I had a Pekingese when I was a kid that I loved more than life, and as an adult, I thought of getting another that looked as much as possible like my beloved.
One day, I actually saw such a dog, and right away I knew I didn’t want to try and replace the “real” one. Besides, there are so many wonderful animals around, I don’t have enough lifetime to have all the pets I dream of having!
Dog has no apparent health problems at 5 1/2. He’s got an incredibly patient and loving temperament and yet has saved/warned my family in a few sticky situations. I was very upset that my parents didn’t save some of his sperm before he was neutered (he was neutered at 3 1/2, a few months after we got him). Many friends of the family and other dog owners have commented on how he’s the most well behaved and loving dog they’ve encountered. I think he’ll be irreplaceable.
If it’s a magical clone, absolutely as my dog Zen is the best ever. If I didn’t get the magical version and it might have a different personality, no way.
Although I no longer have a dog, I wouldn’t want clones of any of my former (beloved) ones. To begin with, my living situation is much different now than it was then. Big, outdoor-type dogs with lots of energy wouldn’t be a good choice for a middle-aged apartment dweller. To end with, most of what made dogs-past what they were, was the interaction between them and their human pack. I’m not the same person that I was then, so it’s unlikely that my dog would turn out the same.
Should I choose to have another, it will probably be a shelter or rescue dog, even if the magical clone was available.
No, because if I had a magic clone, it would take away from their specialness.
Instead of Dongle the great, there would be Dongle the beta test, Dongle v2.0, etc.
Because I have Bostons, they tend to have similar traits that make me smile (the piggy noises, big eyes, etc) but enough unique qualities that make each one special. If I had Dongle v2.0, I would have never gotten Stubby and that is a sad thought.
All of my dogs have been the best dog ever, so it’s hard to say.
But wouldn’t a clone be physically identical, but have a different personality? I could always find a dog that was physically close enough, without it being a clone.
Yes, because I would want the exact same dog who was The Best Dog EVAR ™ for 12 years.
No, because it would be unfair to the new clone who would never have its own personality and that kind of money for a clone could take care of alot of other homeless pups.
I’d be tempted with my current cat, but then again the thought is always tempting.
In the end I wouldn’t, not with so many cats out there needing homes. I do love her to pieces though and the fact that her super short, squirrel-like fur doesn’t aggrevate my husband’s allergies at all surely is a bonus.
Yes! If I am correct that the clone would be identical in appearance, then the genetics of the breed would fill in the other wonderful traits (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel). When I love a dog this much, I know the face. I know every detail of his face, I believe I could pick his face out of 100 Cavs. When I lose a dog that means this much to me (I’ve lost lots of dogs over the decades, but only one other one as important as this one), I miss seeing that face–looking up at me with a ball in his mouth, looking up at me as he sits to get a treat, looking at me with concern when it thunders, looking at me with that sweet face last thing at night before he puts his head down to go to sleep. When I lost the last great dog, I missed seeing her face every day. When I think about losing Sawyer, I think of the sadness of not seeing his face again. If the clone would have the face, then breeding and upbringing would fill in the rest.
No. I tend to think of clones as being identical in appearance but possibly entirely different in personality, and I think it would break my heart too much to have a dog who looked just like Bailey but wasn’t Bailey. At least, that’s how I feel now, after just two years.
I had a cat for 18 years who died in 2004, and every now and then I peruse kitty adoption events (I’ll have another cat someday). Six years later it’s still hard to see standard tabbys who look just like Smokey did.