Some thoughts on the dog human relationship

We have co-evolved with dogs as our companions and throughout this time we have grown and developed together. We have become human in relationship with dogs and as the Aborigines say, ‘dogs are what we would be if we were not human.’ Both species are highly sociable and need exercise and community, we also benefit from each other, offering protection and company in a challenging world. This mutually beneficial relationship is being overlooked and challenged in a fast paced and profit driven world where dogs are no longer able to roam as they once did and where people are required to curtail their dogs natural instincts so that they can conform to modern expectations.

There is increasing fear of dogs and less understanding of how to relate to them in a way which is safe and respectful. There is also a lot of misconception and a lack of education about how to include a canine companion in a a way which allows the relationship to reach its full potential  This impacts on dog owners and other people and on dogs too. It is time to reopen a conversation about dogs. What is difficult about being with them? How do we face these challenges whilst remembering that these are animals with basic needs – not dissimilar to our own?

I recommend Ian Dunbar ‘Before and After Getting A Puppy’ for anyone considering bringing a puppy into their household. This gives some idea of the level of time and commitment involved.

 Temple Grandin ‘Animals in Translation’  Mark Derr ‘ How the Dog became the Dog’ and John Bradshaw ‘In Defence of Dogs’, all of which provide interesting ways of thinking about the relationship between humans and animals. David Abrams ‘Spell of the Sensuous’ and fictional work like ‘The Wanderground’ also helped me to think and imagine different ways of being with other beings.