[ SHOWGSD-L ] The Love of a Dog / bonding, etc?
- From: Pinehillgsds@xxxxxxx
- To: klite3gsd@xxxxxxxxx, showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2006 07:23:47 EST
In a message dated 11/12/2006 10:20:28 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
klite3gsd@xxxxxxxxx writes:
I guess those people never
left their dogs for a couple of days to return to that love. Cowboy and
Kacy were ecstatic, you could see it in their faces. Sparkle jumped up and
down, up and down, up and down, until I lowered my face close enough for her
to kiss.... I know I'm preaching to the choir here - but there IS the Love
Of A Dog and for me, that makes life completely worthwhile!
Kim - Kimberlite
We humanize the heck out of our dogs. It pleases us to do so! I know I'm
guilty of it, lol.
There's another side though, and while we may find it at first a bit
off-putting, think it through...
Have you ever sent a dog with a handler for a weekend or a few weeks, maybe
even one who was born into your hands, who you thought their whole world
revolved around you and only you??? I have, and much to my consternation (and
not a little bit of hurt feelings!) my dog had a new best friend. He didn't
miss me in the least...sigh:( Now the good news is the dog was happy, but I
have to say my nose was a bit out of joint!
Have you ever had a bitch in to be bred that within a day or two was your
best friend, acting like she was born at your place, not a care for what she
left behind? I have. Who hasn't? Much to the dismay of their owners I might
add, who are worried "did Precious eat?" And are they happy to see their
owners in a few days....sure. But would they have been unhappy if they
didn't?
No, I really can't say they would be.
What about the war dogs in Iraq? I was amazed to learn that they work with
one handler for months, then when that handler (hopefully!) goes home, the
dog gets a new handler. Is there any loyalty or bond more important? Their
lives depend on one another.
What about seeing eye or service dogs? They usually have a foster family
for maybe a year, then they transfer their loyalty to a trainer and finally
they are paired with "their person" and transfer that loyalty once again.
When you return (from even a short trip to the mailbox) your dogs make a
fuss. Ears go back, head below shoulders, tails wagging and if you allow it,
they usually will jump, kiss your face, and if you sit on the floor, they'll
offer a belly to be rubbed. If you make a fuss back, you'll get high pitched
yips. Sound familiar? What about that behavior? It's how submissive dogs
(pack
members) greet their pack leader, with submission, usually joy (and in some
cases trepidation, ie. the dog that pees). The kissing near the face goes
all the way back to puppies greeting their momma hoping she brought food. We
humanize it, feeling welcome, needed, wanted, and it brings us joy, (well, not
the youngster who pees!) but all the same their antics that we like to
perceive as "oh I missed you, I missed you, my world revolves around you!!!!"
are
actually demonstrations of submission.
It's a relationship that, I think, we make complex. Are dogs loyal?
Absolutely. Can we say it's because they "love" us or are "bonded" to us? I
like
to think so, but I am also uncomfortably aware that those feelings can be
transferred to another person or people, and in the examples I've given above,
in a relatively short time. I also leave room that they are hard wired to the
"pack" mentality and perhaps what we perceive in our human mind as love,
loyalty, bonding, etc. is really their deference to a pack leader, doing what
they must for the survival of the pack and maybe....just maybe.... I'm
projecting emotions that I find fulfilling onto the dogs.
No matter. They're my emotions and I find it fulfilling to project them.
Kathy
member GSDCA, DVGSDC
three generations of Dual Titled TC'd Champions live here!
visit _Pine Hill German Shepherd Dogs_
(http://www.geocities.com/pinehillgsds/)
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