Dogs' Love of Man Isn't Just a Con Job

Townhall.com ^ | September 22, 2017 | Jonah Goldberg

[jmacusa]

I knew things were going to be different when my old Black Labrador(since deceased) told me once that he didn’t want to be called a ‘’dog’’ anymore. He told me that he wanted me to refer to him as a “Canine American’’.

[gundog]

I was cleaning a deer a few years ago. It was hanging from a tree. It got dark, so I set up a halogen light. My dog went and laid down on the edge of the light, and watched the darkness for intruders.

[Mase]

Agreed. There’s nothing better than unconditional love.

[Secret Agent Man]

Rather have a dog than a woman any day.

[Secret Agent Man]

You’ve just described women.

[DNME]

I read a brilliant theory explaining how dogs and humans might have learned to hunt together. Sorry, but I don’t remember whose theory it was.

Under this theory, the dogs do what they do best — chasing and harassing the prey, let’s say a Bison. Dogs would be happy to pursue and harry, nipping and snapping, until the big beast is exhausted. But the exhausted Bison is still dangerous in close quarters and the dogs would face serious danger going in for the kill.

That’s where the humans come in. Humans are lousy at chasing prey but they are very effective at killing. So the humans dispatch the Bison and both humans and dogs get together to share the big feast. I like it!

[Impy]

Dog ping

[Freedom56v2]

There is a reason Dog uses the same letters as God. We have had rescue Beagles for years and the love they show us and we show them cannot be replaced or replicated. Its unconditional and solid. How sad it would be to go home to a silent house every evening, no wagging tails, barking, howls and bays of joy.

---

Wonderful post :)

[NFHale]

Love my dogs. They’re better than people.

And they love back. Unconditionally, and fiercely.

[Paladin2]

Lock each in a car trunk for a while.

Release them.

Which one is happier to see you?

[Paladin2]

I think this research proves that muzzies are not human....

[sparklite2]

I don’t think so. There were times my mini-doxie had to stay in the house by herself for up to three days when I was gone on a business trip. I put out several bowls of food and plenty of water to tide her over.

She did not touch any of the food until I got back. Then she ran into the kitchen and wolfed down some chow. If all she cared about was survival would she have skipped eating for days because I was gone?

[COBOL2Java]

Can it be proven that Neanderthals never domesticated dogs?

Proving a negative?

[central_va]

The best alarm system is a dog. Way better than an electronic system. Works 7/24, knows friend form foe and can actually fight back. Their only fault as an alarm system is the off switch.

[CivilWarBrewing]

Dogs have no way of knowing you're coming back every time you leave, so most dogs will IMMEDIATELY go into 'ration' mode the moment you leave. They'll be unlikely to touch their food when you're gone because they are rationing their food supply not knowing if their food source will ever return.

Humans would do the same thing, right? If you get lost in the woods with only a piece of beef jerky, you SHOULD hold off eating it for as long as you can, not knowing when you'll find food again.

[CivilWarBrewing]

How is paper training the worse thing you can do? This is not merely paper training, it’s a fixed location in our house where newspaper is inside a 1 ft. x 2 ft. tray, and she NEVER makes mistakes in the house. She uses the tray whether we’re home or not. Oh, and she’s a TINY dog at 3 lbs.

[sparklite2]

Some comedian made the point a long time ago.

“When you leave in the morning, your dog doesn’t know if he’ll EVER see you again.”

It’s a fun thought and true to a minor extent, I guess. But my dog expected me to come back home and would be at her station atop the couch, looking out the window for me to round the corner on the way home, at the right time. I was expected to come back.

And she didn’t go into no-food when I left the house every morning. When I was gone too long, she didn’t ration. That implies she ate a little. She stopped eating entirely.

Other than the above, your post is right on. Heh.

[SunkenCiv]

A friend of mine had one of those tiny little energetic breeds of dog. I'm not a dog person, but when we'd take long walks for exercise, we'd take the little arfer with is, me with the leash. After some period of miles (and occasional stops at fast food joints for cups of water for us and the fido) he'd be all worn out, and had an empty colon to boot. He'd generally fall asleep with his adorable head on my boot. Of course, he may have liked me better just because I wasn't the one who took him to get his nuts chopped off. Thanks Kaslin.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Kaslin.

Pat Shipman even speculates in "The Invaders: How Humans and Their Dogs Drove Neanderthals to Extinction" that dogs gave us a competitive advantage against our (presumably) hated rivals, the Neanderthals. Dogs -- or proto-wolf/dogs -- weren't so much pets as allies in hunting big game, helping us evolve as a cooperative species.

PS is full of crap.

The Neandertal Enigma
by James Shreeve
in local libraries

"Frayer's own reading of the record reveals a number of overlooked traits that clearly and specifically link the Neandertals to the Cro-Magnons. One such trait is the shape of the opening of the nerve canal in the lower jaw, a spot where dentists often give a pain-blocking injection. In many Neandertal, the upper portion of the opening is covered by a broad bony ridge, a curious feature also carried by a significant number of Cro-Magnons. But none of the alleged 'ancestors of us all' fossils from Africa have it, and it is extremely rare in modern people outside Europe." [pp 126-127]

[fatima]

Have a couple of kids they live longer.