, cost but a mere hundred or so.

By having a dog instead of a child a person has many more doors available to them and their

lifestyle doesn’t have to become so final at a young age. They can still have the love and

companionship that they would have with a child, they raise it from a puppy, potty train, leash train,

take the dog to puppy training classes, then you watch the dog grow to it’s full size, these are all

things that a mother raves about and is now able to find in a dog with the same amount of

satisfaction (Antenucci, Li, 2014)

Domestication of Dogs

To understand where the relationship between an owner and their dog, we have to look back to

the origin of the domestication of dogs. For over 15,000 years, humans have been domesticating

dogs, there is an incredible bond that formed (Castillo, 2013). “Dogs are remarkable because they

are not only uniquely sensitive to the cultural attributes of the people with whom they live, but they

also actively participate in the cultures of humans. In fact, dogs were the first animals to take up

residence with people and the only animals found in human societies across the world” (Schwartz,

1997). Because of their omnipresence in all cultures, dogs have been so commonplace that little is

known of their history. But for the past 12,000 years dogs have played a fundamental part in human

lives. What is most incredible about dogs is that they have the ability to adapt to the needs of the

people with whom they live, which is why they are used as service animals for those in need. Dogs

have proved themselves as a flexible species with a high intelligence level, which makes it easy for

humans to connect and interact with them.

4

“The Western Hemisphere was first populated with people who migrated from Northeast Asia.

They settled in every region of the Americas and in the varying latitudes, climates, altitudes, and

topographies, they created cultural identities, languages, traditions, and beliefs. And although their

common origins united them, the first people in the Americas remained isolated from Europe, the

Near East, China, and India. Before the voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492, societies in the

Americas were largely unaffected by outside influences. Unlike early societies on which Western

culture is based, these people did not have domesticated goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, or horses. Dogs

were the only domestic animals present in the majority of Native American groups;

the only animal that allied with humans” (Schwartz, 1997).

The history of the dog is really the history of the partnership between dogs and people. That

partnership is grounded in the human need for help-- with hunting, herding, as alarm systems, and

sources for food. This was then rounded out with a source of companionship. These days, dogs are

more likely to be used as a source of companionship and protection than as a hunting tool, but we

still see dogs used in those ways as well. The dogs then get a safe place to live and a reliable food in

return (Hirst). But when this partnership first occurred is still unclear, since history has told the story

of early humans killing off major predators, including canines, so that people were able to hunt the

food source for themselves (Hare, Woods, 2013).

“Dog history has been studied recently using mitochondrial DNA. It suggests that wolves and

dogs split into different species about 100,000 years ago. Whether humans had anything to do with

that is still unclear” (Hirst).

5

Dog Intelligence

Dogs can learn hundreds of words. They learn the language native to their owner. Dogs are

smarter than we give them credit. In a 2011 study in the journal of Behavioral Processes, a retired

psychology professor, John Pilley, trained a dog, a border collie named Chaser, to recognize over

1000 words. Chaser learned the names of 1,022 different toys and is able to understand verbs. When

directed to pick up a specific toy, Chaser retrieved the right one 95% of the time. She knows the

difference between picking something up and putting her paw on it. Other experiments recorded that

dogs have shown they’re capable of social inference- the ability to monitor the actions of a human

and infer facts about the environment. Neuroscientists also wanted to learn about dogs’ inner

emotions. It was found that when dogs smell a rag drenched in their owner’s unique scent, activity

spiked in their reward center involved in emotional attachment part in their brain- also known as the

caudate nucleus (Stromberg, 2014).

But why is it important to study and understand dog intelligence? Because other than humans,

dogs are the most successful large mammal on earth, because from the jungles of the Amazon to the

Arctic Circle, dogs have journeyed with humans for thousands of years, and because the role of dogs

in our society today is growing continuously. Dogs are now studied heavily to understand animal

cognition, when in the past primates were chosen to research. In the last few years, research results

have shown that dogs are learning machines, that they have a deep understanding of our world. Dog

“smarts” is not the same across the board, however. Each breed and individual has its own strengths

and weaknesses when they solve problems. Every dog can contribute to the understanding of dog

psychology because of these differences (Duke University). It is important for dog owners to

understand that they are living with and loving a highly intelligent animal.

6

Dog Culture

In today’s culture we treat animals as a member of our family. We want nothing but the best

for them, so we are willing to go through great lengths to do so. In most cases, we do not consider

them just as a pet but as an extension of the family. What we would do for our children we would do

for our dog.

“He, like, has his own ice cream, and my mom buys a vanilla ice cream like, every

other week so that when we have ice cream and it has chocolate (and he can’t have

that), then he has his own vanilla ice cream, and she serves him first all the time.”

In 2013, Americans spent over $56 billion on their pets, $83.3 million spent on dogs (CBS

Moneywatch). This total included trips to the vet, medications, food, toys, and other luxuries. Some

of these luxuries included doggie spas, doggie daycare, doggie bakeries, and doggie boutiques so

that your dog always has the next big thing. High-end retail markets like Louis Vuitton and Burberry

have caught on to this trend and have products available so that your pup is never out of style.

In the society we live in, it is not uncommon to find dogs in areas where you least expect it.

Companies such as Ben & Jerry’s, Amazon, and Clif Bar all allow dogs in the work place. Findings

in a study from the International Journal of Workplace Health Management, people who brought

their dogs to the work place have less stress, and the feeling of job satisfaction increases to people

who come in contact with the pet (Morris). Not only are dogs allowed at work, but they are also

welcomed at restaurants and retail stores. For example, Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar allows their

guest to bring their dogs along to dine and Nordstrom allows shoppers to have their dog on a leash

while they are in the store. Not only does Lazy Dog have a human menu, they have one specifically

for dogs. We treat our dogs as humans and this forms a special bond where they rely on their owner

to treat them and care for them.

7

It is not a one-way street; humans rely on their dogs as well. Dogs can be trained to help

people in many instances such as hearing, blindness, types of autism, and even alerting them when

blood sugar is low. They are there to assist with everyday task so that it is easier for the person to

live their life. Most service dogs are either from animal shelters or bred in specifically and raised by

volunteers before the formal training (Assistance Dogs International). When someone has a service

dog it brings an ease of mind not only for the individual, but for the family as well. They know that

the dog can alert its owner for any health issues and will not put them in a dangerous situation. There

is a sense of protection by having a dog there.

“We were going to wait like a really long time before we got another dog but the

house was just so lonely and I didn’t like being home alone anymore because I

didn’t feel safe”

The presence of a dog intimidates people. Although many dogs are approachable, they are still

animals. If they get an instinct that something is not right, they will protect themselves and

especially if there is a bond formed between them and an individual they will protect them as well.

Many dogs are bought specifically to guard. Protection Dogs are used for families to avoid home

invasion and protect their children. The most common guard dog is the German Shepard, they are

known to be reliable protection dogs and also great with the families. People rely on dogs not only

for the companionship, but as a sense of security too.

8

Marketing To Dog Owners

Marketers have found that dog owners as a consumer group is a cash-cow. As noted above,

people spent billions on their pets and $83 million on dogs alone (CBS Moneywatch). Marketers can

use people’s love for their dogs to their advantage, using dogs in campaigns and advertising. By

marketing to those specific emotions and lifestyles of dog owners, companies tend to have more

success selling products and brands. Not just stores and brands meant for pets like Petsmart or

doggie-day spas, but brands that don’t directly tie-in to owning a dog see the use of marketing

toward this consumer group. One example is Toyota’s 2013 Super Bowl ad for the RAV4. The brand

used dogs as the main focal point of the commercial, making the human families the subjects.

Instead of using the idea of a squirrel saving acorns, Travelers Insurance created a series of

commercials illustrating a dog safeguarding his most valued asset, a bone. Subaru joined in on the

trend and created a marketing campaign and website for the Forester wagon around families having

dogs, proclaiming the car “dog-tested.” There was even a Facebook page for Subaru, Dog Tested

that provides dog driver’s licenses. With Americans’ deepening their bond with their family pets, it

creates an immense opportunity for brands. Today, most people spend money on their pet’s food, the

vet, and boarding, but new trends show that people have a willingness to pamper pets in other ways.

Pets now travel and exercise with us, are featured on their own social media profiles, have pool

parties at day care, eat organic food, and have their own bedrooms. The chances for brand extension

appear to be almost limitless (Armstrong, 2013). But marketers need to make sure they connect their

product to dog owners in an authentic way. Marketing campaigns need to connect their brand to

activities owners do with their dogs, create campaigns that elicit interaction between pets and

owners, build partnerships with other like-minded brands, and stay away from including a pet in the

branding for a quick jolt of cute (Armstrong, 2013).

9

METHOD

The method for our project was to start by choosing a topic we wished to analyze and gather

information on. We decided on “consumers and their relationships with their dogs.” This was

chosen because it was a topic that would spark an interest in many people because of the love and

passion that they have for their animal.

Our next step was to pick two people for each team member that we wished to become our

subjects for this topic. We made sure to choose participants who we felt would represent the subject

well, participants who are dependable, and above all else, participants who love their dog. We chose

people that weren’t directly in our social circle, but people who were co-workers, family friends,

friends of a friend or neighbors. We chose people we were acquainted with or knew but not people

who we knew really well. This allowed us to have a very neutral view on the overall process. We

chose people from different demographic and psychographic backgrounds so we had participants

that represented a larger population of dog owners. We wanted to find people with different

lifestyles to see how owning a dog affected it. We approached our informants in a formal but still

casual way; either asking them when we saw them leaving their apartment or hanging out with

friends. We then emailed them the guidelines again so every informant was fully aware as to the

procedure of this project. It was done this way so that no one felt pressured to take part in our

research project but to still consider it and not push it to the back of their mind as it might have been

through word of mouth. Each informant was chosen because they had previously mentioned their

dog in conversation. Everyone had a sincere love for their animal and we knew that each would be

more than happy to open up and discuss their relationships with their pets. Once each person was

chosen, they were asked to send one picture, via email or text message, every day of something that

expressed an emotion or a story that reminded them of their dog. These pictures were a mixture

10

between literal and symbolism photos, meaning some could be directly tied to their dog and others

would be of something that evokes an emotion that reminds them of a feeling they get by having

their dog. We all made sure that the informants followed through with sending the pictures by

sending daily reminder emails and texts, allowing them to take their time but still letting them know

we were still in need of their participation. Most informants appreciated the reminder since they all

had busy schedules, between work, school, and caring for their dogs.

After each subject had sent the proper amount of pictures, one per day for 10 to 14 days, they

were asked to sit down and be interviewed. We made sure that the interviews took place in an area

the informant was comfortable in. It also had to be quiet with no distractions so we could get all the

information possible from them. The interviews were about why they chose to send each picture,

what emotion that picture expressed and/or a story that the subject of the picture reminded them of.

In the interviews, we made sure we probed the participant so they would explain their pictures in

more depth than they might have originally given. We would ask complementary questions about

each picture to elicit more information from them that they may not have thought of to include. The

interviews lasted between 10 to 60 minutes depending on how much information we could get from

the informant. Some participants were more eager to share their stories and emotions, while others

shared only a little, no matter how much we probed and how many questions we asked. Some

reasons for taking a picture was straightforward and left little room for eliciting more information,

where some stories lasted longer.

Each interview was then transcribed by each of us and compared to one another so as to find

distinctions that correlated with one another. Once the interviews were completed, we each posted

the interviews to a public folder so that each member of the group could analyze each interview and

compare the results in order to conclude similarities between each post; all in all our findings. After

finding the similarities, we went through and highlighted the common themes we found throughout

11

the interviewing process. When such correlations were found, research was applied to the findings.

We made sure to find four strong common themes rather than a bunch of themes that had little

support found in the interviews.

Some concerns we have with the data that we collected would be; even though we asked

questions and probed the interviewees for answers, some were not forthcoming with the answers

they gave us, making some of the interviews much shorter in lengths than some of the others. We

hoped to get as much information as possible from each person that we each sat down with but we

realized, that unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Some people are very straight to the point

with the answers they have and aren’t comfortable to go into as much depth as others.

RESULTS

After doing extensive primary and secondary researches on the significant interactions as

well as relationships between humans and their dogs, we were able to draw several highlighted

conclusions that not only dogs owners consider their dogs as part of their family members, they also

feel a great sense of security from them. Dogs are so amazing in a way that this type of creature are

able to light up an individual’s day despite what he or she is going through. From research and

interview with our participants, there is a similarity in a way they show people are happier when they

see their dogs, whether it is from early morning before work or later in the evening after a long day.

There is no surprise that dogs are able to ignite that happiness emotion in people. Moreover, dogs

owners agree that their dogs are part of their lifestyle in a way that they spend great amount of their

time with their dogs; going on for walks, hiking, play dates, etc. There is no doubt that dogs play a

great role in a person’s life and the incredible things they are able to deliver. The four main themes

we found in all of the interviews were FAMILY, SECURITY/COMFORT, LIFESTYLE,

and HAPPINESS.

