 Scholar Claudia Mills wrote that Marty 's parents subscribe to the belief that because Shiloh is Judd 's property , they should not be concerned with how Judd treats Shiloh . They tell Marty : " You 've got to go by the law . The law says that a man that pays money for a dog owns that dog . " At odds with this philosophy , Marty strongly believes that love — not money — should determine ownership . 
