Dog Love

I was just about to log off the computer this morning when I came across this article on

This is a book I know I have to read.    "The Dog Who Couldn't Stop Loving,"  by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson.

In this quote from the article, Masson explains his central theme.

Why is it so important to show that dogs are capable of love?

"I think one insight I had in the book, one thing that is absolutely new, is that dogs and people seem to be the only two species that formed these deep attachments to other animals. Lots of animals love their own kind. And some animals love us. But it's very rare to find an animal that seems to create friendships right across the species barrier all the time. We do it. And lots of dogs do it, not every dog, but lots of dogs. So then the question is, Has it got something to do with the fact that we've been together?

Dogs happen to like horses and goats, they like cats, they like rats. I mean, Benjy does, certainly. He likes everything. Lots of dogs do, it's not that unusual. But it's highly unusual to find another animal who does that. I don't think there's any animal in the wild who does that. Right? Including the ancestors of dogs, namely wolves. I've never heard of a wolf making friends with some other animal in the wild. So my question is, is this something we did for one another? Did we somehow manage to convey to one another, Hey, this would be a good thing to do and mutually encourage one another to do it? I believe that's more likely than if it just happened to be an accidental convergent ability to love other species."

SeriouslySappy SeriouslySappy
51-55, F
3 Responses Oct 10, 2010

Amen! X@

Oh Cab, that's so sweet. I call my grandson my little munchkin ... lol. Our pets give us unconditional love I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

Really makes you think! My Munchkin has brought up a kitten and a buck, doing all the toilet duty, grooming, bonding, cuddling and introducing to the big outdoors. The cat, now a year old, and she have a very sweet and special bond. She is magical. She even tries to "pinch" the goslings away from their mums! X@