Dogs are born expecting humans to communicate with them.

[tblue37]

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Dogs “are born with this readiness to understand that a person would be trying to communicate with them. Wolves didn't have that tendency. It wouldn't really occur to them that a person would be trying to help them.”

[LakeArenal]

1. Can't imagine living w/o a dog.

I guess they can’t imagine living without us.

Adopt a rescue today!!!

[hlthe2b]

5. Yup.... I can all but feel a surge of oxytocin every time I even think of my sweet pup

Every time my dog wags her tail I am calmed and happy.

[LakeArenal]

9. Isn't it wonderful that your dog is the best dog on earth.

And his dog is the best dog on earth.
Her dog is too.

Yet, MY dog is also the best dog in the world!!!

Wish hoomans were like that.

[Beetwasher.]

2. That's Amazing

Co-evolution or symbiotic evolution?

[FoxNewsSucks]

3. Probably because dogs

are descended from the wolves which did interact with humans and continued to interact. They also developed a muscle in their eyebrows that wolves lack which lets their face be more expressive.

So it's just different instincts from what wild wolves have.

[tblue37]

10. There's a marvelous book, "A Dog in the Cave," about our coevolution with dogs.

Its subtitle is " The Wolves Who Made Us Human. "

[misanthrope]

21. It's just different selective pressures

Sourced from greater and more successful human interaction. Wolves were already social animals so the leap wasn't that far.

[marie999]

4. They can also help with out being asked.

I have sleep apnea and use a bilevel CPAP. Sometimes while asleep I take my mask off and my yellow lab licks my face to wake me up.

[lagomorph777]

32. One of our dogs would alert us when our very old dog was about to have a seizure.

She was very helpful!

[JustAnotherGen]

6. Dogs figured out

If I'm cute and I help them (humans) I can get them to do shit for me. Like, access to fire, A safe place to sleep, good food.

They are the ultimate Master Manipulators.

[NJCher]

12. dogs seem like

straight shooters compared to cats.

[UnderThisLaw]

23. I've long suspected

that “domestication” is only a word humans came up with to describe dogs deciding they were moving in with us

[lagomorph777]

33. Domestication is what they did to us.

Made us build nice comfy domestic environments for them.

[JustAnotherGen]

43. Amen

I'm not hiding it.

My husband and I are allowed to live in our Maltese's house, sleep in his bed, spend our money on his food, wash his face, wipe his butt . . .

He's like Louis the XIV but better looking.

[SheltieLover]

7. Dogs are the most amazing creatures on Earth

So full of love, compassion, happiness.

[Scottie Mom]

13. ☝🏼This!

I cannot fathom how I could love dogs more than I do!

[SheltieLover]

14. Same here, Scottie Mom!

[Scottie Mom]

15. Back at cha!

Dogs...old, new, big, small and all in betweens!

💕♥️💝💞💜💓💗❣️💕💘

[SheltieLover]

18. Absolutely!

I love the way they stare at us, intently transmitting teleopathic messages when they want or need something!

And they explode in joy when we finally "get it."

There is so much about dogs that I could go on & on for days...

[LiberatedUSA]

24. Nothing brings me more joy...

...than Pekingese, but I love all dogs. I usually prefer dog company over human.

[SheltieLover]

25. I love them all, too!

And share your preference for their company!

[róisín_dubh]

42. Yes!

For the first time in nearly my entire 43 year existence, I don't have a dog. My beloved senior adoptee (I adopted him when he was of indeterminate age...probably 12) passed away in April.

[smirkymonkey]

8. Dogs are the most wonderful, amazing creatures.

They make me happier than anything else in the world.

[Scottie Mom]

17. Same to the max!!!! EOM

[SheltieLover]

19. +1,000!

[smirkymonkey]

28. Hi Sheltie Lover!

I didn't see that you posted almost the same thing before me, but then again, it can't be said enough, right?

I always say that "Dog" is "God" spelled backward and even though I am not religious, my definition of god would be the same as my definition of dog, which is pure, unconditional love.

Ours for them as well as theirs for us. I almost think it's more important that we feel so much unconditional love for them because it raises our spirits to a higher level. It helps us to know what pure love is.

