Why Dogs are Special

It is obvious that dogs make good pets. They often make better pets than we make owners. After spending some time with the book, “The Domestic Dog. It’s Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People” by James Serpell, I realized many of the reasons why.

So many of us take our dogs for granted. But to give them credit due, they are exceptional at providing humans with what we consider valuable emotionally.

“Dogs seek out their owners for mutual contact, and provide affection that is not contingent upon the owner’s success or appearance. In this way, dogs may provide their owners with feelings of unconditional acceptance and, at the same time, enhance the person’s attachment to the dog.” Dogs provide us with what humans may not, even those closest to us. One way this is demonstrated at my house is “the homecoming.” If I have been gone five hours or fifteen minutes, the welcoming committee is there to greet me. How great is it to have sweet, smiling faces and wagging tails to greet you after you have been out? In my case, it is a lot of running and leaping and the bringing of toys at my arrival. You cannot help but smile and greet them positively. We are reinforcing this behavior.

Serpell also explains how “dogs develop specific attachments for individuals, and remain near or in physical contact with their owners as if attached by an invisible cord. They also tend to be active during the daytime when people are active, and with appropriate training, they defer to us as dominate social partners. More important, however, are dog’s extraordinary power of non-verbal expression by which they signal their love and regard for humans.” Dogs lack the ability to talk and cannot offer unsolicited advice, judgment or criticism. “

Dogs are affectionate and appear empathetic so their relationship with us tends to be perceived as sincere, reliable and trustworthy, while at the same, lacking many of the perceived threats of human friendships.  No wonder there are more dogs as pets than any other species. They offer to us, many times, what our human companions do not. This should motivate us to reciprocate with behavior that benefits them; training, stimulation and plenty of opportunity for play and exercise with us.

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 This article was written by Caroline Oldham of http://dogtrainingonlinetips.com - your online source for training tips, real life stories and advice in dealing with dogs. We ask that you consult with a professional dog trainer, veterinarian or canine behaviorist before implementing any of the advice or opinions contained on this site.