Dog Ownership: A Complex Web?

Abstract

Current interest in pets and their therapeutic effects has created a need for comprehensive model of pet ownership. Although Kling and Scacchi's (1982) web model was designed to explain organizational computing systems, it makes a useful metaphor for dog ownership. The web model considers the resource to be an ensemble of equipment, applications and techniques, with costs and benefits only partially identifiable. A complex infrastructure is necessary to support the resource. Both resource and infrastructure are social objects, highly charged with meaning. Points from the web model were compared with examples from human-animal bond literature and the author's experience.