12

FAMILY

Not only people consider their dogs as part of their family members, but dogs also

reciprocate this principle. Dogs consider their owners as part of their pack, while humans see them

as part of their family. Some dogs get a special place setting at a table, others get to sleep in the same

bed as their owners, and others have their own clothing. These behaviors from humans create an

extension of themselves reflecting on to their dog- the dog is family and that's that. Every situation a

human goes through, a dog goes through too. One informant, Harrison, has to travel a lot for work.

As a single man, he doesn’t have a significant other to watch his dog. He finds people to dog-sit for

him, similar to having a child stay with an extended family member, with a friend’s family, or with a

babysitter, but it always has to be with someone they trust to keep their family safe.

“Yeah, you know, look he’s part of my family so I need to make sure it’s the right

people cause I have to leave.”

Each owners’ dog spends its whole life depending on them like a family member does, and owners

are responsible for the dogs well-being, that’s why they consider them more than just a pet. By

putting so much time and effort into their dog, they see it as putting time and effort into their family.

Many dog owners see them as their own children because they are so dependent. Owners have to

feed them, take them to the vet, and make sure that they get enough exercise. This relates to parents

making sure their kids are well fed, are healthy, and are social and active. Some owners chose to

have dogs instead of kids, which correlates with the idea that dogs are more than just a pet.

A study called “Dogs as Family, People as Pack” mentioned that the way dogs are attached

to humans are similar to the way children attached on their parents, “secure attachment base”—the

13

other end of the leash (McConnell, 2013). We need dogs as much as they need us- companions from

history, family now.

Some dog owners consider their dogs as a sibling instead of a child because in many cases,

they grew up with their dog, from puppy to adulthood. The owners have watched the dogs grow up

with them, for every situation the person has encountered in life; the dog has been there by their side.

It’s a companionship that is deeper than just having a good friend; it is a bond many people feel with

their siblings. Many owners and families refer to their dog as a brother or sister. Many families

include their dog in the family holiday card each year, or take dozens of photos of their pooch and

post them to all social media profiles or send them to friends.

“She’s like a sibling or a child I take care of her as if she were my own child.”

Research has shown that dog owners spend millions on dog services, such as vet visits, foods, toys,

and amenities. This shows the devotion owners have towards their dogs.

SECURITY & COMFORT

In some situations, some are used as guard dogs, and some just act like one. Dogs are able to

sense the submissive energy around their owners, therefore they feel as there is the need to be

overprotective towards their humans. This comes from the loyalty aspect of the dogs. Some of our

participants believed that having their dogs around made them feel a lot more secure, even if it was

just a simple walk in a the park.

“If we’re walking at night around the block, or going to the store, if you have a dog,

you feel a lot safer”

14

These four-legged individuals are highly reactive to the surrounding environment. Dogs have the

ability of learning, detecting, and protecting and that instinct comes into play when they have their

pack to take care of.

“I’m not sure exactly why, but there is just something there about knowing

she’s next to me, I feel safer and less scared.”

But it isn’t always about feeling safe, but comfortable. There is a sense of belonging and ease when a

dog is around. Maybe because they don’t judge their humans the way other humans do, or because

their love is unconditional. But being around them brings allows a sense of contentment to wash

over the owner.

“It was comfort. The stuffed animal is a Simba stuffed animal, it symbolizes him.”

The theme of security/comfort was an overwhelming constant in all the interviews, whether the

participant was talking about safety with their dog or just telling a story, it always came back to

feeling secure with their dogs. It doesn't always have to mean physical safety either. It could mean

security and comfort from the hard days we as humans encounter. Just snuggling up with their

pooch, many participants felt relieved to be separated from the outside world.

HAPPINESS

These creatures are able to spark happiness in everyone. Dog owners are clear about the

instant joy that they encounter with their dogs. They are known to be man’s best friend and provide

great companionship. Institutions such as hospitals, schools, and even certain companies now adopt

a new way to better help people to cope with stress and pain. Hospitals have a program where

patients are able to spend time with dogs in order to help them with pain reliever. Colleges allow

15

dogs to be on certain part of campus, where students can make visits to release stress due to a hectic

class schedule. But for our participants, nothing compares to coming home and seeing the smiling,

slobbering face of their pup.

“It just reminded me about how he’s always happy and he’s got a bright and sunshiny

personality and yeah it’s like when we come home, his face is almost like he’s

actually smiling. I just tell myself he’s actually smiling and that’s how happy he is to

see me.”

Research has shown that dogs are great for stress reliever and minimize depression because they are

able to fulfill the basic need, which is touch. Having the fury friend around can lighten the mood and

create an atmosphere that is filled with happiness. No matter how hard or a bad a day was, a dog

doesn't worry about those things and is always willing to spend time with you. It’s almost an instant

change in mood when a human and their dog reunite. Not only did our participants instantly feel

happier when they spend time with their dogs, they said it is hard not to be happy when they see

them, just based on the excitement and happiness a dog shows when their owner arrives home.

“It’s always a great reunion, even if I leave for five minutes [or] I forgot something,

it’s a great reunion”

One of our informants, Diana, mentioned about how her dog, Nemo, would patiently wait for her to

come home at the gate and gets so excited to see her once she gets home.

“He wags his tails all the time and his bells would jingles because he’s jumping up

and down. It makes me feel loved every time I come home to see him.”

16

LIFESTYLE

Last but not least, dog owners agree that their dogs have played a huge role in their lifestyle.

Not just playing a huge role in lifestyle choices, but a big role in how some lifestyles changed. Some

owners stray from buying certain things they would have bought before the dog because they know

the dog will either chew it, be scared of it, or they decide that the money could be spent on

something else, something for the dog.

“I love that pillow, but I know Micho would ruin it, and I love knitted things, but I

have knitted blankets where he just makes his own little bed and then his claws get

stuck and then there goes a strand of linen.”

Dog owners have changed their lives in multiple areas. Some can’t travel anymore, others insist on

bringing their dog with them. They have to go on walks numerous times a day, or cut down on their

social activities because the dog can’t come. But these are sacrifices that dog owners make with little

complaint. Many have even made a comment that they like the motivation of needed to go outside

after being cooped up all day due to work or school. It changes what the owners do not just because

they have a dog, but they start matching activities that the dog is capable to participate in.

“He likes hikes. Well, when he was younger, right now, I think dogs will always do

what you want them to do. So he will go on a six mile hike with me right now, but he

would be in pain later so I’ve cut back, cause he would follow me to the end of the

earth.”

Research has shown that people who own dogs are less likely to develop serious health issues than

those who don’t. They are able to create a balance lifestyle in which they spend a great amount of

17

their time with their dogs going on for walks, setting up play dates, as well as being active with

them.

“He’s my marathon training partner and he’s David’s long-board puller.”

Owners not only changes their daily routines, they also changed where they would spend their time.

Before, people would hit the beach to catch some sun, or hit a store to buy some new clothes. They

also have to make sure where they live allows dogs-which is increasing all over the nation. Now,

there are specific beaches meant for dogs, special parks, and even retail stores, like Nordstrom, allow

dogs inside. The world itself is becoming more dog friendly, which changes the lifestyles for those

who own them. Now their furry friend can tag along no matter where their owner is going.

“Coppers favorite place in the whole world is the beach… the beach is also our

favorite place to take him to”

“I’ve taken him to restaurants that allow pets on the patio, I actually found a list of

there’s 20 local stores. Nordstrom allows you bring your pets in… He is going to

come more often now when I’m shopping.”

18

DISCUSSION

Through extensive research, we were able to discover the phenomenon in regards to human

relations with dogs. Referring to the results section of this research paper, we learned that dogs go

beyond than just being a four-legged creature. There is science and history behind the bond humans

create with their dogs. These incredible creatures aren’t just pets; there is something much deeper to

them. They are able to deliver the most incredible thing that the humans need, which is the

unconditional love. This type here goes far beyond its definition. It carries the symbol of family,

security, lifestyle, and the most importantly, it determines happiness.

Prior to entering this research process, the most common thing that we all agreed upon when

it came to this subject was almost everyone that had a dog loved their dog. We needed to gather

evidence and real-life stories to gain a better understanding to the deeper meaning of love that dog

owners had towards their pets. It wasn’t until we had our interview sessions with the informants did

we have this understanding, we were only basing our knowledge off of our personal feelings. Our

informants were able to provide precise and high-level thoughts about the relationships that they had

with their dogs. By referring to the pictures they sent and allowing them to express their emotions

according to each picture, had revealed the common themes that they all had; happiness, security,

lifestyle, and family dynamic.

The interviews enabled us to better understand the informants’ thought process about their

dogs. They were emotionally involved with each of the picture when asked about how these pictures

contributed to the way they felt about their dogs. They did not realize how important their dogs were

until they had the opportunity to talk about them. We identified all the common things these dog

owners had shared. It was not just how they treated their dogs, but how their lifestyles mirrored each

19

other. Our participants agreed that they devoted their time to their dogs, from simply taking them out

for walks during to the day to setting up play dates on the weekend.

Moreover, our participants shared similar thoughts about their dogs. Each informant felt a

familial bond towards the dog, that they were family and they had been part of the family dynamic

since the first day they were welcomed into the home. We found it very intriguing that this piece of

information was spread across the board. They constantly mentioned about the importance of their

pets to the family. Some even agreed that their dogs got away with a lot of trouble just because they

could not stand the principle of being stern towards the dogs. For example, they allowed the dog to

sit on the couch while everyone was watching TV, or they fed the dog at the same time everyone had

dinner. Little revelations like these helped us comprehend the significance these dogs had on their

owners.

Another common theme we uncovered from our primary research was a sense of security that

these owners had towards their dogs. This security factor varies greatly. Their dogs are extremely

loyal to their owners. The owners felt a need to protect their dog in any ways possible, and felt like

the dog reciprocated the feeling as well. The participants mentioned about even the simplest aspect

about their dog made them feel more at ease. Many people even bring the dog inside with them to

feel protected if they happened to be home alone.

Last but not least, throughout this research, especially during the interviewing process, it was

amazing to see the reaction that our informants had when talking about their pets. The pure

happiness and excitement that they all shared drove our fascination. Our informants agreed that their

dogs were able to spark the happiness in them. Some said that they were excited to come home after

work just because they knew their dog would be waiting for them at the gate.

20

A key lesson we learned from this project process was what to do and what not to do to when

conducting an interview. Even though we probed our interviewees, some were not forthcoming with

stories or emotions tied to their dog- no doubt that their world revolved around the pooch, but the

person themselves didn’t interview as well as we first hoped. If we were to do this process of

research again, we would have made sure that the participants understood that we wanted them to go

in-depth about their relationship with their dog-we would have made sure they knew that our

research wouldn’t be as complete without their stories.

21

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Antenucci, A., Li, D., (2014) More Young Women Choosing Dogs Over Motherhood, New York

Post

Armstrong, R. (2013) Pets Are Serious Business for Marketers, Forbes.com

Castillo, M. (2013) Study: Dogs Bond with Owners Similar to Babies with Parents, CBS News

Duke University. Why Study Dog Cognition? evolutionaryanthropology.duke.edu

Gosling, S. D., Sandy, C. J., & Potter, J. (2010). Personalities of Self-Identified "Dog People" and

"Cat People". Anthrozoos, 23(3), 213-222. doi:10.2752/175303710X12750451258850

Hirst, K. Dog Domestication Research, about.com

http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/about-us/types-of-assistance-dogs/service-dog/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/americans-spent-a-record-56-billion-on-pets-last-year/

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101396437

McConnell, P., (2013) Dogs as Family, People as Packs, patriciamcconnell.com

Mitchell, R., & Sinkhorn, K. (2014). Why Do People Laugh during Dog-Human Play interactions?.

