"My Dog's Just Like Me": Dog Ownership as a Gender Display

Abstract

Based on interviews with twenty-six dog owners in northeast Georgia, this article examines how people rely on gender norms to organize their relationships with their dogs. Owners use gender norms to (1) select what they consider to be suitable dogs, (2) describe their dogs' behaviors and personalities, and (3) use their dogs as props to display their own gender identities. Although these findings are specific to dog owners, they suggest ways individuals may attempt to display gender in other relationships characterized by a power imbalance.

Cat Person, Dog Person, Gay, or Heterosexual: The Effect of Labels on a Man’s Perceived Masculinity, Femininity, and Likability

“…Gender-related gay and heterosexual stereotypes are relatively resilient in the United States, though historically and culturally variable (Murray, 2000;White, 1993;Trumbach, 1989;Ross, 1983). By contrast, nonhuman animals may be more protean symbols for gendered interpretations, as evinced in couples' divergent projections of masculine or feminine traits onto their dog to support each partner's culturally prescribed gender identity (Ramirez, 2006). Salient similarities among types of cats might appear to diminish their use in diverse representations, at least by contrast with the varied breeds and types of dogs available for diverse representational purposes.…”

Continuing Bonds Research with Animal Companions: Implications for Men Grieving the Loss of a Dog

“…Much of the research specifically regarding the human-dog bond and attachment has been limited and sometimes contradictory. In one study, gender was not found to be a factor in how much people cared for their pet dogs (Ramirez 2006). In another study, compared to men, women were found to have a stronger attachment with their dogs (Margolies 1999).…”

Situated Activities in a Dog Park: Identity and Conflict in Human-Animal Space

“…The theoretical perspective of Erving Goffman has been successfully employed in various other contexts to understand human and animal interaction (e.g., Ramirez, 2006;Irvine, 2004). Here, Goffman's (1961) discussion of a "situated activity," a kind of focused interaction, provides an established framework for analyzing interaction that can be adapted to humans and animals and appears especially appropriate to understanding the formal dog park.…”