Dogs are unique animals because they can immediately become a part of your family. If you have had your dog for a long time there is no question this is true.

Dogs in general have similar social systems to those in the human world. They survive with the lead of an adult male who is alpha or dominant over all others in the pack. If the leader oversteps his boundaries then a strong and competent female will step in.

Just like your family works together as a group, so does the dog pack. There are social bonds and loyalty on both sides. Even if the family group or pack of dogs fight, it doesn't matter they are always united and come together when it counts.

Dogs have a great number of strengths. They are incredibly alert, have a strong sense of smell and many are superior hunters. Their ability to survive on something as small as food scraps makes them ideal to have around whether you're referring to ancient or modern times.

From Ancient Times to Today

This animal and human relationship is so strong that it even goes back to the prehistoric times.

Imagine a prehistoric hunter finding a lost wolf cub in the woods and bringing the animal home to care for it. They might have found that the cub fit in quite nicely at home. To top it off the hunter probably found that the wolf was helpful for practical reasons as well.

Of course, the wolf pack that prehistoric man would have found isn't quite as gentle and kind as the dogs we keep in our homes today. Wolves had just the rough type of personality that suited the prehistoric people, just like dogs suit our families today. It is our own domestication of dogs that makes them more and more suitable to living the family lifestyle.

The blending of dog and human culture is very strong. It doesn't matter what kind of dog you have or whether it's simply a companion or a working dog, it is a friend that will stick with you for life.

You might not use the dog as your primary means of survival like some groups did years ago, but it's likely your dog has its own role. Some of the roles dogs take on today are:

·Herding stock on farms
·Detecting drugs
·Helping lead the blind
·Guarding homes and businesses
·Rescue services

Beyond those extraordinary roles your dog can develop an emotional bond with you and the other members of your family. This ability and desire to bond with the family lifestyle and humans individually has given them a special place and role in the hearts of many humans. Most dogs naturally love people and are extremely protective of children. Through the domestication process they have definitely earn the right to be called "man's best friend".

Whether you're ready to have a good time or need some extra comforting, your dog will be there offering true "unconditional love".

It's important to nurture and care for your dog so that they can thrive. As long as they are receiving the nourishment they need and the attention they deserve you can count on having a friend for life.

I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren't certain we knew better. They fight for honor at the first challenge, make love with no moral restraint, and they do not for all their marvelous instincts appear to know about death. Being such wonderfully uncomplicated beings, they need us to do their worrying. ~George Bird Evans, Troubles with Bird Dogs

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by hotdog

I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren't certain we knew better. They fight for honor at the first challenge, make love with no moral restraint, and they do not for all their marvelous instincts appear to know about death. Being such wonderfully uncomplicated beings, they need us to do their worrying. ~George Bird Evans, Troubles with Bird Dogs

HI!

Just wanted to thank you for the above quote---I really like it. I am also drawn to dogs because they are like my children---which prob. a lot of people
want (need) esp. after the real children have grown up and left the nest. They make great companions and will love you no matter what! (Of course an abused dog may not love you) They make good watchdogs too.

yes, it is true

[Kingsbridge Cav]

I've done some reading on "therapy dogs" and find it absolutely heartwarming to know that I receive no judgment from my dogs. They look up at me as if to say "you can do no wrong"!
If we got that from mankind, we may never have needed the therapy of a beloved pet!
On a similar vein, dogs in school situations are great for students who cannot read to another person, but will sit and read to a therapy dog without the fear of receiving judgment or correction.
I teach in a preschool where we have a student who has a high anxiety and will not speak to anyone but his mother (called selective mutism). We have been successful in teaching a little sign language, but I am convinced that if this little boy had the companionship of a dog at school, he would speak to the dog instead of classmates and teachers.

My wife introduced me to the world of dogs a few years ago. I now love dogs but also, she made me discover that the way we look at them is a little bit silly. We try to make childrens of them wich is wrong because we overlook there basic needs doing so. I was looking at a company from canada who sells the Aikiou. For those of you who dont know what it is, there web site is www.aikiou.com and it'S a bowl intended to make them think and act the way they would by fighting for there food in nature and turns lunch into a game. A dog is an animal with needs we don't think about, because of our perception of them. I think a great proof of our love for them would be to give them back there nature as an animal and as a friend and companion. They are now childrens and treating them like that, we are changing there basic nature. We don't like to be changed, neither do they. Love them, don't change them to be as you would like them...