Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Fall 2018 | Page 7

SUBARU 360°
SYMMETRICAL
FOUR-LEGGED
LOVE
BY DR. JESSICA PIERCE
[Ed: In recognition of the connection Subaru Canada has
forged with the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dogs program
and dog lovers across the country, we asked an expert, the
author of 10 books including “Run Spot Run: The Ethics of
Keeping Pets,” to explain why this connection is so very close.]
There’s nothing in the world like a dog. If you’re a fellow dog-
lover, you’ll know exactly what I mean. I love dogs so much, just
seeing a dog out on the street walking with his or her human
lifts my spirits. I feel even happier if I get to stop and say hello.
And I can’t imagine life without Bella, our family’s sweet and
spicy cattle dog/border collie/mystery mutt.
Humans are naturally drawn to animals; most infants and
young children have an innate curiosity for and about them.
Yet, among all animals, dogs have formed a unique partnership
with humans, going back thousands of years. Indeed, scientists
studying the evolution of dogs from wolves believe that dogs
and humans “co-evolved,” meaning that two species have
partnered so closely that neither would be where they are
without the other.
As a result of this partnership, dogs have evolved a whole
toolbox of social and cognitive skills that help them understand
and communicate with humans. For example, Gregory Berns
and his colleagues at Emory found that dogs have a dedicated
region of the brain for processing human faces. This helps
explain their exquisite sensitivity to human social cues. This
may also explain why dogs seem so empathetic and why they
may, at times, seem more perceptive than our closest human
loved ones about how we are feeling. (My educated guess: This
is because our dogs are paying very close attention!)
Psychologists studying the human-animal bond believe
that the main reason people seek the company of animals—
especially dogs—is that animal companions make us happy.
Dogs satisfy a basic urge to tend, to love and to bond. We form
social attachments to dogs in much the same way that we form
social attachments to other people; and dogs, for their part,
attach to us.
Dogs also make uniquely compassionate partners, with
comparatively low “social costs.” For example, dogs don’t argue
verbally and they’re less demanding than human partners.
They provide a safe space for us to express emotions, without
fear of judgment or rejection.
Another reason we love dogs is that they are socially
intelligent and “open program.” This means that their social
behaviour is based on learning and environment. They are
extremely adept at adapting to human environments —
although it’s worth remembering that adapting is not always
easy for them. Dogs still want to be dogs — they still need
appropriate outlets for dog behaviours such as roaming
around outside, chasing balls and frisbees, sniffing, digging,
chewing and playing with other dogs.
If we really love our dogs, we should always keep in
mind that they are not furry humans — dogs are their own
unique kind of beings, with unique needs that we, as their
companions, should seek to meet. Do you love dogs? If
so, take a moment to draw up a list in your head of all the
reasons why you think dogs are so special. If you’re like me,
the list goes on forever.
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