Scientists find this idea hard to handle. They say only animals with
'higher emotions' - humans - are capable of love. Studies have shown
that when dogs are in physical contact with their owners, their brains
release the 'pleasure chemical' dopamine in exactly the same way as our
human brains do when we feel happy and relaxed.
Newspaper reports claim the dog has
been man’s best friend for far longer than anyone imagined. They
described how archaeologists digging in Siberia and Belgium found two
canine skulls dating back 33,000 years.
Unlike
their wolf ancestors, who had long narrow jaws and large teeth,
perfectly suited for grabbing their prey and tearing its meat off the
bone, these creatures had far more blunted features with smaller teeth.
This indicated they were domesticated
long before the archaeologists’ previous estimate of 15,000 years ago.
The researchers suggest that, apart from using these early dogs as an
emergency food source or to follow animal scent trails, our ancestors
also valued them as companions — just as we do today.
And Bruce Fogle, Vet and Daily Mail writer, believes the bond between our two species has been so enduring because
dogs are as capable of loving us as we are of loving them.
One emotion which dogs certainly
demonstrate is that inner calm and contentment we humans experience in
the company of our loved ones, regardless of what they can provide for
us in material terms.
When you think about it, this makes sense
in evolutionary terms. Like humans, dogs are gregarious animals, and
love is an important emotion in a sociable species, helping us to live
and work well together.
Not that all dogs are equally
affectionate. Golden retrievers, like his 'Bean', are working animals, specially
bred over the centuries to help humans retrieve prey.
In developing these and similar
breeds, including spaniels and German shepherds, to work with people, we
have selectively bred into them traits such as vulnerability and
dependence
and, in doing so, it seems that we have also unwittingly encouraged in them a capacity for love.
Interestingly,
the DNA of breeds whose behaviour is the least dependent and vulnerable
— including the chow chow, shar pei and Afghans — much more closely
resembles that of the original and more independent Asian wolves from
which all dogs are believed to be descended.
As
with cats, which have evolved as solitary creatures, it’s perfectly
possible for the dependency of such breeds to be increased through early
learning.
But it’s not
already there perfectly formed, he says, as it is in dogs like his much-loved
golden retrievers.
Whilst updating his clinic's web-site, he decided to include a section called ‘In Memory Of’ where clients can
leave pictures of dogs that loved their humans as much as they were
loved by us.
Visit the Pet's Memorial Page at
http://www.londonvetclinic.co.uk
