History Main / ApatheticPet

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** After Swinub becomes Piloswine (and later a Mamoswine), he [[TookALevelInJerkass becomes more of a jerk]]. He ignores Dawn's commands and [[HeroismIncentive only obeys her when he's bribed in some way]]. He even [[WouldHitAGirl attacks her a few times]]. He [[TookALevelInKindness overcomes this]] in "Trials and Adulations!" when Dawn helps heal his injuries, though he still retains a small rebellious streak.

* Throughout ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', the Bundy's family dog Buck's mental voice frequently made clear his disdain for the deadbeat family he was stuck with. In one episode, he is sent to get help after Al and Bud get lost in the woods, he goes home and leaves them to their fate. When Buck finally passed away, he is tried in heaven for his past {{Jerkass}}ery (though not towards the Bundys, [[KangarooCourt the judge was a cat]]), and, as a CoolAndUnusualPunishment, is reincarnated as the Bundys' new puppy, Lucky.

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* Throughout ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', the Bundy's family dog Buck's mental voice frequently made clear his disdain for the deadbeat family he was stuck with. In one episode, he is sent to get help after Al and Bud get lost in the woods, he goes home and leaves them to their fate. When Buck finally passed away, he is tried in heaven for his past {{Jerkass}}ery (though not towards the Bundys, [[KangarooCourt the judge was a cat]]), and, as a CoolAndUnusualPunishment, is reincarnated as the Bundys' new puppy, Lucky.
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** Once Charmander becomes Charmeleon, it increasingly ignores Ash's commands. When it becomes Charizard, it almost completely stops following Ash's orders, even costing him a championship match because it refuses to fight the other Pokemon. Eventually, it returns to being loyal to Ash after it regains respect for its trainer.

* ''VideoGame/{{Pokemon}}'': It is possible for a Pokemon to disobey their trainers if it has been traded and they don't have the right amount of badges (which varies based on their levels).

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* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'': In "Mr. Mojo's Rising", Mojo Jojo is revealed to have been Professor Utonium's lab assistant before he became an UpliftedAnimal. [[SelfServingMemory Though Mojo remembers being helpful to the Professor]], as it turns out, Mojo never helped him and always loved to destroy things.

* [[PlayingWithTropes Played with]] in the ''Film/JurassicWorld'' films, specifically ''Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom''. While the velociraptors were not Owen's pets, they were trained and practically raised by him. The majority of them maintained their killer instincts and would attack or threaten Owen when he pretended to be in distress, uncaring that he was their caregiver. This was subverted with Blue, being the only raptor to show empathy and emotion towards her caregiver.

* Throughout ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', the Bundy's family dog Buck's mental voice frequently made clear his disdain for the deadbeat family he was stuck with. In one episode he is sent to get help after Al and Bud get lost in the woods, he goes home and leaves them to their fate. When Buck finally passed away, he is tried in heaven for his past {{Jerkass}}ery (though not towards the Bundys, [[KangarooCourt the judge was a cat]]), and, as a CoolAndUnusualPunishment, is reincarnated as the Bundys' new puppy, Lucky.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': DependingOnTheWriter, Gary the Snail can be this. Certain episodes portray him as not particularly concerned about his owner [=SpongeBob=] and only really being able to enjoy himself when he is away. Subverted in "Gary's New Toy", where Gary initially cares more about his new ball than [=SpongeBob=] and just continues playing with it and watching TV after [=SpongeBob=] says he is going to leave forever, only to want [=SpongeBob=] back when he realizes that [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone his actions drove him away and he really is gone]].

This occurs when that's not the case.

* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesBlackAndWhite'': Excadrill usually ignores his trainer Iris and spends most of his time curled up in "drilling" pose. This is later subverted when it's revealed that [[HiddenHeartOfGold he only ignores Iris because he's afraid of disappointing her]], and he becomes obedient to her again after they make amends with each other.