Anthrozoos, 27(2), 235-250. doi:10.2752/175303714X13903827487566

Parent, B. (2014) There’s a Reason We Call Dogs Man’s Best Friend, Philly.com

Schwartz, M. (1997) A History of Dogs in the Early Americas, Chapter 1, Yale University Press

Stoeckel, L. E., Palley, L. S., Gollub, R. L., Niemi, S. M., & Evins, A. E. (2014) Patterns of Brain

Activation when Mothers View Their Own Child and Dog: An fMRI Study. Plos ONE,

9(10), 1-12. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0107205

Stromberg, J. (2014) Research Shows Dogs are Much Smarter Than we Think. Vox.com

Turcsán, B., Range, F., Virányi, Z., Miklósi, Á., & Kubinyi, E. (2012) Birds of a feather flock

together? Perceived personality matching in owner–dog dyads. Applied Animal Behaviour

Science, 140(3/4), 154-160. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2012.06.004

Utz, R. (2014) Walking the Dog: The Effect of Pet Ownership on Human Health and Health

Behaviors. Social Indicators Research, 116(2), 327-339. doi:10.1007/s11205-013-0299-6

INFORMANT #1 Name: Harrison Lebowitz Gender: Male Marital Status: Divorced, dating Children: 2 Age: 56 Occupation: In-house Council, Vice President Income: $100,000+ Dog: Riley Breed: Unknown

INFORMANT #2 Name: Sabina Teodorescu Gender: Female Marital Status: Single Children: 0 Age: 28 Occupation: Full-time Student Income: $2,180/month Dog: Micho Breed: Yorkshire Terrier

INFORMANT #3 Name: Aaron Ochoa Gender: Male Marital Status: Single Children: 0 Age: 22 Occupation: Glazer Income: $10,000-$24,000 Dog: Simba Breed: Golden Lab

INFORMANT #4 Name: Diana Salmeron Gender: Female Marital Status: Single Children: 0 Age: 23 Occupation: Marketing and Sales Coordinator Income: $50,000 Dog: Nemo Breed: Pitbull mix  

INFORMANT #5 Name: Chelsie Nestler Gender: Female Marital Status: Single Children: 0 Age: 22 Occupation: Full-Time Student Income: $0-$10,000 Dog: Sady Breed: Karen Terrier

INFORMANT #6 Name: Bobby Hernandez Gender: Male Marital Status: Single Children: 0 Age: 23 Occupation: Full-Time Barista/Part-Time at John Wayne Airport Income: Unknown Dog: Ziggy Breed: Pitbull

INFORMANT #7 Name: Natalie Cruz Gender: Female Marital Status: In Relationship Children: 0 Age: 23 Occupation: Full-Time Student/Teacher Aid/Swim Instructer Income: Unknown Dog: Cooper Breed: Doberman-Bloodhound mix

INFORMANT #8 Name: Charlene Enriquez Gender: Female Marital Status: Single Children: 0 Age: 23 Occupation: Full-Time Student Income: $0 Dog: Nemo Breed: Maltese-Poodle Mix

Interviewer: Mallory Trott Interviewee: Aaron Ochoa

M- so for our project we wanted to look at the relationship between the consumer and his/her pet. We decided to chose a dog. So, can you tell me a little bit about yourself? A- Hi, my name is Aaron Ochoa, I am 22 years old, from Huntington Beach, always lived here. M-What’s your education level? A-I have a High School diploma, and i went to GoldenWest College for about a year and a half. M-Whats your occupation? A- right now I’m a glazer, or a glass installer, we do store fronts, mirrors, shower doors, pretty much anything that has to do with glass and medal we can do, residential or commercial. M- Are you full time or part time? A- Right now I’m in between full time and part time, it just depends on if we have a lot of work or not. Coming up I’ll be full time. M- Alright, so you have a dog. Tell me a little bit about your dog? A- My dog is named Simba, he is a golden lab, he’s about 100 lbs, he’s a friendly dog, he likes to play with other dogs. M- How old is he? A-He’s four years old. He turned four last month. M- How did you get him? A- My ex-girlfriend gave him to me back in high school four years ago. When we talked about it, we were thinking about if we should tell my mom or dad and we decided to just show him all of the puppies at once, hopefully they would just fall in love with them and they couldn’t say. So, when we brought the puppies to them, they were kind of hesitant at first because they were kind of mad, but then they saw the puppies around our yard they immediately fell in love and then we just saw Simba there in the corner all shy and sad and we kind of just fell in love with him. M-How old were you when you first got your dog? A- I was 17 years old at the time, when we got Simba. M-So, some of the pictures you sent me, the first one you sent was of a keychain. Why did you send this picture, what kind of emotion did it express from you? A-The keychain that I sent you, I just put this on my keychain just a couple of weeks ago. I’m kind of thankful because my dog Griffie just passed away a couple weeks ago, he was the first dog I got. I was like seven, eight years old when I first got Griffie. I just like to keep it around because Simba isn’t going to be around forever, and dogs generally live a long life, so I always try and make every day count with Simba and try not to forget about him, or take anything for granted. M- Just a symbolic measure for that. A-Yeah. M-For the second picture you sent me, it looked like a family photo. What kind of emotion did this express from you?

A-The family photo expressed love. We all love Simba, it’s not just I love Simba, we all love him equally, we all joke that Simba loves one of us more, but Simba genuinely just loves everyone equally. M-Does he tend to be closer to you rather than any one else in the family or is it a different family member? A- Sometimes he tends to be a little closer to my Dad, because my Dad feeds him the most, I’m not at the house 24/7, where as my parents are there a bit more, and I work during the day and go out some nights. In the morning whoever is in bed, he just likes to go in with them. He likes to sleep in with people, but he loves everyone equally, even my sister, he is growing more to her since she has moved in. M-Where does he sleep at night? A- He kind of roams, sometimes like in the summer he’ll sleep in the tile, because the house gets really hot, the tile keeps cool. In the winter he might be on the carpet or on a bed. He usually makes his way to the bed sometime in the middle of the night, usually my bed or my parents bed or sometimes in my sisters bed with our other dog Brody. M- For the third picture here, you sent a picture of a bath tub. What kind of emotion did that express? A- Well the picture expressed kind of like a calm/ serene picture or emotion, it’s easy to be around Simba, he doesn’t judge you, doesn’t talk back to you or anything, he just takes it how it is, how you are. M- So if you’ve ever had a bad day, you might turn your phone off and turn to him? A- Yeah, go to him, or talk to him, maybe think about stuff in my head and just talk to him and pet him, while he looks at you and just gives you that blank look like everything is going to be ok, even though he has no idea what’s going on. He just makes you happy because he is always so happy, he always looks like he just has a smile on his face. M-Do you feel better after talking to him? A- Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but yeah I feel better. It’s just easy talking to him. M- For the next picture here, you sent a picture of a chewed up toy/bone. What did this express? A- Well when I sent that picture of the bone I had just stepped on it and it hurt. It was annoying, and he can as well be sometimes, that picture kind of symbolized annoyance,. He can just be annoying sometimes, like in the mornings he can bark or scratch at me when he wants me to be up when he is even though its like 6 or 7 o’clock in the morning. He just leaves his bones in the worst places ever, and you’ll step on them, and they’ll always be facing up and will always hurt when you step on them. Or when he barks when he hears the wind and he will just keep barking and barking until you let him outside and he’ll only stop when he sees nothing out there. Even though he’s annoying he’s not annoying. M- I want to go to, discipline. Would you say you discipline him harshly, or take a more passive approach? A- I was a little more harsh. I definitely spanked him as a puppy, he wasn’t the easiest dog to potty train. We got him these little potty bags that you put on the ground and move them towards the door so they learn to pee on the bag towards the door, and eventually move them outside, but he would always pee on the edge of the bag or the carpet right next to the mat. He would make it so that it would defeat the purpose. I would scold him and he would always give me that look

like “I didn’t do anything wrong” and I would feel bad. I was harsh, but I didn’t beat him, just scold him. M-Would you say the punishment has changed as you’ve gotten older and matured yourself, since you got him when you were fairly young? A-No it’s pretty much the same, he’s a dog, he doesn’t really get in trouble very much. Like when he sometimes tries to get in the trash, or he tries to run outside, you can just tell him or kind of yell at him in a raised voice, and scream his name, he’ll just stop in his tracks, but no, it’s pretty much the same. M-So he’s learned to respond off of your tones? A- Yeah M-For the next picture, it’s a group of people. What did this express, what kind of emotion? A- The group of people in the picture was my friends, it expressed friendship. I have a pretty good friendship with Simba, I want to keep it that way. I have a group of friends that even care for Simba, and will ask me how he’s doing and stuff. M-So he gets along well with new people, other dogs? A-Yeah, he gets along with my friends and my friends dog. Sometimes we will even go on puppy play dates or something like that, or we’ll take him to dog beach and let him socialize with other dogs. He’s good with everybody, he’s never had a problem. M- Do you know his approach for meeting new people? A- He kind of approaches dogs in a bad way, he just assumes other dogs are friendly and kind of charges at them, and other dogs can sometimes take that as a threat, they’ll get scared. Once they realize that Simba is okay, they’ll often run around and play. M- What’s his approach towards new people? A- With people it’s the same, he’ll run up to people, sometimes he’ll jump, which is rare, but he will try and go through people’s legs so they’ll scratch his butt. He will charge at people, he really doesn’t hold back. M-And the next picture, is of your house, what does this express? Why the house picture? A- It expressed stability. When I come home, he’s always there. It’s nice to come home and having someone there waiting for you, it’s just nice rather than coming home to an empty house. Especially if you’ve had a bad day. M-Why do you like that so much? A-Why do I like that stability? M- Yeah, is it because of someone you can count on? A-Yeah exactly, someone I can count on, someone that I will be there after a bad day, M- Do you find that you like to come home more, knowing he’s going to be there? Does it change your view of what home is? A- Yeah because i used to be coming home from work or wherever, and being greeted by dogs, even if your alone coming back to the house with no one there or even with people there, you’re always greeted by the dogs, that’s what makes a home, dogs, I feel. M- for the next picture, you sent a picture of bills. What emotion did that express and why did you send that picture? A- It expressed that responsibility and I sent it because Simba made me grow up. Taking care of a dog is a lot of responsibility, you have to feed it, you have to make sure they have water, even

though he drinks out of the toilet, you have to make sure he is alright and he has medication when he’s sick or allergies, like when he was allergic to his food that we had gotten him. It made me grow up because I had to raise something from the beginning of his life, and continue till the end of his life hopefully. M- How would you say he has helped you in that aspect? A-It helped me mature, like, you have to mature and grow up quickly when you’re taking care of a dog, you can’t just forget about him, you have to make sure that he is being fed and whatnot. It’s made me kind of think about things differently, like I have to pay for his food, and medication, and insurance. When I get money it’s no longer all about me, it’s about him to. M- Have you noticed any of your friends that don’t have a dog, and didn’t go through that maturity growth, will spend their money or time a little differently than you? A- Yeah, kind of, everyone has bills that they have to pay, but some of my friends that don’t have pets or anything, will spend their money freely. A lot of my friends don’t save money like they should. That’s what a lot of young people do, they don’t save. M-So, moving on to the next picture, the picture is of a park. So why did you send this picture? A- I sent the picture of the park because we go there a lot. I try and take Simba there a lot. The emotion it expresses is excitement. Anytime I just say, are you ready to go, or want to go to the park, or lets go for a walk, Simba will get really excited and will run to where the leashes are hanging on the wall and will start jumping a them, or if I’m holding the leash he’ll just go crazy and he will run up to me and will just want to be on the leash right away. He just gets really excited and starts umping up and down, and whining and stuff. Once we driving to the park and recognizes the neighborhood eh will even get more excited, he knows that we’re going to the park. M- How does it make you feel, knowing you can make him so happy and excited? A- It puts me in a good mood, just watching him, he’s happy and excited, and has this smile on his face. How can you not be in a good mood, when you’re around that? But, it’s nice being outdoors, I unfortunately don’t get outside as much as i should, but its nice being outside or throwing the ball and swinging the bat, its fun watching him run for the ball and get tired after a couple of sprints. M- So he’s a playful dog? A- Yeah he’s really playful. He likes to play ball at the park, if there are other dogs, He’ll go over to them, he likes to sniff them and play with them. If there are other people, he will go over to them and kind of see what’s up. M- He sounds really sociable, would you say you are as well? A-Well with Simba, I’m kind of a sociable person, I can be quiet at times, but I can be sociable at times to. M- Does he encourage you to be social, if you go out and he goes up to a dog, will you go up to that person? A- Yeah I’ll try and go up to them, I don’t want to be awkward, and silent and just watch as our dogs sniff each other, that’d just be awkward, I always try and start a conversation, even if it’s a completely random person, I’ll always try. M-Moving on to the next picture, it’s a seat belt. What kind of emotion did that express from you?

A- That expressed safety. Simba is a pretty big dog, he’s not huge, he’s like above average size, but I feel safe with him. If we’re walking at night around the block, or going to the store, if you have a dog, you feel a lot safer. If someone would ever try and rob me, I feel like Simba would protect me, hopefully. Also at the house, when I come home, I’d rather be at a house with dogs because, if they hear the wind they start barking, if someone would ever try and break in, or they hear anything, they start barking. It’s a good feeling, you’re not stressing about anything like when you don’t have that security of dogs. M- Can you ever name a time that you genuinely felt safer because Simba was there? A-Uhm, I’m not too sure, I don’t think so. M-The last picture you sent me was of a stuffed animal. What was the emotion that was expressed from that stuffed animal? A- It was comfort. The stuffed animal is a Simba stuffed animal, it symbolizes him. M- Is that his stuffed animal? A-It’s not really his, it’s mine. He thinks it’s his, he’ll try and play or go after it sometimes. If i go away then I’ll definitely take that stuffed animal with me. If I haven’t seen him it would definitely bring up a lot of emotion, it might even make me sad. I will always take that stuffed animal. It’s comfortable and easy to cuddle with when he’s laying on the floor or someone else’s bed. M- Did you get it after you got him, because it’s a Simba stuffed animal? A- Yeah I got it after him, even though I’ve always loved the Disney character Simba, I got it after him. M-Why did you name your dog Simba? A- Lion King is the best Disney movie ever created. That and he looks like a little lion, and his breed has a little lion in it, it fits him. M- Something that I read, would you say that you and your dog have similar personalities? A- I think we do. We both like to be outdoors, we’re both pretty outgoing, we can go up to people and start a conversation and make them feel comfortable, and make them feel comfortable and not make it seem awkward or be confrontational. M- Would you say that you have learned each others habits? A- Definitely. He knows when I’m mad or upset, he acts and feels completely different, and feels like he’s done something wrong and will act sad or depressed, even when I’m not mad at him at all. M- You guys feed off each others energy? A- Yeah you could say that, he’s always in a good mood, but when I’m in a good mood, he’s even in a better mood, but when i’m in a bad mood, it affects his mood because he doesn’t know what’s going on and might think I’m mad at him. M- You would say that you’ve learned each others habits, but have you changed any habits? Is there like a time that you would wake up now since you’ve had him? A- I guess we had to kind of change each others habits, I could just leave the house without doing anything, but if I leave the house now, I have to make sure he’s fed or someone will be home to feed him, or leave the light on if it’s going to be dark later, just little things like that. It’s me looking out for him more, it’s not just thinking about myself but thinking about him to.