[SheltieLover]

30. Wow!

You've managed to articulate exactly how I feel.

They are pure love. 🐶

And the energetic signature of the species name says it all.

[Raine]

38. Absolutely 🐶 ❤

though my cat 🐱 thinks he's pretty wonderful and amazing too, haha! ❤ 🥰

[twodogsbarking]

11. This sounds like a scientific study.

It still applies to dogs owned by Republicans. Dogs know.

[SoonerPride]

16. Cats are born tuned to hearing a can opener.

They expect humans to serve them.

[MoonRiver]

20. Lol

[tblue37]

22. Yep. nt

[roamer65]

26. Dogs have owners, cats have staff.

I’m staff.


As far as dogs and humans, natural selection at work.

[lindysalsagal]

27. Dogs think they're people. Cats think they're GOD.

Sign over my Vet's desk.

[Hekate]

31. Humans have been breeding dogs for the characteristics WE want ever since the first wolf pup ...

… licked a bone and didn’t run away. Throughout history, litters have been culled of pups that didn’t meet humans’ needs or standards, and that includes everything from submission to humans to protecting our oh-so-edible flocks from predators to even having facial expressions.

Modern humans who infantilize and anthropomorphize their pets too much have no idea what a rigorous process that was for our distant ancestors. Ancient humans had no use for a wild animal inside their cave that might kill and eat their own children, so that kind of aggression had to be bred out first thing.

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s narrative on how it might have been/ how it probably was is fascinating. If I find it on YouTube I’ll add the link on edit.

ETA:

[herding cats]

34. But what about cats?

They're still basically aloof assholes (who I love) which make us crawl naked on our bellies over broken glass to be loved by them.

I currently have one Siamese queen who is convinced she's a god. I'm not saying she's wrong, either. I do keep bowing to her wishes and basically worshiping her on her terms. 🤣

All kidding aside, you're 100% correct on how we landed where we are with our pets.

[Hekate]

36. As the saying goes: "Once cats were worshipped as gods. They have not forgotten this."

(I think it was singer/songwriter Rosalie Sorrells who said that)

Mind you, I do like cats, and am rather sorry we can’t have any as long as we live here — I frequently mention our coyote problem, and there’s some bobcats around too. I am not into supplying those critters with live snacks.

Cats are fascinating and their kittens are adorable, but at heart most of them are still independent hunters, and I’m pretty sure that’s how they came into our homes and barns. The biggest threat to human food supplies in the stored grain category has always been mice and rats (though they will eat and despoil anything). That rodent-hunting part of cat-nature ensured we would keep them around, and something about their personalities appeals to a lot of people as well. They are SO not dogs!

[ExTex]

35. On the other hand:

[Raine]

39. LOL, cute! 😄 👍nt

[Skittles]

37. "Dogs are the only animal on earth born with a love of humans in its DNA"

I think that says it better.

[Spider Jerusalem]

40. It's almost like 40,000 years of selective breeding caused some major changes in behaviour!

[nuxvomica]

41. I'm partial to the theory that dogs are wolves with Williams Syndrome

Even the most socialized, friendly wolf is cold company compared with a Labrador retriever in full face-licking mode.

But what produces this social exuberance? A team of researchers reported on Wednesday in the journal Science Advances that the friendliness of dogs may share a genetic basis with a human disease called Williams-Beuren syndrome.

Humans with this developmental delay, caused by mutations in a region of genes, show a variety of symptoms that include intense and indiscriminate sociability.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/19/science/dogs-genes-sociability.html

Having grown up with my brother, who has the syndrome, I can attest that his sociability level is like that of a puppy. He will strike up a conversation with anyone, make shamelessly absurd jokes or start singing a song about his new friend. Even normally sour people react with smiles. Despite his "disability", he understands how horrible TFG is and had no resistance to getting vaccinated. He watches news shows a lot and accepts the advice of people he instinctively recognizes as nice and friendly, like Fauci, and ignores people like TFG, who seem to be in a bad mood all the time. It's too bad other so-called "normal" people can't be so good at judging character.