A Submissive By Any Other Name...

Of all the different names and archetypes I have encountered to describe or explain the relationship between a dominant and a submissive, I've always acknowledged the master and pet description as the one best suited my ideal relationship with a submissive.  A pet is a companion kept solely for the joy it brings into one's life, providing affection and unconditional love.

But as a master, there is a certain level of responsibility one assumes in owning that pet.   There are responsibilities to socialize it properly with others, to ensure that it is fed and rested, to maintain its health and appearance, and most importantly, ensure that it behaves in a way that is pleasing to its master.  Some times retraining of previous behaviors is required, and some times no amount of training would ever be enough to correct the behaviors of some pets.  This is was the intent of the contract that I had put forward - to mold a submissive to meet my desires for control, affection and love.

To extend the analogy further, I've been thinking about the personalities of cats and dogs.  I have always enjoyed both for specific, yet very opposite reasons.  The traits I've often valued in cats, particularly their independence and intelligence, are qualities I know I possess a great deal of when my head is clear of emotion.  More often than not, cats merely coexist with their owners, wishing for nothing more than food and maybe the occasional scratch behind the ears.  On the other hand, a dog's loyalty will always ensure you have a source of comfort at home, no matter how horrible your day was.  Dogs are typically more excited to see their master and are much more willing to please.

I want my submissive to be excited or happy to see me, to not shy away when I'm being playful or affectionate, to be reliant on me for a multitude of needs and desires, and to be the one person that will comfort me when the rest of the world is hellbent on testing how much bullshit I can handle at a single moment.  I can focus a contract on activities and actions, but it's harder to control words, and nearly impossible to control attitude or enthusiasm.  I'm frustrated with myself for letting weeks pass without any clear resolution on the contract, but I also feel hopeless about the prognosis for this relationship at this point because I don't see a positive attitude or any enthusiasm from pet regarding this or any other aspect of our relationship anymore.