M- In what ways would you say that he’s changed and altered your life, besides maturity? Has he maybe opened any doors for you that you hadn’t considered before? A- Simba has changed me, he kind of made me wan to have a family now, it’s not having that responsibility for someone, and watching someone grow from the start of their life, taking care of something. He’s also changed me, like taking him for walks on the beach, I saw all these fit people around me, it really motivated me to go to they gym and get in good shape, much like my dog is. It pushed me to lose that weight. M- Before you had him, did you work out, or do you find that you work out more since you’ve had him? A- When I first got him I was playing baseball so I wasn’t working out as much as I should have when playing baseball, but when he was three years old, we started going for walks more frequently, and I felt like there were more fit than me, and Simba. I wanted to be comfortable going on walks, so he has pushed me and motivated me to go to the gym. M- Are you going to carry that down the line, you wouldn’t go back since he opened your eyes? A- Working out and staying in shape has become a part of my life, so hopefully I will keep working out, but we will see, life isn’t always easy like that. M- Do you find that you guys have favorite things to do with one another? A- Fetch, I like, cause I don’t have baseball anymore, I’ll grab a bat and ball and hit the ball as far as I can, and he loves to chase the ball, so he loves it and I love it as well cause I’m not just throwing the ball constantly, so it’s probably one of our favorite things. M-When you go places, are you able to take him with you, I know you said he jumps in your truck? A-Yeah he loves going places, and riding in the truck. He’s learned like when I make a left, he leans, so he won’t tumble over, like he used to. He just stays in the front seat and is happy with the window rolled down. I sometimes have to put the seatbelt on him cause he’ll make the seat belt alarm go off cause of his size. He loves the window down and the wind in his face. M- You sound like you really know his preferences, have you just learned that over time? A- yeah, and all in all he’s a dog and most dogs do like those activities. But you also have to know him, like what kind of food he likes, he hates fruits and vegetables, he really likes meat, and mainly meat. He’s picky, he doesn’t like bread, or pasta or anything. M- If anyone asked, would you ever make the comparison between Simba and a child? A- My dog acts better than children, but he’s a dog, but sometimes dogs can act like a child. M- Would you ever make that connection, like, “Oh he’ my child”, or he acts like he is my child because you know certain things about him, like what parents would know about their child? A- Yeah, sometimes, I call him my child, sometimes, when talking about him to people. Parents know everything about their child and, yeah I know everything about Simba, what he likes and doesn’t like, so he can be like a child to me. I could see how that could be compared. END.

Interviewer: Mallory Trott Interviewee: Chelsie Nestler

M- Ok, so the point of this interview is to kind of sit down and talk with you about the pictures that you had sent me. And we really wanted to find out the relationship between the consumer and his/her pet, in your case a her. So we told you to send ten pictures that sparked that emotion that you have when you think of your animal. When you think of your dog. So it was, uhm, the pictures and the emotions, and were just going to ask you a little bit about them. So if we can start of, can you tell me a little bit about your dog. C-She is a black karen terrier, i’ve had her for about 5 years. I got her from a pound or a shelter, uhm, one day my mom and i had decided that we wanted to get another dog, and we had been looking on the website to see what dogs were currently at the pound and just wanted to go look, we got there with the intentions of looking at a couple of specific dogs, but my dog was never one of the ones that we considered. so we were walking up and down the aisles and looking at the different dogs, and visiting, just getting a feel for all the dogs that were there and i came up to this one dog in a kennel. She was in the back corner, i bent down and called her to me, and was rubbing here and loving her up, and decided i would go look at the other dogs and walked away. And i noticed as i was walking away that she stuck her head out and cried for me. So I was looking at the other dogs and came back near her, and she recognized me again. And I decided i wanted to spend some one on one time with her. So i asked one of the workers if i could hold her and took her out and as soon as i held her. she curled up and crawled into the crook of my neck, and just laid there and nestled up and we had an instance connection. And since that day i’ve had her, and that was about 5 years ago. M- Ok, did you say how big your dog was? C- She’s about 20 lbs, she’s black, long hair, long ears, has a little white beard, looks like a little old man. M-Was the size a factor, when you were getting the dog? C- Yes, we were... Where we live we have to have small dogs, and so she is just about as big as we can have. M- would you honestly say that personally you prefer small or large dogs? C- I prefer small/medium sized dogs. M-Ok, so she’s about the size that you would want? C- Yeah she is the perfect size, of what I prefer. M-And is she your only dog? C- No, I have another dog that is smaller than her, uhm, he’s a white Karen terrier/chuiaha mix, and I’m not as close with him as I am with her, he’s more of the family dog, more of my parents dog, where she is more of my dog, I picked her out and I have the connection and I’ve always been the one to take care of her. M- Would you say she would prefer you over anyone else? C- Yeah, When I’m home, she will come lay in my lap, or at night she will sleep in my bed. When she is sick I’ll be the one to take care of her, or take her to the vet. She’s my responsibility. she will always come to me first, for love or attention. M-And how would you say you view her?

C-She’s like a sibling or a child I take care of her as if she were my own child. M-Ok, awesome, so going into the pictures a little bit, the very first picture you sent me was a picture of a pink blanket. So, what.. why did you send that picture? C- The blanket makes me feel, comfortable, and cozy and she does as well. We share a connection with that blanket, when we cuddle together in bed we use the same blanket, or if I’m not home, that blanket comes with me, and every time that I feel comfortable in that blanket and it reminds me of her, and when i think of her, it just makes me feel warm and comfortable and happy and comfy

you even say that the blanket is almost like a substitute of her when you’re gone? C- That probably is my biggest substitute for when she isn’t there, if I’m missing her, I go to the blanket, and when I’m laying there Im thinking of her when Im laying with the blanket. M- Ok, the second picture you sent me was a picture of a baby. So, first who is the baby? C- The baby is my six month old niece, who I love to death, and she is kind of my substitute child when my sister isn’t there, and I’m there with her, and thats kind of how I view Sady, she’s my child, and I feel responsible for her and i’m responsible for another living being, and i take care of her as if she were my child, when she’s sick I take care of her, I feed her, I bathe her, I take her out and take care of all her needs, just as if she were a child that needed taking care of. M- ok, so, its almost a representation of you being motherly of your dog. C-Yes M-And you’ve had her since she was young, so you’ve kind of grown together as well. C-Yeah I’ve seen her go through, growths and sicknesses, and weight changes, and everything and I feel like a proud mother, when other people see her M-What do they call it, a puppy parent? C-I, Thats what I feel like, I feel like a puppy parent. She even sleeps with me like a child would. M- Does she do that to anyone else, or strictly you? C- Strictly my bed, strictly with me. she wont sleep in anyone else’s bed, and when.. She has her own crate, so when I’m not there, she’ll sleep in her crate, but when I’m home, trying to get her into that crate is practically impossible, i can set her in front of it, but if my door is open, she will go run and sit on my bed, and wait for me and we can do that five or six times, and she won’t go into the create, because she knows I’m home, and ill let her sleep in my bed M-Does that ever make you feel kind of proud that she would choose you like that? C- Oh absolutely, the rest of my family talks about it all the time, and how they want her to sleep with them and she won’t. She’ll only sleep with me. She’s my child M- The third picture, was a picture of, uhm, almost stormy clouds. So why, what did that express within you? C- It made me feel calm, and the reason why it made me feel calm, is because i took that picture after a rain storm and i was hiking up a mountain and i had done the hike in the morning, I had done this rigerous workout and stood a the top and took the picture and looked out at the clouds passing by and it just made me feel really calm. And she does the same thing for me, if I’m having a bad day or something stressful, I did all this work, I come back to her and she makes me feel calm. M- What about her makes you feel calm? Is it her presence, her attitude, her personality?

C- It is, it’s her presence, her attitude, her personality, its.. no matter what’s going on she will always give love and attention, she never really shys away she will always sit in my lap and nudge your hand for attention, but she doesn’t do that for too much, she’s content just being next to me. And just having that love, and she’s just that same way, if I’m having a bad day she will just curl up net to me. And I’ll just feel better knowing she’s there. M-Alright, the fourth picture, was a picture of a group of people. So, who is that group of people, and what kind of emotion express? C- They are my closest friends, and even though I mentioned she feels like a child, she’s also one of my friends, she’s the one that is always there for me, she will do anything for me, she gives unconditional love, and thats kind of the relationship i have with my friends. No matter what happens, they’re always there. I’m always having a good time with them, same with her, anything could be going on, and if she’s there, and im putting my attention on her, I feel so much better and she’s a friend and a child and a sibling and just a really important person in my life, just like those friends are. M-So, can we go back, what would be three main things you would kind of require of a friend, like three personality traits? C-Mmm, loyalty, and Sady is definitely a loyal dog. These are tough, and on So... uhm spot. So loyalty from friends, you want honesty, and I don’t think my dog really lies to me. She always tells me when she’s hungry or need something. And there is always love. So... uhm.. Just having all of those factors together in friends is really important, getting those from a dog is really important as well. Like i mentioned I have another dog, and I don’t have the same connection with him like I do her. He want’s attention and i take care of him when I need to, but he’s not always there to comfort me and he’s not as loyal to me and not having that individual bond like I do with her is really important. and its similar to the bond I have with my friends. M-The next picture, was a picture of shoes. What was the significance of that picture? C- The shoes, I sent were my athletic running shoes, and Sady makes me feel motivated and when I’m feeling motivated or active or anything like that, I’m wearing my running shoes. I’m going to go be outside, or go do work, or go running, I wear those shoes when i take her out for walks, or go be active with her and she kind of motivates me to get up and get my day going, and go be outside or spend time with her, doing thigns. M-Before you had her, what, how many times would you say you went out to go running? C-Not as often, I had my dog Riley before I had Sady, and he’s smaller than her so we didn’t feel that we needed to walk him as much or go running, so most of the time i didn’t even do that, but once I felt more responsible for her and she kind of had the body type that needed to be more active, I did it for me, but i also wanted to make sure i was taking care of her and so she motivates me to go out running, and i’d say I probably went running once or twice every two weeks, and now I probably do it once or twice a week. M-Ok, and do you find, enjoy it more? C- When she’s there it’s definitely a big difference, it’s nice of course to go out running or working out by myself, but its a different experience with your dog, and for the enjoyment and you know they’re having fun, so its not so much about what I’m doing but what I’m doing for her. M- So you’re kind of doing it for each other?

C-Yeah, we’re helping each other. M-The next picture, was peanut butter. So I can assume, but what was the reason for that picture? C-Uhm, most people now that dogs, love peanut butter and they eat it a certain way, but just when I see peanut butter, it makes me feel silly, and it makes me laugh, thinking of the way that she eats it. It’s one of the only human treats that she gets.but, just the way that she eats it, and how it gets stuck. Like I mentioned before, she kind of has a grandpa beard, and when she goes to eat the peanut butter, it gets stuck in that beard and so not only is she struggling to eat the peanut butter in her mouth, but she’s also struggling to eat the peanut butter off her beard, so it’s just so funny, watching her try to eat it. She’s enjoying every minute of it, its not painful for her at all, she doesn’t not like it, she loves every second of it while she’s trying to eat it all, and every time I see the peanut butter it makes me think of her and her getting it stuck in her beard. Spending five minutes rubbing her paws trying to get it all off, and you’ll rub her later on that night, and you’ll still feel some of the peanut butter, and you have to wash her and get it all out, and do it all over again the next day. M-That’s funny. The emotion behind that was what, I’m sorry? C- She makes me feel funny and happy and goofy. M-Oh okay, that’s awesome. Is it specifically that kind of peanut butter, does it matter? C- I’ve never tried a different peanut butter, I wonder if she would be a peanut butter snob if she had a specific peanut butter brand, I’ve never tried anything else. I’ll have to test it someday? M-You should! Ok, the next picture was of a box of chocolates. So, what did that express, uhm, from you? C-The box of chocolates, is one of my favorite chocolates, I’m usually not a huge chocolate person, but this one specifically is a chocolate that is really hard to find, and it’s kind of expensive but i love it and every time i see it in the store, I get really happy and excited and it’s the same thing with Sady, If I’ve been gone for a while or I know I’m going to be ably to see her, I get really excited and happy and just knowing that I get to spend time with her makes me happy and its the same thing with the chocolate. If I know I have the chocolate sitting on my desk I get excited and I eat it and both make me really happy. M-Almost like a special treat for your day. C-Yeah it really is a special treat, and just like at the end, when I’m with Sady, she’s a special treat. M-That’s great. So, going on to the next picture, it was of a door handle. What kind emotion did that express from you? C- The door handle reminds me of feeling safe, and safety and she makes me feel safe. If I’m home alone, it’s nice knowing that she’s there and many times, there will be someone at the door and I won’t hear them knock and I won’t know they are there. And her barking lets me know, and knowing that I have her there is nice. It’s also about making her feel safe to. She’s a smaller dog and she has to stay inside and if I leave the door open she’ll probably run out. We both keep each other safe and that door is a kind of a symbolic relationship of how we keep each other safe and inside and away from harm. M-Before you had her, would you say you felt a bit more timid at home?

