Apr 1, 2009: Love My Dog

Love My Dog
Dogs and humans have been companions for about 15,000 years. Dr. Stanley Coren, author of several books including How to Speak Dog, is the Canadian guru of dog-think. He and my dad were professors of psychology at the University of British Columbia together, so I feel a special connection to his work.

Dogs can’t talk, but they often develop a remarkable vocabulary. According to Coren, many adult dogs can recognize about 200 words, the capacity of an average two year-old child. Highly trained dogs can differentiate and respond to as many as 300 words.

The dog will pick out the important words in a sentence. For example, “Who wants a treat?” probably sounds to a dog like “mumble mumble mumble TREAT.” Some dogs even learn to “spell,” recognizing the sound sequence W-A-L-K and running for the leash.

Like humans, dogs show emotion with their eyebrows. Unlike us, dogs also communicate with their ears, nose, and tail. In a pack, the dog with the highest tail is the alpha or leader. Scientists have learned from studying wolves that early dogs used the tail to coordinate the hunt. A raised tail brings the pack together. The alpha then points his nose toward where he wants each member to go to circle the prey.

Today, if you want your dog to go somewhere, look in that direction. Waving your arm means nothing to a dog, but he’ll follow your nose direction instinctively. Next time you ask your dog a question, raise your eyebrows. He’ll probably raise his eyebrows in response.

One of the healthiest things you can do is to love a dog. There is scientific evidence that petting a dog slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure. Caring for a dog can give a person who lives alone a welcome daily routine, combating depression and loneliness. Dog owners may even survive heart attacks better and have lower cholesterol than non-dog-owners.

In many ways, the simplicity of a happy dog’s life points the way to health for us complicated humans. Love exuberantly, don’t carry a grudge, never go to bed angry—we can learn a lot from our dogs.

If you already love a dog, give him a hug right now. If you don’t, consider adopting a rescue dog if your circumstances permit. With an older dog, you get all the advantages of a loving pet without the need to house train or protect your shoes from chewing. Southern Skies Animal Sanctuary is a wonderful rescue organization right here in Tallassee. Give the adoption counselor a call at 334-283-1166, or check out some of their dogs at www.petfinder.com.