Is dog a special animal?

[selfinflikted]

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

 

[Chesterton]

I heard somewhere that dogs are the only animal that will maintain eye contact with a human. They'll stare at you looking like they're desperately trying to de-code your language when you talk to them.

A joke:

One day a pet dog is pondering its life with humans: "These beings I live amongst love me! They feed me, bathe me, entertain me, take care of my every need. They must be gods!"

One day a pet cat is pondering its life with humans: "These beings I live amongst love me! They feed me, bathe me, entertain me, take care of my every need. I must be a god!"

 

[bhsmte]

I heard somewhere that dogs are the only animal that will maintain eye contact with a human. They'll stare at you looking like they're desperately trying to de-code your language when you talk to them.

A joke:

One day a pet dog is pondering its life with humans: "These beings I live amongst love me! They feed me, bathe me, entertain me, take care of my every need. They must be gods!"

One day a pet cat is pondering its life with humans: "These beings I live amongst love me! They feed me, bathe me, entertain me, take care of my every need. I must be a god!"

Some dogs like eye contact more than others. The last dog I had, would allow me to look her square in the eye and she would maintain eye contact.

She also had the ability, to know my moods without me opening my mouth. If I was feeling down, she would come over to me and look me in the eye as if to say; can I help?

Dogs and other animals have done some pretty amazing things to help out humans over the years. I am sure many have seen the youtube video of the German Shepherd from Alaska who took off running when her masters house caught on fire in the middle of the night. The owner had called the fire and police, but they got lost because it was a remote location and their GPS was frozen. The dog ran over a mile and a state trooper noticed the dog and the dog stopped and waited for the trooper and took off running back toward the house. The trooper followed on a hunch and the dog took him back to the house.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JUf0VYjn1A

 

[CabVet]

I am sure many have seen the youtube video of the German Shepherd from Alaska who took off running when her masters house caught on fire in the middle of the night. The owner had called the fire and police, but they got lost because it was a remote location and their GPS was frozen. The dog ran over a mile and a state trooper noticed the dog and the dog stopped and waited for the trooper and took off running back toward the house. The trooper followed on a hunch and the dog took him back to the house.

Amazing, and with that sound track what is not to love about that video? Speaking of eye contact, I like this video a lot too:

[youtube]nGeKSiCQkPw[/youtube]

 

[bhsmte]

Amazing, and with that sound track what is not to love about that video? Speaking of eye contact, I like this video a lot too:

[youtube]nGeKSiCQkPw[/youtube]

Hilarious!

 

[Michael]

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

FYI, cats are loyal to their "tribe" as well.

Hero Cat Saves Boy From Dog Attack In Amazing Candid Video - YouTube

 

[Loudmouth]

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

Your specialized internal and external flora are much more loyal than dogs. Bacteria are your friends.

 

[CabVet]

Your specialized internal and external flora are much more loyal than dogs. Bacteria are your friends.

"Flora", bacteria, that's not life, we are talking about life here.

 

[juvenissun]

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.

OK, cats may be included. But I will focus on dog. it is the same problem.

 

[juvenissun]

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'.

There are many pack animals. Why is dog chosen and why is it possible? (Why not the wolf?)

 

[CabVet]

OK, cats may be included. But I will focus on dog. it is the same problem.

It is not a problem. It is a simple case of selective breeding that took advantage of a natural behavior (social packs).

 

[juvenissun]

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.

We see dogs in many households. But we do not see the same on wolf. Why?

 

[CabVet]

We see dogs in many households. But we do not see the same on wolf. Why?

Evolution via artificial selection. Dogs went through it, wolves didn't.

 

[juvenissun]

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.

So, you should ask the same question as I did in the OP.

 

[DogmaHunter]

There are many pack animals. Why is dog chosen and why is it possible? (Why not the wolf?)

Dogs are a subspecies of wolves. They weren't dogs when the symbiotic relationship with humans began. By any and all accounts, dogs can be called "wolves", just like they can be called mammals and tetrapods.

And just like humans can be called primates.

You could say that dogs are domesticated wolves.

 

[PsychoSarah]

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?

Tigers and foxes aren't pack animals, they wouldn't have the basic instincts of following orders. Basically, they would have been harder to domesticate. Dogs are essentially domesticated wolves.

 

[juvenissun]

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

Really? If so, why aren't house wolves everywhere today?

 

[juvenissun]

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

The Story Of A Guy And His Pet Buffalo : The Two-Way : NPR

Massive buffalo is world's largest pet - YouTube

As I said, no special cases. We are talking about 95% of the situation.
Dog is unique, isn't it?

 

[juvenissun]

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

They are, by definition.

 

[DogmaHunter]

Tigers and foxes aren't pack animals, they wouldn't have the basic instincts of following orders. Basically, they would have been harder to domesticate. Dogs are essentially domesticated wolves.

That and the fact that tigers will not be particularly usefull to ancient tribes of people surrounded by dangerours wild animals. In fact, tigers would be one of those dangerous animals. Humans would be their prey.

It's pretty doable to keep wolves at bay. Not so much with a bunch of tigers.