C- Yeah, I was definitely uneasy and more uncomfortable and especially when she does sleep with me at night it makes me feel more comfortable that she’s there and I’m not as jumpy or as scared. I’m not sure exactly why, but there is just something there about knowing she’s next to me, I feel safer and less scared. M-That security. C-Yeah. M-That picture of the coffee maker, I thought that was interesting. Why a coffee maker? What does that express in an emotion? C-My coffee maker, produces coffee, and I have a cup every morning, if not more. It makes me feel energized and awakened and that’s how Sady is in the morning. She’s the reason that I get up, she’s always waking up, she’s always playing with me and getting me ready for the day and making me feel...have motivation, have the energy to do things. My coffee is the same way, I feel that my morning doesn’t necessarily have a purpose, unless I have my coffee, and the two definitely play two really big roles in my morning routine, and being awake and energized. M- In words, how would you describe yourself in the morning before coffee? C-Before my coffee, it takes me a lot longer to get into a habit or routine. I’ll lay in bed longer, my tasks are a lot slower, I have a lot less energy. Same thing with Sady, if she wasn’t there, I’m sure I would sleep in longer, I would lay in bed longer, I would have a lazier day. I wouldn’t be doing as much, and when she is there, she’s my alarm clock, getting me up, getting me ready for the day. M-She’s a morning dog? C-She’s absolutely a morning dog. M- What time does she usually wake up? C-Usually at about 6:30-7:00 am. M-That’s early. C- Yeah so I definitely need my coffee with her as well. M-So she’s the polar opposite of you in the morning? C- The polar opposite, yeah. But she will get crabby when I wake her up when she isn’t ready to get up. She will give me a face that says “Why are you waking me up, I’m sleeping, you should be sleeping. Let’s just go back to bed” . She just has a total human facial expression of “I’m not ready to get up and I’m not going to.” M-That’s funny. For the last picture you sent me. It was a picture of a bouquet of flower. What type of emotion did that bring forth, or represent your dog? C- That was just love. Any time I’ve received flowers or it’s been a gesture of someone caring about me, or a surprise of just love and someone just took the time to show their attention to you, it’s the same thing with Sady, I really feel loved with her and she always surprises me. I feel like, this is going to sound cheesy, but I feel like I receive a bouquet of flowers every time I’m with her, especially when I’ve spent a lot of item away from her, coming home is always the best feelings. It’s nice to know that she’s missed me and she shows her attention to me and loves me and she’ll even do like a doggie cry cause she’s so excited that I’m home. It makes me feel really loved. That’s kind of like a human thing that we do, when you love someone, or miss someone, or want to just show that you’re thinking about them, you give flowers. Anytime, I

receive flowers, it makes me think of that extra special attention and love and she does the same thing for me as if someone were to give me a bouquet of flowers. M-Does she ever do anything little things that she does only for you, to express love? Does she ever bring you a toy or something? C- She does, she’s not an extremely playful dog, she’s more of a calm/lover dog. But, like I mentioned, if I’m away, anyone in my family can be away for a long time, she’ll be excited or jump and show she’s happy to see them, but the only time she cries and whines is when I come home. We even have a little window, and every time I leave the house, she will sit in that window and watch me leave. M-That’s Sweet. C- Yeah she gives that extra bit of attention and show she’s sad to know that I’m leaving, and she’ll be happy to see me coming home. She shows that extra attention towards me more so than anyone else in the family. And just going back to how she only sleeps with me. She will lay on anybody’s lap on the couch, but the only bed she will sleep in, throughout the night is me. M-You’re personalities, she is the polar opposite of you in the morning, but do you find that you have any similar traits, like you said she isn’t playful, are you maybe not playful? C-I’m not as energetic or as adventurous or as wild as other people, and she is kind of the same way. We’re both comfortable laying on the couch, being with the small group of people that we love, just being content in that presence and we only need a few things in our lives and we’re happy with that. She’s definitely not a crazy dog, and I’m not a crazy person, so we definitely mimik each other’s personalities and emotions. I think that also comes with time. I do remember her being a little more wild when we first got her and she’s definitely calmed way down over the years, but i think that’s also her being more comfortable with us. That comes with overtime, I mean she was a rescue dog, and didn’t know what she was coming home to, and she was just happy to have a home. But now its her home not just a home. M-So you’re saying she has grown with you. Have you noticed you’ve grown with her in any ways? C- Oh absolutely, even just my habits, I’ve noticed things that I do change around her reaction and how it’s going to affect her, I’ll go to bed at certain times, my sleeping habits will change when I’m home, because I know that I have to do what is going to work for her as well and I’m much happier when I’m home, I’m much more relaxed when I’m home with her. She makes me happier, and calmer. M-You mentioned that you guys have grown together. And a lot of the traits that you’re talking about are more positive ones, can you think of times that you’ve been frustrated with her actions? C- I definitely have to punish her sometimes, or I’ll be frustrated or angry or tired, but I have to have patience with her and I know that. She’s a dog, I’m responsible for her, and I know that most of the time she’s not doing it to make me frustrated or make me angry, she’s doing it for whatever, she has to do her needs, her animal instincts, I will have to sometimes step back and think why she did that. If she pees on the carpet, was that my fault? Did I not take her out, did i do something to make her do that action? I try to not have negative actions towards her cause i know she’s not doing them on purpose. M- How old were you when you got her?

C-I was about 17 years old. M- Can you tell a difference between how you punished her compared to how you compared to how you do when you’re 22? C- Even though I got her as my own dog, over the years that has progressed and so in the beginning everyone would punish her, my mom would punish her or my dad would. Now I feel like it’s my responsibility, and they’ve gotten more lenient over the years but she also does less, and I’ve learned her habits and she’s learned mine, so if she has to go out, she knows to let me know, and i’ve also over the years the times that she should typically be going out, even if she’s going out i’ll still take her out anyway and we avoid that. So, I do a lot of preventative measures to avoid those punishments, all I have to do is raise my voice, or change my tone and she knows when she’s in trouble. M-Ok, so you guys can read each other and know each. C-Yeah, over the years we definitely know each others habits, and tones and personalities, and she knows when I’m upset, and I can tell she knows when she’s being punished and she’ll go off and sit by herself for a few minutes and then come back to me and give me her sad eyes and all is forgiven. M-Well, that’s awesome. Now if I can just get a little bit of information about you. First, what is your name? C-Chelsie Nestler M-Age? C- 22 years old M-Are you in school right now, what’s your occupation? C- I am a full time student right now, I am a senior, I will be doing the credential program after this semester so I have a little bit more school to do and then when I’ll be going into my career. M-Where are you from? C-I am originally from Fountain Valley, Ca. M-Do you hope to stay in that area? C- I don’t see myself staying in California, I love California but there is a lot more out there and I will probably be taking my dog with me. M-Alright, well thank you so much. END.

Interviewer: McKenna Booth Interviewee: Harrison Lebowitz

M: So tell me why you chose [to take] this photo of Riley’s Kennel.

H: That’s where he spends his evenings, he really enjoys it, its his space. Uhh you know that, that’s he um, his back story or of all dogs, they come from uh they come from wolves and that’s his cave. Um I reach in there to pet him at night, I don’t close his, I don’t close his kennel door but I could. It makes it great cause he can travel and um but uh that’s his little, his little area. His little grato.

M: Was it hard to train him to do that when he was like a pup, or was he…

H: That’s the interesting thing, they have this natural inclination to go into the kennel. And again, I used to when he was very young would find, again it’s sorta like The Little Mermaid, it’s his, you know Ariel’s grato, there would be one, he would never chew anything, he never ruined anything but there would be, it was like the smithsonian for dogs, there would be like one sock and there would be like one shoe, just cause he wanted something that smelled like us

M: Yeah

H: That he would bring into his kennel and, and.

M: When he started to get bigger and bigger did you have to replace that many times

H: no

M: or did you just start with a big one?

H: We started with the big one

M: Ok

H: And he grew into, well I got him when he was four, he’s a rescue dog

M: Mhhmm

H: So he’s always been the size that he’s at right now. Ok.

M: Ok

H: (chewing)

M: And then the second picture… is of his travel bag, we’ve seen that when we’ve babysat so.

H: Yeah, thats, I need to bring that with me, um especially if he won’t be coming home with me for the evening. Its his little supply bag.

M: What’s usually included in that?

H: His food, uh, um, poop bag, um his bowls, uh chew flips in case he needs something to keep him entertained. There’s usually, maybe uh uh, a milkbone or two. And um, a picture of Fi-Fi his favorite poodle.

M: (laughter)

H: No, that’s not in there.

M & H: (laughter)

M: Was um, when you first got him, was leaving on your like work trips or anything, was it hard to leave him behind or is that why you reach out to people and have him stay at [their houses].

H: Yeah, you know, look he’s part of my family so I need to make sure it’s the right people cause I have to leave. It’s always a great reunion, even if i leave for five minutes, I forgot something, it’s a great reunion, so uh no it’s, it’s, it reminds me of him and it reminds me that he’s a responsibility and I take it you know, um I enjoy having him but he’s certainly work as well.

M: So, you do have two kids already, so this is just sorta your third kid (laughter), your third and most needy kid.

H: Exactly, my ex-wife, she kept on saying “how about three kids,” and I kept on saying- she would say “how about another kid,” and I kept on saying “how about another dog?” So we ended up with two kids and four dogs.

M: Wow, so that’s a lot of fur around the house.

H: A lot of fur.

M: So, this was, I know you took this [picture] when you were on a work trip.

H: This was Sedona, um it reminded me a little bit of Vermont, it reminded me of the colors that just, um, having a great time with Riley back in Vermont

M: ok

H: We used to go on hikes and uh (M: ok) snowshoeing and also it reminded me this is a situation where I think you guys had him for me (M: yeah) I think I till owe you guys a bottle of wine for that. Uh anyway. (Chewing)

M: Uh okay, does he tend to like to do hikes or was that more when he was younger?

H: Mmmm, he likes hikes. Well when he was younger, right now, I think dogs will always do what you want them to do. So he will go on a six mile hike with me right now, but he would be in pain later so I’ve cut back, cause he would follow me to the end of the earth.

M: Yeah, a pretty loyal guy. So uh, this is the third picture or the fourth picture…

H: Oh of his leash

M: yeah

H: That’s just cause I usually keep his leash in the office, it reminds me I have to take him out at least once a day, for a walk at lunch time, so I am looking at it across the way, saying okay, you know sometimes you get busy and you don’t want to forget, but having it right in front of me it will jog my memory that this guy it pretty important.

M: Did he come trained on the leash or (H: no) when you got him you had to teach him?

H: He had no training when we got him, he’s a rescue dog, his back story, a rescue dog um from a kill shelter in West Virginia, he was about two minutes from being put in a freezer

M: Oh my god.

H: That’s how they used to put dogs to sleep, put them to death in West Virginia, it was the last state in the country to ban that

M: Oh my goodness

H: but he was, he had no fur and uh, but he was wagging his tail. And he’s missing his bottom teeth since he had so many fleas he was just pulling fleas off himself. He had never been in, he had been neglected his whole life umm he had been chained up outside a farm house so he had never been inside a house. He had no um, god he was a runner, um no, he wasn't house trained. A story when he first got him, we brought him into the house and immediately the other dogs were interested in him, and he started running around jumping on the sofa, jumping on top of the table, knocked off all these plates and broke them all

M: Oh my gosh.

H: And then ran across the table then jumped off the table then started marking things all around the house. (Laughter)

H: So he had never been on a leash before.

M: Wow

H: And, and turned into this amazing animal.

M: Was he pretty easy on the leash once you got him on there a few times or was it?

H: He’s still a mule, he still has his own will. This is Riley’s world and we are living in it.

M: That’s true.

