Pets are generally loyal to their owners. They are assumed to have unconditional loyalty especially dogs. However, I have discovered that this can be qualified if my recent observations are anything to go by. My uncle has an old dog which he acquired as a puppy. When his son started his own family, the dog shifted allegiance and no longer goes to his compound preferring to remain in his son's compound. He bought a puppy and I can vouch that it can do the same given a chance since it has accompanied me home and stayed there for some time. I think it has something to do with marking territory or if not, my uncle handles them in a contrarian way. I have also seen cases of puppies deserting their owner to live with a new host completely oblivious of the facts and gets well adjusted including barking and the like. This is particularly so if the dog is treated fairly compared to its former abode. Have you observed this phenomenon?