I love dogs! I always have and I always will. Throughout my life with dogs, I’ve met many. From the tiniest little chihuahua with a huge personalty and confidence to the giant but unsure Irish Wolfhound. I love them. To me a dog is far more than what we see on the outside; so much more lies just beneath the surface. I have loved dogs for as long as I can remember. As a youngster I was drawn to them; even though I came from a very non dog family, dogs were my passion from the start.

My love of dog stretches to Wolves as well, I love them too. Of course I am a huge animal lover; I simply love them all. But it is the dog that has captured and retained my heart. Canis lupus familiaris, the dog is an amazing animal. I could quite literally watch them interact 24/7. I love watching them as they communicate with one another and with humans. The canine/human connection fascinates me.

Our relationship with dogs can be as different and individual as our dogs themselves. What we get out is what we put in. Acquire a dog and put it in the yard with little to no interaction; you are going to miss out on the amazing connection between human and dog. Long, long ago, we brought dogs into our world. Since then our relationship has evolved into something magical; that is, if we put the work into it.

When I look at a dog and see what they bring to us on a daily basis, the truly are amazing. Sometimes I think “wow, we live with these creatures in our home.” The beginning of a dog by my side was out of a win, win relationship. From the moment that wolves entered into our human world, our connection has evolved. Wolves were very self sufficient and over time as they became our dogs; they also became reliant on us.

Just the other day I was tossing Elsa’s ball for her. As she went in for the catch she miscalculated and hit the ball over the fence with her muzzle. This has happened many times before and she knows that I will get it. She stood on one side of the fence; vigilantly keeping watch on her ball as I made my way across the field. Could she have gotten the ball herself? Most definitely. I have taught her not to go clamoring over or under fences to retrieve her ball; it isn’t safe for her to do so. So we not only do for our dogs; we also protect them from danger.

We have brought dogs into our family to live by our side. They have reciprocated by allowing us to be their pack. Understanding where our dogs came from and who they once were helps to create a more symbiotic relationship. If we think of our dogs as little furry people then we do an injustice to our relationship; leaving much to be desired for the dog itself. Our dogs were once wolves; they have now been truly domesticated and live in our homes. The essential thing to remember about our dogs is that they are dogs, not humans.

And that my friends is what makes them so amazing, simply by being dogs.