H: So he’s still not great on the leash, but it’s like every time I get a little frustrated and start to say “Come on Ri it’s time to go now” I’m like this is his time of the day. (mumbling) I get him out for two like half hour walks and that’s it and the dog deserves it in my mind.

M: That’s true. But when he is in the office is he usually pretty calm or does he walk around and see what everyone’s doing?

H: He’s calm. Um Sanaz gives him treats, so he will see her and run towards Sanaz.

M: He knows exactly what he’s getting.

H: And he will get into the kitchen and get into the trash occasionally. But even then he is so mellow about it, what can you do.

M: Alright, and then fourth or fifth picture

H: Yeah there are the poop bags, can’t leave home without them.

M: Yeah, I mean have you had any trouble with, has he ever like pooped on a neighbors yard and you got in trouble for that, cause I know, I’ve heard stories where dogs go into neighbors’ yards and do their business.

H: No, that’s one thing he has never, he’s never um had a problem, he’s never pooped in the house, never uh, I mean since he’s been trained, he pooped originally in the house when he didn’t know any better. But he’s been fine.

M: Okay. And is he a good dog at like dog parks and stuff or.

H: (chewing) He could care less about other dogs. I mean he’s social but he’s (mumbling) he’s just like, I know you’re apart of my species, but I don’t really want anything to do with you. And that’s just him.

M: That kinda makes it easy. So what is this?

H: That’s where I walk him, okay, um Irvine Center blvd? Irvine Center, I dunno (laughter) Irvine Center road or something like that.

M: Somewhere in Irvine.

H: (chewing) This is at the office

M: Mhmm

H: It’s a nice treelined street

M: Ok

H: He loves trees, we own every tree I am looking at right now (laughter)

M: Marking his territory (laughter)

H: Exactly.

M: And this is at the office that you take him?

H: Right.

M: Ok. this one, and this picture.

H: Oh the story behind that! (laughter) So, when I re-do my lease here, I was able to get um, by renewing they had three free things thrown in

M: Okay

H: Movie tickets, paint so you could touch up your apartment

M: Ok

H: And free rug cleaning.

M: Ok

H: So literally the day before that picture was shot, the purpose, the reason why this picture was shot, I had the rugs cleaned

M: Ok

H: I hadn’t had the rugs cleaned in a year, it was great, the rugs looked great, the carpet cleaning

M: Ok

H: So, literally that night, for the first time ever I hear Riley gagging.

M: Oh gosh.

H: I dunno what he got into but I hear him gagging about the throw up, and I quickly turned on the light, 3:30 in the morning, turn on the light was gunna run him outside, it was too late, he threw up

M: Oh no!

H: But, the amazing thing, he, he didn’t throw up at all on the carpet. It all went into that shoe.

M: (Laughter)

H: The entire throw up went right into that shoe.

M: At least you found it before you stepped into it.

H: Exacly. I looked at it and I couldn’t beliebe it. Every drop, not one drop made it outside of the shoe. Everything went right in.

M: what a good dog (laughter)

H: And he has no sense of, you ever try throwing a ball to him, he doesn't have any… He’s unatheletic. He doesn’t get it, but somehow he focused on that shoe and everything went into that shoe. M: Nice. Perfect, and then this one?

H: (chewing)This is just my reminder that this is where I feed him. when i bring him into the office he has his water and um, actually i take that back thats his water bowl that i give to people if they’re going to watch Riley, but in the office i give him that bowl (points to different bowl) um, as a matter of fact, Riley I am sorry I forgot that i took that bowl actually with me to Las Vegas this weekend with him and uh

M: Oh no

H: And i forgot to bring the bowl in with me today, and Riley didn’t have any water today. What a horrible person I am (laughter).

M: Well when you do feed him does he have special food or anything or do you like buy the organic dog food or you kinda just…?

H: It’s changed. It used to be dry food um and then he became a little bit, he’s become more prissy as he’s gotten older (laughter) In many respects. This is the dog that used to swim in Lake Champlain, used to snowshoe, go in the snow without a problem. Now, if they’ve had the grass watered around here he won’t step on it, even if its just a little bit wet

M: Oh god (laughter)

H: That’s how bad he’s become. So he’s gone from dry food, and there was a period of time where he wasn’t eating

M: Mhmm

H: And i was a little nervous because he had a little bit of a lump but that turned out to be nothing but i decided “look let me try some canned food on him” and of course he loved that.

M: Yeah, of course.

H: I have never given him people food but people at the office do and that’s causing a real problem. There’s this guy, Vencie Glen who will give him pepperoni pizza

M: Oh no (laughter)

H: Yeah and so then he… they create this monster. He’s never gotten into the trash, never went into the trash ever before and now he goes into the trash cause he is so used to eating people food but I still won’t give it to him

M: Yeah

H: So i give him the wet food in the morning and the dry food at night.

M: Okay, so what’s this picture?

H: Um, I was on a hike with him and it was the kind of hike we go on now. I let him off leash when I can cause he’s really good and doesn’t run off but everything for the most part is your

dogs must be on leashes, and I think its because of the little yappers and not dogs like Riley. But there are people, if i see someone approaching from the other direction I will say “my dog is off the leash is that okay?” Cause there are people that are afraid of dogs.

M: Yeah

H: And i try to be conscientiousness of that

M: right.

H: but I much prefer him to be off the leash if i can.

M: Let him roam a little. And where is this hike?

H: um that was in Peter’s Canyon

M: ok

H: But there is one called Quail Hill that if i get there early enough in the morning he definitely goes off leash, even though I would probably be fined 250 bucks for it (laughter)

M: yeah

H: I carry the leash around my neck so…

M: The fine is worth his happiness?

H: right

M: And this last picture…

H: Ok, so that’s in Las Vegas.

M: Ok

H: The reason for this picture is that I usually drive to Vegas um I would probably prefer to fly

M: yeah (laughter)

H: and probably stay on the strip, my sister works for the Hyatt and I could get a great deal on the strip. Instead i stayed at La Qunita Inn which is near UNRV where my son goes to school right now

M: Ok

H: And um, the reason is because they are the most dog friendly hotel I have ever been in. everybody has dogs there M: ok

H: So I drive and bring Riley cause my son wants to see his dog

M: Right

H: Ok

M: was it his dog originally or was it your dog or did you get stuck with him (laughter)?

H: No he’s our dog. So when my son and I moved out to California, um we had four dogs back in Vermont, and Riley is the one we thought would be the easiest to have with us in California

M: Ok

H: Just because he was so mellow (coughs) and so my son, there was one dog in particular that was more my son’s dog um Riley was sorta more my dog but unfortun- well his dog was a big dog and still not even a year old

M: Oh so a puppy

H: Yeah, and living in an apartment in Pasadena and so, and its not like we didn’t- we loved all of our dogs

M: Yeah

H: So Riley is the one we thought would make the most sense to have out here with us.

M: And are those dogs still back in Vermont?

H: Well, unfortunately the dog that was really his favorite, he was um hit by a car

M: oh no

H: And it was in a weird sit- uh my ex-wife felt horribly because she was at a- we are from Vermont and Vermont is not you know, there’s not a lot of people in Vermont, and she had him at a park

M: ok

H: And it was like only way into the park and out of the park was a dirt road

M: OK

H: But LuLu, this dog, saw a deer and just-even though Molly started yelling at LuLu- LuLu started chasing the deer across this dirt road and it happened to be the only time a car was coming down this dirt road

M: Of course, that has to happen [like that] H: And killed LuLu and so that’s what happened.

M: Well thank you, that was-

H: you're welcome

M: I learned a lot more about that dog than I knew before so that was helpful (laughter)

(mumbling)

Interviewer: McKenna Booth Interviewee: Sabina Teodorescu S: Okay that picture was the winter season and I remember Micho’s first time, well his first winter, and uh I remember and I don’t have very many puppy pictures left of him. So, I just remember winter, and him as a puppy, and his first snow. M: Where was this winter? S: Michigan. M: Michigan? Is that where you are originally from? S: Yea. M: Okay. And, this picture? S: Uhh, I know it’s time—well—it was time for him to get his tick & flea medication. M: Oh okay. S: So I just saw it on the refrigerator, as a reminder. So I was like, “yeah, I need to go do that.” M: Has he ever had ticks or fleas? S: Yes! It is flea season around here its year-round. And in Arizona they have tick season, which is year-round. M: Oh Good (laughter) S: So if he isn’t on the medication, he always gets a couple of something. M: Well, has he ever passed them on to you or anything? S: No, thankfully. M: Okay (laughter) And is this the one that you go to now that you moved to Huntington Beach? Or do you bounce around to different ones? S: No I actually like this one, it is the first on we went to, and it turned out really nice. M: Okay, great. And this picture? S: I went shopping, and I saw heaven for Micho. M: Ya. S: So I just knew he probably would love picking out all those toys even though I’m only coming home with one. Which one did you come home with? S: Oh it’s not in the photo, [laughter]. I just took a picture of the aisle.

M: No, it’s okay. Does he—is he a big chewer? Does he like to--? S: Yes. M: Have you ever come home to have him chewed up any of your clothes or shoes or anything? S: No. M: No? S: I trained him well as a puppy. M: So you’ve had him for how long? S: 7 years. M: Oh, okay. And you got him when he was born? S: Yes. M: Oh, okay. S: He picked me actually. My friends breed, so I went over there and I’ve always played with their puppies but my mom actually ended up buying him for me for Christmas. M: Oh how nice. S: Which was actually surprising for me because I always tell her about some puppy I like [laughter] M: Yeah [laughter]. That’s great, that’s awesome. So like, it is coming up on seven years? Or is it like coming up on eight for Christmas time? S: Uhh, no, he just turned seven on October and he came home for Christmas. M: Oh okay, that’s awesome. And this picture? S: Uhm, I was going through my phone and just remembered that he probably misses his buddies. M: Aww. And what are these two dogs names? S: Herky and Boba. M: Okay, and does he, uhm, fight with them? Or like, since he is the small one do they get kind of weirded out with his yappy-ness? [laughter] S: No, because he s not yappy, they just chase each other around. M: Okay, so he is not intimidated by being small? [laughter] S: No. [laughter].

M: And are those dogs back in Michigan or Arizona? S: No, they are actually in Irvine M: OH, okay. S: Yea, but both parents work—a lot so.. M: Oh, ok. Are these your parents dogs or are these friends of yours dogs? S: Friends. M: Ok. And then, this picture? S: I love that pillow but I know Micho would ruin it so now I went to the store, and I knitted things, but I have knitted blankets where he just makes his own little bed and then his claws get stuck and then there goes a strand of linen so… M: For those kinds of reasons are you pretty, like, particular with what you buy— S: Yes M: --and what he shouldn’t be on and stuff like that? S: [laughter], yup, he has ruined plenty of blankets without meaning to. M: Was he like a chewer when he was younger? Was he pretty… S: Yeah, okay, uhm, my bad one thing he did chew on when he was a puppy because my parents weren’t watching him and they let him out, uhm, he was chewing the siding of the walls. And the stairs M: Oh okay S: And the stair uhm, holes? M: Bannisters I guess? S: Yeah. M: Okay. S: Well he got into chewing M: Well he was teething I guess that makes sense? S: Yeah. M: And this picture? S: He hates drums. [laughter] S: We went downtown in Huntington beach on Sunday night and he just, he does not like loud noise.

M: Okay, and these people were playing? Did he like bark? Or did he just shake? S: He was shivering, he was like, “im ready to go.” He was constantly pulling me the other direction M: Yeah, well I mean that’s a lould noise. I guess for a small head. S: [laughter] uhm yeah. M: And this is just during—was this like a summer night? Or was this? I mean its kinda always summer here [laughter] S: We yeah, we walked to the pier. Uhh almost every Sunday night. So it was just one of those Sunday nights. M: Oh, okay, and this picture? S: Uhm, M: With all the vegetables, [laughter] S: It was food prepping day, I was cooking for him and myself. M: Oh okay, so he gets like really good food then? Like S: One week out of the month, because I don’t have time to cook for him every weekend. M: Right. S: So once a month, he gets a really good week. M: Ok. And is it like human vegetables? I mean like, human foods sort of prepped? S: Yes, except uhm I don’t put spices in them. M: Ok S: So its very plain vegetables and meat. M: Okay, does he tend to really like that a lot better? S: Oh god, yes. M: Yeah? [laughter] S: It takes him two days to get back in to his kibble. M: How did you decide to do that for him? Did you like, read about it? It is healthiest? Or? S: It is healthier and because he has a hard time gaining weight, or, finding a good that he is not allergic to. M: Oh, okay, is he—what is he allergic to?

