What kind of human are you to your dog?

A teacher

A teacher passes his knowledge on to an individual, assesses it, and helps it develop; s/he prepares the individual for his/her future.

A police officer

A police officer verifies the information s/he is given according to established societal rules, ensures their enforcement through education or law enforcement; s/he guarantee that individuals do not pose a threat to one another.

A lawyer

A lawyer advises and defends the interests of the individual s/he represents.

A mediator

A mediator intervenes as a neutral individual between two opposing parties in order to ease tensions or resolve conflicts.

A translator

A translator is an expert who is as fluent in a language and culture as the one s/he was born and grew up in.

A guide

While guide professions vary, they all require welcoming, directing, and looking after the individuals they accompany, adapting to them, and knowing the environment in which they guide them.

A psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has specialized in mental disorders.

A friend

Even though "friend" has a subjective definition that varies according to one's expectations, it generally refers to someone with whom one shares a bond, activities, and towards whom one feels a pleasant feeling.

A parent

A parent cares for, educates, and protects the being s/he is responsible for. The parent is not necessarily the one to whom one is genetically related.

In reality, we very often play all these roles and even more for our dogs. How we choose to fulfill these roles, how we engage in our relationships with our dogs, depends more on our moral values, our experiences, and our moods. We don't have a role, a label, or a badge in our dogs' eyes. We have feelings, actions, doubts, and desires. What really matters is that we know who we want to be for them, who we want them to see in us.