It is a sacred trust. The animal comes in trust that it will be honored and taken care of, not necessarily loved, but treated with respect.

For all Life is One and in the acknowledgment of this, the caretaker, guardian, companion or whatever - honors their own life, the essence or spirit of that life, that consciousness. When methods of teaching or training that do not include love and respect are employed - it is not so much  that the animal is degraded to a piece of well trained equipment than that the 'trainer' is depriving and cheating him/herself of the opportunity to inter act and participate with another life form, another soul essence.
It is a form of denial. 

Denial that other species or life  forms have thoughts, feelings, emotions and spirit. Thoughts, feeling, emotions and spirit that they themselves are avoiding or fearful to express, experience and know.

 It is much like a slap in the face to the Principle of Creation, which may be termed the God Force. A  slap which Creation absorbs as a raindrop is absorbed in the ocean, but the one who gives the slap must one day address their action and all that it implies.

Please visit the Gardens of Sananda: http://www.1spirit.com/sananda

... Sananjaleen (June Hughes) states:  I live in a very small village, 50 miles west of Washington DC with four small longhaired Dachshunds - sananda@erols.com . ...