S: Chicken, wheat, uhh, maybe soy, not exactly sure. But chicken and wheat mostly. M: So he would fit in pretty much with So-Cal humans not eating, meat and wheat and staying gluten free. S: Yeah… M: Is he good with other people? Or is he kind of?... S: He loves people, there are just some dogs he doesn’t like. M: Ok. S: And there are some kids he may not like. M: Just, kind of like, humans, he may not like somebody. And what are these movie tickets? S: I went to see big hero 6, and I just know I would have loved if he was there with me. M: Yeah.. S: Like movie theaters should let dogs go, too. M: Yeah [laughter]. S: They should make a room for, humans with their dogs. M: Right! They have baby cry rooms, so might as well make dog rooms. [laughter]. S: Or they could just let you bring in their dogs with you. M: Yeah, that’s true. Did you like the movie? S: Yeah, I love it. M: Yeah? S: It was cute. M: Do you guys tend to watch, like, lots of movies together? Or?... S: Well, he tends to sleep but I watch the movies. M: Well has there ever been a movie where he is like really engaged in it? I noticed some dogs like will like notice another dog on TV. S: When it is on a bigger screen, than my laptop, yes. [laughter] M: Okay, and then this last picture? S: [laughter], I went to the pet store to buy him food, and I saw leg warmers for dogs and I bought him—I bought him socks before form Petsmart but they kept fall off. And I was like, “these are perfect, these go all the way through, they won’t fall off.”

M: Ok [laughter], does he wear them all the time now? S: No, just when its cold outside. Or if he is soaking wet. M: Awww. And actually that was my bad, there is one more picture, do you want to explain the cookie monster cupcake? Because that looks really good right now. I want to eat that. S: [laughter] I was just like, I know he is eye-balling me while I was eating that. He was like, “give me some too.” But he does that with everything, but I thought that was cute. M: Do you ever do, uhm, do you every give him like sweets? Or do you lie kind of tend to stay away from that kind of stuff? S: I stay away, I give him bananas, he likes bananas. Or I give him fruit that is sweet, but not really anything else. M: Does he—has he ever gotten into bad stuff? S: No, because im pretty strict about it. M: Okay. S: But I do get him the whipped cream at starbucks on occasion. M: Okay, and he loves that? S: He only eats like a quarter of it, because its just waay too much for him. So I know that hes not that big of s weettooth. M: Yeah, how much does he weigh? S: 8 pounds. M: Wow, he’s tiny. S: Yeah. M: Do you get to take him to a lot of places? Or do you have to leave him home alone, a lot? S: I do have to leave him home a lot because of school, I can’t really take him to school. M: Mhmm. S: Uhm, I’ve taken him to restaurants that allow pets on the patio, uhm I actually found a list of there’s 20 local stores. Nordstrom allows you bring your pets in. M: Yeah, I’ve seen lots of dogs in there before. S: I didn’t know that. M: Yeah, now you can take him shopping!

S: So, yeah. He is going to come more often now when im shopping, other than he stays home. M: Yeah, well thank you so much.

Interviewer: Michelle Nunez Interviewee: Bobby Hernandez

M: Ok so first you're going to tell me a little bit about Ziggy

B: Ziggy, Ziggy...

M: Like what kind of dog he is

B: He is a pit-bull. He’s nine years old. His birthday is in March so he's actually about to turn 10. He’s getting old a bit. He’s ugh the youngest one of the liter, of his ugh yeah. White hair, short hair, brown spots. He’s my marathon training partner and he’s David’s longboard puller. Musher, I guess you can say. Uhmm people think he is mixed, buts he’s actually full pit. He’s not like a scary pit-bull.

M: Yeah, like what everyone thinks of pit-bull.

B: Yeah a common misconception of what pit-bull, show me a person that hates pit-bulls, I’ll show them Ziggy

M: They’ll change their mind

B: Uhm

M: Ok so we’ll move on to the first photo. So why did this picture remind you of Ziggy?

B: Uhm well, I was in North Carolina and I was lying on my hotel bed and I looked down to the right to which Ziggy sleeps exactly in that spot at my house. So instead of Ziggy there was this empty spot in the hotel room. It just made me think of him.

M: Did it make you feel sad that you weren’t with him?

B: Yeah, he's literally every time I sleep in my bed he right there and he never sleeps anywhere else always there. Like its weird if he's not something’s wrong. Like if he's not there I will literally be like whoa where is he?

M: Yeah like where did he go?

B: Yeah, yeah that’s why not because of the shoes or the socks. Because of the spot

M: Ok. So we’ll move to the next one.

B: Ok so this was also when I was in North Carolina. I was super bored on class, and I doodled his name in highlighter and outlined it in a black pen. I was just thinking about him.

M: Were you missing home or were you missing him?

B: Uhm. More so Zig, more so him. I doodled a bunch of stuff and that was one of them. Like wait this is a picture that reminds me of Ziggy because that is his name.

M: Ok so we’ll move to the next one.

B: Oh. Uhm I don’t know if I can say that but those are Ziggy's balls. Ok so he likes to play fetch like anytime he sees that I’m holding those he starts running laps around the backyard

M: He already knows what they mean?

B: Oh yeah. Like if I hold those and I don’t play with him, he’ll be sad. We try to play fetch as often as we can and he just goes for his ball, goes and gets the balls. He can do it all day

M: So would you say he keeps you active or do you keep him more active?

B: Kind of both there will be day where I don’t want to do anything today and I’ll look at Zig and he really doesn’t have a choice. He goes whenever I go so sometimes he’ll get my lazy butt up to go run or play with him outside because he doesn’t have a choice so it’s kind of my responsibility to. So it’s kind of a little bit of both.

M: Ok so we’ll move on.

B: So that is my front door. The front door to my home. You can probably see he is actually standing there maybe. Every time I come home you can hear his tail whipping everything, you can hear him gasping, panting trying to get. Like I was standing right there trying to take the picture and he was freaking out. Come on, come in already! So every time I see that door I expect Ziggy to be on the other side, unless he's in the backyard or sleeping.

M: Would you say Ziggy is your pet or an extension to your family?

B: Definitely an extension of the family. Everyone treats him like family too. Technically he is a pet but he's a pack dog, pit bulls are pack dogs. So they become really loyal and figure you out as well as you figure them out so that in itself makes him more then just a pet. He can tell when we’re hurt. Like I came home, like when I come home and I have a new cut or something, I’ll walk through that door and the first thing he goes to is he smells where that cut is. No idea how it happens

M: He just knows exactly where to go? He wants to help you.

B: Yeah like when I injured my foot, I injured my heel plantar fasciitis an inner bleeding , INNER, first day I came home there were no outside abrasions, he was just sniffing my foot the whole time like the first couple minutes I came home, like how did he know?

M: Like how did he know where to go? It’s pretty cool

B: It’s strange more of an extension is kind of how I felt.

M: Ok we’ll go to the next photo

B: Well , ugh like I said Ziggy used to be my training partner for a mrathons and then uhh when I hurt my foot it became more of just a walking and he's exactly that a lil’ fun walker. That’s a picture of a baby’s toy box and I saw it and was like Ziggy's fun to walk. And he's little.

M: He's not that small.

B: (chuckles) he's not that small

M: He's a pretty big dog

B: Yeah he's a pretty big dog but yeah that was just kind of a I don’t know it just reminded me of him. He’s fun to walk.

END

Interviewer: Michelle Nunez

Interviewee: Natalie Cruz

M: Alright so can you tell me a little bit about copper?

N: Ok copper is 3 yrs old; we got him when he was 10 months old from the orange county

pound. He is we think a half Doberman half blood hound that what our vet said but we’re not

really positive. He had owners before us and yeah he had owners before us and when we picked

him up, when we actually like the day we actually got him at the pound was the day he went up

for adoption. And like when he came into the pound he had like a collar and everything and the

called his owners to pick him up and they said they didn’t want him anymore

M: That’s so sad

N: Yeah like it was really so sad because he’s so sweet so anyway so we took him home and he

was like 40 lbs. and he was like perfect size, he wasn’t like too big too small and they told us

that was as big as he was going to get and now he’s 85 bland like really huge but that’s ok. He’s

really hyper, he is like he has black on his back but the rest of his fur is like brownish red and

he’s got big floppy ears and big floppy lips

M: Ok so what made you get copper? Like why did you guys go to the pound to find a new

dog?

N: Well our other dog that we had for like 14 to 15 yrs. had just pasted away like uhm maybe

like a month and a half before this and we were going to wait like a really long time before we

got another dog but the house was just so lonely and I didn’t like being home alone anymore

because I didn’t feel safe so I made my dad like decide we needed to get a dog so we went

down to the pound and I actually really wanted this other little puppy but my dad like feel in

love with copper because he thought copper was like ugh so well behaved like we played with

him in the little like you know like

M: Like the play area?

N: Yeah yeah the little play area so my dad convinced me he would be a good dog to get so we

adopted him and brought him home and he was not well behaved he was really crazy and he

like ruined the house for like the whole first year we had him.

M: So you got him as a companion not as just as a dog?

N: Yeah cause I didn’t like being at home alone, and I felt lonely and scary and I just hated it.

M: Ok so I guess we’ll move on to the photos now

Ok

M: Alright so here’s the first photo. So why did you choose this photo to describe copper?

N: Uhm ok so i chose that photo because it just reminded me about how he’s always happy and

he’s got a bright and sunshiny personality and yeah it’s like when we come home, his face is

almost like he’s actually smiling. I just tell myself he’s actually smiling and that’s how happy

he is to see me.so i thought the smiley face volleyball was fitting

M: So you are making your dog into a person?

N: Yes

M: Ok. So we will move on to the second photo.Ok alight so why did you choose this photo?

N: oh so i took this picture of all the ice creams uhm because that’s like coppers favorite human

food to eat besides maybe like salmon he really like salmon (chuckles) but he like has his own

ice cream and my mom buys like a vanilla ice cream like every other week so that he has, so

that when we have ice cream like if it has chocolate and he can’t have that then he has his own

vanilla ice cream and she serves him first all the time

M: So would you say that your dog is spoiled?

N: He’s like the definition of spoiled- he has his own ice cream bowl! Like? (Chuckles)

M: Ok so we’ll move on to the next photo, alright so why did you chose this photo

N: ok so when we first got copper, he was strictly supposed to be an outside dog and i think he

slept outside for like 2 days and then we convinced my mom to let him sleep inside but he had

to sleep in the living room like on his little bed and then we decided that like that made us too

sad too so then he got to sleep in my parent room on his bed next to their bed and now he sleep

in their bed with them every single night. so the teacher that i work with like i told him how he

sleep with my parents and how he like takes up the whole bed cause he is so big and so he stole

that sign off of someone hotel room door for my parents to have because it’s not my parents

room its basically coppers room, and coppers bed.

M: So do you still have his original bed?

N: Yeah my dad built a frame for like his doggie mattress that like matched their bed, like he

stained it the same color wood and everything so that it would match with like the bedroom

furniture but it doesn’t matter because copper doesn’t sleep on it

M: So it just sits in their room?

N: Yeah now it’s like his outside bed when we’re gone for the day

M: Ok we’ll move to the next photo, ok so what made you think of copper when you saw this?

N: so i took a picture of the window seal it like our front dining room window because that is

his little view of like the whole world he just like if any sound goes by like a car, or because we

live next to the school, like anytime a little kid runs by, especially at like the end of the day

when the kids get out he’s just glued to that little corner of the window and he just watches all

the kids go by and barks at them and scares them and that just like how he view the world

through that little window

M: So would you say that he is protecting the house by looking through there?

N: yeah like when the mail man comes we have to shut the window because one time he pushed

the screen out and like my mom walked by like the front yard and she came home and copper

was like hanging out like chilling there

M: So we’ll go on to the next photo. So when you saw this what made you think of copper?

N: Ok so this is at California adventure, and it was on the cars land ride so it has like all the

little cars decor, so this was supposed to be like a gas pump that said “butte gas” and it just

made me thing of copper because he farts all the time. (Chuckles)

M: So he just a stinky dog

N: Just a stinky boy dog. He sounds like such a bad dog but he’s not

M: Alright so what made you think of copper when you sent this photo?

N: This is coppers toy basket because he has so many that we decided that he needed a basket.

he actually has like multiples of the same toy just in different colors, in case he wants to play

with a different color so like every night at dinner when we are like eating he comes and like

flips it over and like gets all his balls and he like entertains himself until we are done with

dinner and then he gets to go on his run and that’s like his nightly routine.

M: Well dogs are color blind so why would the colors matter?

N: Because it matters! It just matters

M: Does he know the difference between the different toys?

N: It going to be a different shade of grey (chuckles)

M: Ok so we’ll go to the next photo

N: That is our pig uhm it’s a cookie jar but his treats go in it and it’s fitting because he’s kind of

a little pig he just eats everything! Like he likes to eat every everything. I think the only thing

he doesn’t like to eat is lettuce.

M: Where is the cookie jar located?

N: It’s in the kitchen

M: Is there a reason it’s in the kitchen and not outside?

N: He has treats outside too

M: So we’ll go to the next photo

N: Those are the chili peppers hanging in our kitchen and they just reminded me of copper

because he’s a spicy little tamale because he’s got a lot of energy

M: So next photo, why did you take a photo of bacon?