* Downplayed in ''Literature/CatPack''. The cats are attached to their owners, but at the same time they believe that CatsAreSuperior and that they'd do fine on their own if only they could open their own food cans.

* Downplayed in ''Literature/{{Doglands}}''. Many dogs do love their owners in their own way, but it doesn't equal to the love they feel towards one another. Their owners aren't their equal and they're more like caretakers than friends.

* Some ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' comics have dogs debating the pros and cons of murdering their owner: in once case, there'll be no more treats, but there'll be no more "Fetch the stick, boy!"

* ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'': Snoopy is an independently minded dog who barely acknowledges Charlie Brown as his owner, unless he wants to be fed. He doesn't even refer to Charlie Brown by name, only as "the round headed kid." He [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold does show that he cares for Charlie Brown]] from time to time, moreso in [[AdaptationalNiceGuy animated productions]].

* Throughout ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', the Bundy's family dog Buck's mental voice frequently made clear his distain for the deadbeat family he was stuck with. In one episode he is sent to get help after Al and Bud get lost in the woods, he goes home and leaves them to their fate. When Buck finally passed away, he is tried in heaven for his past {{Jerkass}}ery (though not towards the Bundys, [[KangarooCourt the judge was a cat]]), and, as a CoolAndUnusualPunishment, is reincarnated as the Bundys' new puppy, Lucky.

** [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Yoshi]] resents Mario for [[UngratefulBastard not being grateful about how Yoshi and his kind have taken care of him since he was a baby]]. In "If Mario and Yoshi Switched Places", he [[TheDogBitesBack forces Mario to be his mount for once]] and jumps over a pit, which causes Mario fall into it. When [[NotTheFallThatKillsYou it's revealed that a pile of dead Yoshis cushioned his fall]], Yoshi is flabbergasted and annoyed.

* Played with for ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', as Nibbler is in fact TheMole and a highly intelligent surveyor who is pretending to be Leela's dumb pet. His role largely consists of playing this however as his persona is frequently destructive, gluttonous and never breaks character to help the crew when they are in danger. It's never quite made clear whether it is down to being this trope for real or [[BecomingTheMask just taking his role a bit too seriously]].

* ''WesternAnimation/PAWPatrol'': Sweetie appears to be neutral to her owner, the Princess of Barkingburg, and she has no qualms with [[ManipulativeBastard manipulating her]]. In "Mission PAW: Pups Save the Royal Throne", she floats off in a throne using [[{{Balloonacy}} balloons]] so she can rule somewhere else and she doesn't seem to miss the Princess (though the latter definitely misses her). However, [[EvenEvilHasStandards she draws the line at the Princess being in danger]], as shown in "Jet to the Rescue", when she decides to [[EnemyMine help the PAW Patrol save her owner]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TigNSeek'': Tiggy's cat Gweeseek is supposed to be a genius, yet spends most of her time doing typical cat stuff -- batting things off ledges, lying on sunbeams, that sort of thing. She mostly ignores Tiggy's commands, and often does things that impede their missions. OnceAnEpisode, however, Gweeseek will build a device out of random junk to help Tiggy. Whether she's ObfuscatingStupidity or genuinely apathetic towards Tiggy unless he's in real danger is left unclear.
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** This trope is deconstructed in [[https://schulzlibrary.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/garfield.jpg this 1989 arc]] when Garfield sees a future where his house is completely empty and he realizes that, after all these years of taking Jon's care for granted, what he truly fears is loneliness. When he snaps out of it, he gives Jon a big hug and says that he doesn't need breakfast, he needs Jon."

* ''WesternAnimation/OpenSeason'': Mr. Weenie initially wants to get away from his owners, and when he meets the forest critters, he rips off his clothes and admits he's been living a lie all this time. When one of his owners, Bobbie, finds him in the second movie, he's not very happy about going with her. He [[CharacterDevelopment overcomes this]] when he realizes how much she loves him and that he loves her, too.