Why Dogs Are So Great: An Essay
By Bo
What are dogs? Dogs are adorable, four-legged creatures who share a special bond with man. A very popular phrase states that ‘dogs are a man’s best friend.” As a dog owner, I can make the bold statement that dogs are amazing; they make great friends, pets, and helpers. Humans and dogs share a symbiotic relationship that is unlike any other. The companionship and help that dogs provide for humans outshines the help that humans can give dogs in some cases. Dogs provide love and services that other animals cannot give. One of the biggest feuds in humanity is the argument of which animal is better, a dog or a cat. The positives of having a dog are greater than the positives of owning a cat.
Before we delve into why dogs are so great, we must understand how far back the relationship between man and dog went. Dogs have existed for about 32,000 years and are believed to have evolved from wolves. According to author Mark Derr, there are two ideas as to how man formed relationship with wolves; one idea is that early humans domesticated wolves that would scrounge around human settlements, another idea is that wolves were raised from puppies by humans. Wolves helped humans with hunting, and humans supplied them with a stable source of food when meat was hard to come by. Eventually, wolves slowly evolved into dogs, their frames growing smaller, and their jaws became shortened. The first dogs in the Paleolithic era closely resembled the Siberian Husky.
In modern times, dogs have grown to be more than a hunting companion; dogs have helped advance science and are now useful tools. In criminal justice dogs have been trained to sniff out drugs and bombs, and even assist in catching criminals on foot. There are a multitude of dog breeds now so that everyone has the chance to befriend a dog, whether it’s a German Shepherd or a Chihuahua, everyone has a chance to love a dog. The relationship between dogs and humans has been strong for thousands of years, apparent from the information above, and strengthens the argument that dogs are the best animal out there.
Generally, dogs rely on humans for adequate healthcare and food. Humans, on the other hand, benefit greatly from having a dog. While it may not seem like it, dogs provide you with more help than you might think. In a study conducted by researchers in Uppsala University showed that dog owners had a lower chance of death by cardiovascular disease, even adjusting for factors like weight and smoking. Dogs are also useful for people who live alone, as they make great companions. The chance for social interactions are also greatened by dogs, as most dogs need regular exercise and stimulation to stay happy. Another study conducted by the University of Warwick reveals that no matter how you’re dressed or how disinterested your dog is in interacting with the people around them, they act as a social catalyst due to drawing in people to their owner. Dogs are therefore the ultimate wingmen/wing-women and should be praised for such.
As stated earlier, a dog’s sense of smell is an incredibly useful tool. Dogs are able to sniff out diseases and precursors to other problems before they happen. Recently, dogs are now being trained to sniff out chemicals specific to types of cancer. Early detection for cancer can be a matter of life or death, and dogs are beginning to help assist with the process to streamline diagnoses and treatments. In terms of other help in treatments, dogs are trained to help those who suffer from mental and physical ailments. Service dogs are trained to do different tasks for those they’re helping, ranging from bringing them the phone or items of mail, and calming them down during emotional distress. Purdue University conducted a study on the effectiveness of service dogs with families. The results revealed that families with a service dog worry less about the health of the recipient and are proven to be less stressed, the recipient also show better control of any problems they may face. It’s not surprising, but crucial in the argument that dogs are infinitely better than other animals.
Tilda Swinton, during promotion for Wes Anderson’s recent hit Isle Of Dogs, quoted that “the heart of a dog is a bottomless thing.” Everyone who has interacted with a dog will agree with the fact that dogs are incredibly loving and help bring out the playful side of humans. A claim made by Holbrook et al reveals seven themes that describes opportunities given by dogs to humans, these opportunities are: to appreciate nature/wildlife, to be inspired, to be childlike and playful, to be nurturing, for companionship, to strengthen bonds with other humans, and, lastly, the opportunity to be a parent. If you own a dog, you will quickly agree that all seven are true. A doctoral thesis published by Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences states that dogs have very distinct reactions to their owner and a stranger, often happier to see their owner.
Dogs are extremely loyal, going as far as to appear stressed when away from their owners. In a chapter from a book from Lynette Hart, she argues that dogs are special in their displays of affection and their loyalty; she claims that behavior patterns of dogs are designed for the sole purpose of building attachment, these range from lowering the body and head and wagging their tails, and attempts to lick their owner’s hands, face or ears. Positive interactions between people and dogs increase dopamine and oxytocin, known as chemicals for love, in both animals. People refer to their dogs as family, and with all of the positive reactions from dogs to their owner, it is evident that they consider you family too. To boot, there is a claim that a dog will take longer to eat you in the event of death, but a cat will eat you instantly. It’s just awesome how dogs wait longer than cats, right?
Overall, the human-dog bond is stronger than any other house pet. While some house pets seem to never notice you’re there, and some outright dislike you (cough cough cats cough cough), a dog’s love is the closest to any human love. Dogs range from everything to guardians, friends, caregivers and family. Humans seek comfort from dogs during times of grief and grieve for dogs when they themselves pass. Whether the dog you own is a big, fluffy guard dog, or a small lapdog that keeps you company, every attachment to dogs is the same. In the end, cat owners will always come home to a cold, unloving animal that is almost parasitic in nature, while dog owners come home to their best friends who provide them the times of their lives; and for that reason, dogs will always be the greatest animals on Earth.
Cited Sources
Hart, Lynette. “Dogs as Human Companions - A Review of the Relationship.”ResearchGate, 17 Oct. 2015, www.researchgate.net/publication/282914525_Dogs_as_human_companions_A_review_of_the_relationship.
Rehn, Therese, et al. “Evaluating the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) to Assess the Bond between Dogs and Humans.” PLoS ONE, vol. 8, no. 2, 2013, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056938.
Scheibeck, R, et al. “Elderly People in Many Respects Benefit from Interaction with Dogs.”European Journal of Medical Research, vol. 16, no. 12, 2011, p. 557., doi:10.1186/2047-783x-16-12-557.
Mubanga, Mwenya, et al. “Dog Ownership and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Death â a Nationwide Cohort Study.” Scientific Reports, vol. 7, no. 1, 2017, doi:10.1038/s41598-017-16118-6.