N: Because he loves bacon. it’s his favorite breakfast meat and like i guess especially breakfast

well i don't know but he just whenever you cook especially the bacon you always have to tell

him to like back up because he like stands like when you cook he stands like right at your feet

because he’s like hoping you’ll drop something so like the bacon is the most difficult thing to

cook owning copper. As his owner bacon is not fun to cook

M: Ok so we’ll move to the next photo

N: Ok so that’s my seashell ring and i took that picture because coppers favorite place in the

whole world is the beach.

M: Ok so why does he like the beach?

N: because he really really really likes to play with other dogs and he likes to swim in the water

and he like has so much energy he has to run a lot so like the beach gives him enough space that

he can just run and run and run till he is exhausted which is nice for us because he’s like almost

never exhausted. the beach is also our favorite place to take him to, when we take him to the

beach uhm he like right when we turn on to Warner to go past Bolsa Chica to get to the

Huntington dog beach he starts to shake because he get so excited like he knows that when we

are on that street we are almost there. He knows now

M: And like when you guys take him to the beach is he off the leash or on the leash? And does

he always come back?

N: Uhm. He listens to my dad better because i think my dad is like much more forceful with

him and my mom and i are just like pushovers so i don't feel comfortable. i have taken him by

myself but he just doesn’t listen that well so i usually don't take him unless my dad’s with me

END

HT: The purpose of this interview is to understand the relationship between a consumer with his/her dog. In this case, I want to learn about why you sent me the pictures that you did. I will be asking you a series of questions to better understand your emotions towards each pics. So...First, Can you tell me a little bit about Chloe? CE: She is mix of a matlie and puddle. She’s about 8 months old and I got her back in July. She’s probably I would say a foot and a half tall standing up. She has white fur. HT: When is her birthday, do you know?CE: I don’t know the exact date, but it’s some time in April. HT: Perfect, so now let’s start with the first picture. Why did this picture remind you of Chloe? CE: I think it reminded me of her fur. It’s white. I love running my hand through her fur because it’s fluffy. HT: Thank you. For the second picture, what kind of emotion did you have when you sent me this picture?CE: I have a feeling of nostalgia because my dog always finds a way to uhm...take my shoes and bite them no matter how many times I told her not to. HT: Do you miss her since you don’t live with her?CE: I really do because even though my parents try to take care of her but I don’t think it’s up to my standard. I feel like I treat her like a younger sibling to me. I would always find ways to spoil her just the way that I do with my little siblings. I feel responsible for her most of the time. I love taking care of her as a family member. HT: How much money do you think you spend on your dog? like a lot?CE: Well i mean, I can’t quote on how much I spend but i know i spend a lot of money on her. Like quality foods, and toys. I don’t really buy her that many toys because she’s a puppy and she loves to bite on things. But I tend to buy her quality items and yeah I guess I do spend a lot of money on her. HT: So the next picture. Can you tell me a little bit about the meaning behind this one? CE: Well, I chose a pic of a blanket because when she was really young after i picked her up from the pound, she would always snuggle with me under the blanket and cuddle with me. So now looking at this picture it reminded me of her when she was little. HT: Do you allow Chloe to sleep with you on the same bed? CE: Uhm yes i do. i mean its not a problem for me but my parents do. they think dogs should sleep on the floor. but i believe chloe is like my younger sibling so i have no problem with her sleeping with me. HT: Okay, so now we’re gonna move on to the next picture.CE: I chose a pic of a bed simply because when i moved hers to long beach. My parents told me that every time they let her into the house, she immediately jumped on my bed and lay there.HT: Is she most comfortable with you? compare to your parents or your siblings? CE: I would say yes because i feel like out of my whole family, I give her the most attention. Like she would cry or get excited when I come home or leave. And I don’t really see this reaction to my other family members. HT: Thank you. Now let’s move on to the next picture. Can you tell me a little bit about your emotion or why you sent me this one?

Interviewer: Hannah Tran Interviewee: Charlene Enriquez

CE: Well i mean i felt like the fireplace represented the warmth coming from my dog. it sounds weird but because i feel warm and bubbly when I come home and see my dog. HT: Do you feel any sense of security with Chloe? CE: Most definitely! She likes to play around as if she’s a guard dog and barks at everything that moves around me, despite her small size. HT: That’s very cute. *chuckle*. With this next picture, can you tell me the meaning behind this? CE: So on a daily basis when i go home, i take my dog out for a walk at least 2 times aday. within those walks, i take her out to the park to play fetch. And sometimes when i wait for the bus to go to school and seeing the sidewalk, i feel nostalgic wishing i could be home to take my dog out for a walk. HT: So it’s more like a routine in everyday activities to take your dog out for walks? CE: Well, it’s not more like a routine because i love to do it regardless. She enjoys it and I enjoy it as well. I feel refreshed. It’s nice to have some alone time with Chloe, I take her out on walks at least twice a day. When I have a bad day, that’s what I do; taking a walk with Chloe. HT: I find this picture a little intriguing. Can you tell me a little bit about this? CE: Well i picked the soap because the scent is the same as her own shampoo. and so like when i wash my hands using the soap it reminds of her. Now that i don’t see her all the time, i think about her every time I smell this. HT: Okay, next picture, shall we? CE: UHm...so when i first got my dog before i didn’t have any toys for her initially. However, I had a box of toys including the Stitch stuffed animals in the livingroom so one of the 1st toys that my dog decided to take out the box was the stitch toy. There was a point in time where i was looking for the toy for a long time to realize that she hid it behind her bed. HT: Did you end up buying her more toys after that?CE: oh yeah definitely, seeing that she wants to chew on something and I don’t want her to chew on my toys, I want to get her something to make her happy. HT: Is she over the chewing phase? CE: for the most part she is because i believe her teeth have fully grown out so she isn't teething anymore. however, we do hide things from her because she sometimes would still chew on things, but not as often as before. HT: Lysol wipes, what’s up with this picture? CE: So i chose the lysol wipes, when she was a small puppy, we tried to train her but she still had her accidents on the hardwood floor. i went through a lot of wipes to clean up the mess and this went on for maybe a good month. HT: That’s awesome. we went over all the pictures. Thanks for your time. CE: Of course.

END.

Interviewer: Hannah Tran Interviewee: Charlene Enriquez

HT: So Diana, thank you so much for meeting up with me today and the purpose of me doing this interview with you is just to better understand the relationship between a consumer with his or her own dog. In this case, it will be between you and your dog Nemo. I will be asking you a series of questions in regards to the pictures you sent me and why you sent me these pictures and what kind of emotions that you had when you encountered these things and you took these pictures and you sent them to me. So before we start, can you just tell me a little bit about Nemo?DS: Yes! Nemo is my baby *laughs*. He is about 4 years old and I got him when he was about 3 months old. He is half pit bull and half chihuahua which sounds like a really weird mix. He’s very sweet and I love him a lot. HT: How big is he?DS: It’s really hard for me to say because I am really short. He’s a medium size dog. HT: Yeah cool. Is he a sweet dog? Because most people have a negative perception about this type of breed. How is Nemo like?DS: Yeah I agree. But it is all about the owner. If you’re a mean owner, you’re gonna have a mean dog. We are nice owner so Nemo is a very sweet dog.He loves kids and he loves fellow dogs. I only saw him got into an argument with another dog like once because it tried to get Nemo’s toy. HT: Yeah. I notice that dogs they are tend to be possessive over their possessions like toys. So let’s get started and I am going to ask you the first question about this first picture. Can you just talk to me a little bit about this one and what kind of emotion did you have?DS: This is the picture of the stair that leads up to my front door. Basically the story behind this is every time we take him out or coming back home, he would run up the stairs but he wouldn’t go into the house. He would just wait outside the door and look down the stairs like “hey hurry up, why are you taking so long”. It reminds me of a kid that is during recess. HT: Does he do that with just you or everyone in the family? DS: Not everyone in my family. Just me and my dad because a lot of time my dad is the one who feeds him so he thinks my dad would give him food. With my mom and sister, he would just walk up and run inside. HT: So that’s the special that he has with you and your dad, pretty much. DS: MhmmHT: Moving on to the next picture. DS: This is our living room during Christmas time, and as you can see it’s very decorative. We love to go all out on Holidays and celebrate everything that brings us joy. This picture reminds me of him because every Christmas, we would dress him up in Santa hat. It’s more of like a tradition. He’s more than just a dog. He’s my child. He doesn’t get mad at us for doing it. He actually enjoys it. HT: That’s so cute. For the next picture, can you just tell me a little bit about your emotion towards this? DS: It’s a little strange to see a bush and what does it have anything to do with dogs? but with this particular bush, this is where a family of squirrels hang out. This is our big back yard and he likes to run around and just frolics to hunt for squirrels. Now every time we let him out, it’s the first place that he runs into no matter what. HT: Do you think Nemo is an active dog.

Interviewer: Hannah Tran Interviewee: Diana Salmeron

DS: I don’t think he is active as he would like to be. I am very busy with my job and I hardly ever have time for Nemo. I take him out on hikes with my friend and his dog when we get a chance. We have a big backyard at home so we play fetch on the weekends. I love seeing him being energetic. HT: That’s perfect. So about this picture, can you talk to me a little bit about this?DS: This is the drive way and the gate that closes us off from the street. When this gate is closed, we let him roaming around the yard since he can’t get out. When I come home and get out of my car and get to the gate, he always gets excited. Sometimes he would bark but he wags his tails all the time and his bells would jingles because he’s jumping up and down. I am afraid one day he’s gonna break the fence *laughs*. It makes me feel loved every time I come home to see him. HT: You just look forward to seeing Nemo after a long day of work. Can he tell when your car is approaching or when his owners are coming home to wait for you guys at the gate?DS: Yeah, he would notice my car when I drive by and turn around and then by the time I’m at the gate, he’s like “oh my god she’s coming home” and he’ll be so excited to see me. He’s recognizes the cues of me coming home from my blue car. HT: What about this picture? DS: It makes me a little wistful and I miss him just looking at these pictures *laughs*. This is one of the chairs in our dining room. He likes to sit on it and i know there are a lot of owners that think animals should stay off the furniture but we are not like that. He is a good dog and we let him do a lot of things that he wants. He likes to sit on that chair. Maybe he likes to be a person. It caught me so off guard seeing him being comfortable on that chair for the first time. After that, it’s normal to see him sits on that chair. HT: Do you consider Nemo as a pet or your extended family?DS: We definitely see him as an extension of our family. As I said we dress him every Xmas and send our friends his pictures. HT: Do you guys feed him at the time during dinner time?DS: We don’t feed him at the table. But my dad feeds him at a same time. It’s like dinner time for the whole family. HT: THis next picture, can you talk a little bit about this?DS: *laughs* this is the couch in the living room where we hang out. This is Nemo’s spot and he got in trouble with my dad the first couple months when we first got him because my dad didn’t really want Nemo. It was more of my mom, sister, and I that wanted him. My dad wasn’t completely sold on Nemo yet, and I think that’s why my dad was like “NOPE. NO DOG”. My dad is very particular about where he sits when he watches TV, so with Nemo being on my dad’s spot, he would snudge Nemo over and slowly Nemo established his own spot in the middle of the couch. HT: It’s so funny how at first your dad wasn’t so fond of Nemo, and now they have such a special bond and Nemo would wait for you and your dad up the stairs. DS: Haha yeah. I think it has a lot to do with how much time they spend together on that couch. They watch TV together. HT: What about this next picture?

Interviewer: Hannah Tran Interviewee: Diana Salmeron

DS: This is our backdoor that connects with the living room with the backyard. Sometimes when we forget him outside, he would use his tail to wag against the door and makes noises to get our attention. He won’t bark like other dogs do. He’s very polite. HT: Considering he’s a pit bull and being so gentle is really cute and funny. DS: Yeah.HT: What about this picture?DS: Hahaha, all these pictures make me laugh. This is the corner of our kitchen, there’s a small gap behind the fridge and sometimes he would hide there so we won’t send him out. But he fails every single time. HT: Do you feel any sense of security when you’re around Nemo?DS: Yeah, he’s the pit bull but people are intimidated by him, even though they shouldn’t be. Whenever I am at home alone, I always bring Nemo inside with me. I feel much better. HT: Moving on the next picture. Can you elaborate a little bit about this?DS: This picture makes me feel content and safe. It’s my bed and comforter. It’s where I do my reading, watching Netflix, etc. Nemo loves to cuddle up with me here when I am in my room. When he’s in my bed, he’s very calmed. HT: Do you let him sleep with you all the time? DS: Yeah, I do. My sister and I take turn to sleep with him *laughs*HT: And about this picture here? DS: Yea. This is a puddle on the side walk. He kinda reminds me of a kid. Kid loves puddles and splashing puddles. and Nemo loves doing exactly that. He plays in puddles sometimes and gets himself really dirty. The only problem with this is that we have to shower him afterwards but he isn’t too fond of showering *Laughs*. HT: Well, I am glad we were able to cover all these pictures. Thank you so much for your time.

END.

Interviewer: Hannah Tran Interviewee: Diana Salmeron