Love Fest

Unquestionably, there is a remarkable bond between dogs and humans. It’s doubtful even the most convinced dog haters would question that. 

Dogs have a way of making the darkest days get a bit brighter. They sense when we are sad, happy or need an understanding, if silent, friend. They are invaluable in many different roles as therapy animals, search and rescue dogs, guide dogs and service dogs. Hunters, from the time dogs were first invited into their camps, have relied on their canine companions to find and fetch game. Military establishments have recognized the value of dogs in warfare since at least 600 BCE, and dogs have been used in law enforcement since the Middle Ages.

Hunters, from the time dogs were first invited into their camps, have relied on their canine companions to find and fetch game. (Krista Smude, photo.)

For centuries, dogs have been hauling carts or sleds or carrying packs for us. They have also been used to keep vermin down to manageable levels. While doing all these different tasks, they have stood with us as devoted companions providing security — the tales of dogs giving their lives to protect their human pals are legion — and companionship. So the worth of dogs is unquestionable. But what is it that makes them also captivating?

For centuries, dogs have been hauling carts or sleds or carrying packs for us. 

Numerous scientists and researchers have tried to define what draws us to dogs and have tried, without a lot of success, to pin what this irresistible “something” actually is. Whatever it is, dogs seem to have it from the beginning. When a puppy cocks its head and looks at a person with those soft puppy eyes, it takes a pretty hard-hearted individual to not at least pick the pup up for a little cuddle. Who can really resist a side-to-side, rapidly wagging tail, that universal sign of joy and excitement that draws our attention to dogs immediately?

But there is more to a tail wag than just an indication of the dog’s mood. Researchers have found that a dog’s tail is one of the ways they communicate with us. Different types of tail wagging convey different emotions. For example, a stiff wag or two accompanied by raised hackles signals aggression. Woe betide the human who fails to recognize it for what it is: a clear warning that says, “Watch it, bub!” 

On the other hand, a dog’s happy tail wagging releases pheromones that we can pick up on, even though we may not be actually aware that’s happening. Their pheromones have been found to trigger positive feelings, which makes a wagging tail an important part of how dogs get to possess humans.

There is actually a growing body of evidence that owning dogs improves our health. Dog ownership is probably associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, and several studies have shown that dog owners have lower blood pressure than non-owners. There is also some evidence that owning a dog is associated with lower cholesterol and tryglyceride levels. A large study focusing on this question also found that these differences were not explainable by diet, smoking or body mass index.

Dogs also help people handle stress. There is research that suggests that people with dogs experience less cardiovascular reactivity in times of stress. Their heart rates and blood pressure go up less and return to normal more quickly, thus relieving the effects of stress on their body. Dog owners are less prone to bouts of loneliness, anxiety and depression. Simply petting your dog can make you feel less stressed, as well as creating a sense of happiness. One of the greatest benefits of owning a dog is that it encourages people to practice mindfulness — being in the present moment and fully appreciating life. Mindfulness can help you relieve stress and also improves your overall health. In fact, the Harvard Medical School has published a special health report titled “Get Healthy, Get a Dog.”

Simply petting your dog can make you feel less stressed as well as creating a sense of happiness. 

I once joked with my internist when my blood pressure was elevated that if he’d let me bring my dog into the exam room, it would probably lower my BP by 20 points. He replied that my joke wasn’t so far fetched, that scientists had found that interacting with a dog released oxytocin, sometimes called the “love hormone.” That explains why spending time with a dog instantly provides a mood uplift while at the same time offering love, support and, in a lot of cases, substantially lowered blood pressure.  

One of the skills dogs have acquired during their long relationship with us is the ability to understand our emotions. Most dog owners are well aware that their dogs know when their person is sad or upset, and without so much as a word, the dogs will come and put their head — as well as frequently a paw — on the sad or upset person’s leg, offering solace and a sympathetic ear along with making that person realize that they are loved. 

