each reptile is different to the extreme. Snakes i wouldn't ever say like being held, many tolerate it but snakes don't have ears, so i think they lack a huge part of bonding. also they don't get scared by loud noises because of that.

I have a very very easy iguana. i have messed with her a lot but she never was bitey like some are.

Males have mating season where they can turn on the handlers a lot full out attacking them. but out of mating season they are normally nice.

I think people that own herps have a different idea about pets. they aren't for everyone. They don't come when called most of the time, they don't do tricks, they don't play fetch... but they are special in their own way. I Love kermit just as much as i love my cat, and dog, i also have a pet cow that comes (sorta) when called and i love her too, i used to go jogging with my cow.

Kendalle:
For the most part I would say that lizards can learn to tolerate you, but they will never bond with you.
When it comes to some of the bigger lizards I'm not so sure though. Especially when talking about green iguanas. They seam to actually react to their owners like intelligent animals, not just reactig on instinct.

I know of some iguana people who have had iguanas for 10 years. When they talk about their iguanas, they seam like quite intelligent reptiles, compared to other reptiles. They can interact with them and so on...

According to the ideas here goldfish can't be pets either pet "pet goldfish" is commonly excepted.

Quote:

n.

An animal kept for amusement or companionship.

While you may not want a pet that isn't a companion others like them for the amusement, like watching fish to relax or reptiles, frogs, insects. Pet is simply any animal you keep for selfish reasons(companion,looks, amusements) and has no other workable purpose(food source, work animal).

What about Tegus?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz5mvOpCnvI

Not the nicest way to put it but that is pretty much it. To me, a pet is any animal you see frequentley and have an attachment to, wild or tame.

Actually, I would consider a goldfish a pet for a different reason anyways--it's a domestic animal .

Work dogs are normally thought of as pets.

Not everywhere or everyone thinks this way.
I belong to a dog forum and some people over there believe differently.

hence NORMALLY.

Cops treat their dogs as pets at home.

Hunting dogs are give or take.

Search and rescue dogs are treated as pets

some are some arent. IT isnt if they have a purpose they aren't pets.

Many have mousing cats but also feed and pet them and tame them, some dont.

in the day that people used to have hunting dogs like terriers they were normally treated as pets as well.

Beagles here are treated as objects.They are used for hunting only...once they no longer hunt,they are often killed,abandoned or given away/sold.They are not seen as pets by many hunters.


Racing greyhounds are often treated the same way.Once they retire at age 5...most retire before age 5,they are often killed,sold/given to labs,abandoned.They are also not seen as pets by the racing industry.


Also breeds like great pyranees and other breeds like that are often kept only as work dogs.
My point is...alot of people don't see certain breeds as pets.That is my point.Sure,there are many who do consider their dogs pets even if they have a job to do,but not all.

It's probably not politically correct, but I consider all my animals to be pets. There are definatly some that I can interact with more than others, like my dog or rabbits verses my fish or gecko...but all the same, every single one of them has a name, and I am quite attached to them all. I enjoy interacting with them all, even if for some of them all that interaction involves is taking care of them and watching them in their cages.

Most race dogs are not pets either.
They will just get put down, when they are not good enough anymore.

or sent to asia for food.

but is that wrong? IDK. Food is food. Some people really need it, others are cruel. But i don't wanna get into that.

IMO eating an animal is not cruel, as long as you put the animal down in a good way, and it had a good life.

But if you look at race dogs. They are used until they can't run anymore, and then just thrown away.
I don't know if it's cruel, it's just unetichal if you ask me.

i agree, some cases are worse than others.