Is dog a special animal?

[juvenissun]

What makes dog unique in a behavior described as "loyalty"? What makes a dog "loyal" to its master?

Please do not use special case to argue against it. Let's say that we are talking about 95% of the cases.

 

[Elendur]

It's not unique.

 

[DogmaHunter]

What makes dog unique in a behavior described as "loyalty"? What makes a dog "loyal" to its master?

Please do not use special case to argue against it. Let's say that we are talking about 95% of the cases.

For starters, it's not unique.
Secondly, it's based primarily on a reward system (food & shelter).
Thirdly, they've been selected for such traits during millenia. It's not surprising that they are relatively loyal and extremely domesticated.

To end with, it's worth mentioning that the bond between a cat and it's owner has a much deeper emotional level (for the cat) as opposed with a dog.

Several experiments have shown this to be the case.
If you would describe the relationship with cats and dogs in human terms, then the owner is the "boss" of the dog, while with cats it's more like a friendship.

 

[Mainframes]

Dogs form the loyalty bonds as it is a pack animal and will respond to it's 'alpha leader'. Once the dogs owner has become 'alpha leader' the bond will rarely be broken.

Its a trait inherited from wolves and improved 'compliance' bred into dogs over the millennia.

 

[juvenissun]

If what you people said are right, then why don't we live with other animals (like wolf, or tiger, or fox) as we live with dog?

There has to be something special. What is that?
Why human chose dog at the first place?

 

[Elendur]

If what you people said are right, then why don't we live with other animals (like wolf, or tiger, or fox) as we live with dog?

There has to be something special. What is that?
Why human chose dog at the first place?

I notice you avoided cats in general.

I've never owned a dog my whole life, we've had lots of cats though. They're loyal.

 

[Mainframes]

If what you people said are right, then why don't we live with other animals (like wolf, or tiger, or fox) as we live with dog?

There has to be something special. What is that?
Why human chose dog at the first place?

As I said earlier dogs are pack animals and it is this quality that enables the behaviour to be modified for use with human 'packs'.

 

[TLK Valentine]

If what you people said are right, then why don't we live with other animals (like wolf, or tiger, or fox) as we live with dog?

There has to be something special. What is that?
Why human chose dog at the first place?

We didn't domesticate those animals -- just dogs.

You'll have to ask our ancestors why, but I suspect that they noticed the pack mentality and figured how, through domestication, they could become the "alpha" dogs themselves.

 

[DogmaHunter]

If what you people said are right, then why don't we live with other animals (like wolf, or tiger, or fox) as we live with dog?

There has to be something special. What is that?
Why human chose dog at the first place?

Most likely, nobody chose anything and the ancestral wolf (and cats) and ancient humans just grew towards eachother in some type of convergent evolution, due to win-win relationships.

When humans started using agriculture and building settlements, they started to gather thrash as well (remains of food etc). The ancestral wolves and cats would have been drawn to this. Why go through the trouble of hunting if you can just get some food for free?

In the other direction, this was helpfull for humans as well, as the ancestral wolves are pretty territorial. They would chase other animals away and / or warn the humans of approaching danger by barking etc.
Cats would have been usefull to keep the houses, stockpiles and fields free from mouses, rats, rabbits, etc.

It's not hard to see how humans would have found this usefull. To the point that they would start giving them actual food and not just left overs. And so the symbiotic relationship began.

If you think it through, it's not hard to understand.
You seem to have a tendency to ask a question, look at a superficial answer and then stop thinking about it.

For once, try to go the extra mile.

At this point though, I'ld like to remind you of a few other things that, imo, are more remarkable (yet, still naturally explainable):
- horses for transport
- oxes for transport and farming
- cows for milk and food
- pigeons as a post office
- falcons (and several other birds) for hunting

Cats and dogs, to me, seem a rather obvious convergent evolution. Both have something to gain by co-existing. It's also worthy to note that with cats and dogs, we have a special kind of relationship as opposed to with pigeons, cows, horses, etc...

Cats and dogs are almost seen as family members, as friends, as compagnons. Which is an expected relationship if it grew out of a win-win origin as outlined above.

Whereas the other examples (pigeons, oxes, cows, etc) are seen more as "utilities" then anything else.

 

[bhsmte]

I notice you avoided cats in general.

I've never owned a dog my whole life, we've had lots of cats though. They're loyal.

I have had many dogs and one cat over the years and I would agree, cats are loyal too, they just possess different behavioral traits.

That cat I had would actually come when you called it, which isn't typical. I have always been partial to dogs though, because they just seem to connect better and the one's I have had, certainly appear to have an ability to read your moods and even offer a form of support when you are down in the dumps.

 

[selfinflikted]

Dogs' loyalty can most likely be chalked up to their survival in that they depend on their masters for food and shelter.

 

[Elendur]

I have had many dogs and one cat over the years and I would agree, cats are loyal too, they just possess different behavioral traits.

That cat I had would actually come when you called it, which isn't typical. I have always been partial to dogs though, because they just seem to connect better and the one's I have had, certainly appear to have an ability to read your moods and even offer a form of support when you are down in the dumps.

I can definitely understand liking dogs, I know quite a lot of people who has dogs and the ones who're raised correctly are great. The others... Not so much... But, of course, that's not the dogs fault.

As for the empathy, it's quite clear that the cats are more individualistic, so one shouldn't expect the same level as for dogs. But they have their moments. (Personal experience, quite touchy, won't go into details)

The cats make up for it by not being needy. We've always had outdoor cats, with a lot of time where they cannot get it (due to nobody being home and no cat door). That makes it all the more precious when they want to interact.

 

[selfinflikted]

The difference between dogs and cats:

 

[florida2]

If what you people said are right, then why don't we live with other animals (like wolf, or tiger, or fox) as we live with dog?

There has to be something special. What is that?
Why human chose dog at the first place?

Dogs ARE wolves. Wolves were initially domesticated and selective breeding has resulted in modern dogs.

 

[keith99]

If what you people said are right, then why don't we live with other animals (like wolf, or tiger, or fox) as we live with dog?

There has to be something special. What is that?
Why human chose dog at the first place?

Humans chose wolfs. Dogs are the result.

Oops.

 

[keith99]

Both dogs and cats recognize the transitive nature of friendship. E.g. the friend of a friend is a friend.

I brought a dog, well known for chasing cats home from college (he had to flea campus security). When I entered my parents home I was greeted by Lucky, our black cat who had beat the *** out of 2 weimeriners.

Each looked at the other, looked at me and decided the 'natural enemy' was a friend.

 

[Michael]

What makes dog unique in a behavior described as "loyalty"? What makes a dog "loyal" to its master?

Typically love and food. That behavior and bond isn't limited to dogs (and/or humans) however. It's found in lots of species.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/11/11/142249280/the-story-of-a-guy-and-his-pet-buffalo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gBHhK8d1J2w

 

[Michael]

The difference between dogs and cats:

LOL! That's funny!

 

[CabVet]

What makes dog unique in a behavior described as "loyalty"? What makes a dog "loyal" to its master?

Please do not use special case to argue against it. Let's say that we are talking about 95% of the cases.

I argue that dogs are not life. They were created by god just to serve their masters.

 

[digitalgoth]

I argue that dogs are not life. They were created by god just to serve their masters.

Dogs are not alive?

Dogs were created to serve their Masters? Wasn't there a time in history where the word was Africans? Some sort of biblical justification was given, but I forget.