On 12/11/05, keith_w <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > In a message dated 12/10/2005 11:58:35 PM Pacific Standard Time, > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > Not love in the strictly human sense maybe but I have no doubt that > > dogs, at least, care very deeply for their owners. > > My fathers dog waited for him to come downstairs, (he wasn't allowed on > > the second floor), for 9 years after > > my father died, I suspect that's why he lived to be almost 20 years old. > > ========= > > > Awww. That's a great story. > > > > My understanding is that it's really more instinct. Dogs are pack animals > > and > > as pack animals they consider their human owners the alpha dogs, so they > > look > > up to them and follow them. Also dogs in particular have strong familial > > bonds -- wolves in the wild will fight for their family members and stick > > by them > > for life. So it certainly has some aspects that are very similar to human > > love > > -- loyalty, concern for the other, self-sacrifice, etc. > > > > Actually, come to think of it, that's a lot better than a lot of humans > > manage. > > NOW you got it right! ;-) That's the big difference. Pets are not > capable of subtrefuge, lying, deceit, and all the other emdearing traits > humans have developed to pester their fellow man and the source of their > hatefulness...
Oh I don't know I've come across a few cats & dogs that could manipulate their human "masters" to get what they want. :-) Dave > > Marnie aka Doe ;-) > > keith > >