Researchers at the University of London found that dogs recognize human emotions by our facial expressions and body language. They can tell when we are happy, sad, stressed out or anxious, and provide the proper response to each of these emotions. They also have an ability to mirror our moods. If we are happy, they respond with lots of tail wagging and invitations to play. When we’re sad, they sit or stand quietly beside us, willing to listen to our woes, followed by the canine version of “Hey, it’ll be okay.”

Dogs have an ability to mirror our moods. 

One of the traits that endears dogs to us is the fact that we can be the most rotten, vile person imaginable, with our fellow humans loathing our very existence, screaming for our head on a pike, and the dogs still love us. That they are totally non-judgmental is a significant part of their charm. It’s also what makes them good companions, as they don’t criticize, hold grudges, nag or nitpick. Instead, they give us love and understanding. Their presence alone brings a sense of calm. Numerous scientific studies have shown that being around dogs reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increases the levels of that love hormone, oxytocin. This is one of the main reasons why dogs are so successful as therapy animals.

Part of a dog’s charm is that from birth they seemingly are programmed to want to help us. Even if it is only a puppy bringing a ratty old stick or a bird wing, they seem to love doing something for humans. Of course, doing something for us makes us happy, and in return gets the dog praise, pats, ear and tail head scratches, and, frequently, treats. From the dog’s perspective, what’s to lose with a deal like that? That’s probably why dogs with jobs always seem so happy.

Part of the charm of dogs is that from birth they seemingly are programmed to want to help us.

Our relationship with dogs began at least 14,000 years ago, as that’s the earliest remains found and tested so far where humans and dogs were interred together. But there are some other, unconfirmed or untested finds that suggest dogs and people have been pals for more than twice that long. But more important is the meaning of the discoveries — that we’ve lived with dogs at least that long and then chose to be buried with them. The bond between humans and dogs is more than a symbiotic relationship in which dogs hunt, haul and herd for us and we keep them warm, fed and provide medical attention in return. 

Military establishments have recognized the value of dogs in warfare for millennia. 

It’s really only by sheer genetic chance that our relationship with dogs exists at all. Dogs and wolves share 99.9 percent of the DNA passed down by their mothers. This means the two species are virtually indistinguishable. But in that genome there are some variables that make a world of difference. Investigators have discovered on chromosome six in particular, three genes associated with hyper-sociability that are in the same place as genes linked to similar attributes in humans.   

 Our ancestors didn’t have any knowledge of DNA or what genes were, but they did know that among the many scavengers that nosed around their campsites, there were sometimes one or two that would watch them very closely with soft, gentle eyes that were difficult to resist. So they welcomed these critters into their inner circle and eventually called them dogs. Those friendly canines, which eventually became Canis lupus familiaris, have been subdivided into hundreds of different breeds selectively bred for certain types of work, for color, for size, for temperament or for just plain cuteness.  

Once humans had evolved to the point where they didn’t actually need the work that dogs were doing for them, it would have not been surprising if the relationship would have slowly petered out. But by that time, the love between the two species was so firmly established that to end it would have been unthinkable. Our folklore is filled with dog stories, the aristocracy began adding their pooches to family portraits, and a lot of folks began including provisions for their dogs in their wills. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, 85 percent of dog owners consider their dogs to be family members, and some surveys report the percentage to be at least 94 percent. 

According to information compiled by the dog-food companies, dog-toy manufacturers and vendors, and veterinarians, the average American dog owner spends an excess of $2,000 per year for each dog they own on food, toys, medical advice and other items. That doesn’t include the amount spent on training, entry fees, handling fees, equipment and, in the case of the gun-dog breeds, birds, or, for terriers, rats. Nor does it include travel and lodging expenses to and from dog shows, trials, tests and other events. 

The average American dog owner spends an excess of $2,000 per year for each dog they own on food, toys, medical advice and other items.

What began as a simple, mutually beneficial relationship between two different species has become something that could only be classified as love, something that seldom involves the rational, reasoning parts of our brains. If the poets and songwriters are correct, love comes from the heart. And in the end, that’s where our dogs reside.