Pup Domain

This is my dog Ted sleeping on his bed. Being only six pounds, he does not take up a lot of space or “domain” in our home. But there are some areas that he feels he has rights to and spaces that only he utilizes. In these spaces, which include this bed, he feels safe and secure, and confident that he can rest and relax peacefully. His bed is so small that of course only he can use it and it would never be used by a member of our family. At the very beginning of the Lavine reading there is a quote that inspired me to photograph my dog in his domain. “Human beings share with other animals the need to mark territory that they are able to control.” Dogs innately defend and protect their territory. We used to have two dogs. Teds older brother Nacho passed away earlier last year. When they were both attempting to protect their own territories,  conflict occasionally arose. Ted has always had a strong attachment to his black and white bed and did not appreciate when his older brother inhabited it. In the second reading Rasmussen states “Many animals are also able to create a shelter for themselves, by digging a hole in the ground or building some sort of habitation above it.” While Ted did not “create” his bed, he claimed it as his own in a very animalistic way despite living a very luxurious and fabricated lifestyle in the home of humans. Ted’s domain is one that provides him comfort and safe-haven. It allows him to roll in a little ball and take a nice long nap. While it is a simple domain, it is a key part of his existence, similar to many dogs across the world.