Have You Ever Noticed...

Have you ever noticed that your dog follows you wherever you go? I have had at least one dog in my life since birth. Currently, I have two Pit Bulls as my best friends. They are the greatest friends ever and never ever leave my side...ever. I have often wondered, why are you guys following me? Sometimes I offer them treats....sometimes they take them, but sometimes one never does (always the same dog...Chako). Chako, is my rescue dog...Shattas, is the $10,000 dog given to me by a dear friend. Why that price was put on him, I will never know (I never in a lifetime or two would pay that to have a friend). But he is awesome...not like Chako...but incredible nonetheless.

My dogs are different in many ways...yet the same. They follow me wherever I go! I've noticed this with every dog I have ever had the pleasure of being friends with (even with dogs that aren't mine and some strays...even had a coyote follow me down Mt. Wilson). I wonder why, why do they follow us everywhere? Why do they want to be by our side no matter what. I believe that it's more than the simplistic answer of "caring" for them...they will put their life on the line for us in a split second (it actually happened once for me) but, why?

Do they just want to be where we are all the time? Do they love us that much? Am I missing something? I know dog is said to be humans best friend...but why? It's not food in the case of one of my dogs because he often turns his nose at any treat or food item.

So what is it...what gives? Will we ever truly know why they love us so much?

Chako


Shattas


Whatever the answer is...I know that they love us no matter what

ETA
Shattas, was tied up because he just got into trouble....and he was still smiling....see what I mean? Dogs are incredible!

reply to post by ThePublicEnemyNo1


You nailed it when you said they are your friends. Not pets, not animals, truly they can be our friends if we let them. I've had dogs all my life and never thought of them as anything else.

In fact there's one sleeping on the end of my bed now. It's a little, er, I'm not really sure what is is except I know it's as close as any friend I've ever had.

Follows me every where too.

They follow you because you are their pack leader. You provide food, water, shelter, love, etc. Who wouldn't want to follow that around all day. It's why people voted for Obama and it's why my husband follows me. J/K

I do believe that they can love. I know some will disagree, but I don't care. The excitement in their eyes when you get home is like nothing else. Mine always act like they weren't sure if I was ever coming home again. I go to the mailbox for 2 minutes?? It's like I took a holiday in the Netherlands for a month. It might be because I give them food... but I choose to ignore that and believe they love me just because I am so lovable. I love my dog and talk to him throughout the day since he is all the company I have during the day. Sometimes I could swear he knows what I am saying and if I am busy and he wants my attention he comes and paws me until I acknowledge him. People do that to (only with hands) when they try to get your attention sometimes. He is my friend just like yours are.

They are pack animals, so their nature is usually to be with a pack. The definition of pack may vary from family to family, but I feel like it is still ... well... family.

Your dogs are beautiful btw.

Dog's can read the owners mind. It's a weird phenomina

Kangaruex4Ewe
They follow you because you are their pack leader. You provide food, water, shelter, love, etc. Who wouldn't want to follow that around all day. It's why people voted for Obama and it's why my husband follows me.

J/K

I do believe that they can love. I know some will disagree, but I don't care. The excitement in their eyes when you get home is like nothing else. Mine always act like they weren't sure if I was ever coming home again. I go to the mailbox for 2 minutes?? It's like I took a holiday in the Netherlands for a month.

It might be because I give them food... but I choose to ignore that and believe they love me just because I am so lovable. I love my dog and talk to him throughout the day since he is all the company I have during the day. Sometimes I could swear he knows what I am saying and if I am busy and he wants my attention he comes and paws me until I acknowledge him. People do that to (only with hands) when they try to get your attention sometimes. He is my friend just like yours are.

They are pack animals, so their nature is usually to be with a pack. The definition of pack may vary from family to family, but I feel like it is still ... well... family.

Your dogs are beautiful btw.

edit on 10/28/2013 by Kangaruex4Ewe because: (no reason given)

Well thanks I guess you're right....I didn't exactly consider the pack aspect when I authored this thread.

It's simpy amazing! They're always google eyed when you step thru the door. Whether it's ten minutes or ten seconds, like you implied, they check you out no matter how long it's been and the love never leaves...unfortunately, neither does the butt sniffing...eeewwwwwww!

I find it amazing! I love my husband dearly...but if he followed me around like my two boys do (my dogs), I think I would loose it

I have been an animal lover for ever and dogs (since that's what I have the most experience with) simply amaze me. I volunteer at an animal refuge...and although I'm attached to at least three animals, one being a Liger...nothing beats the canine. The chimps are awesome and so are the grizzlies...but the domesticated canine friend, takes it to a level of dedicated love that should be seriously replicated by all humans.

It's simply incredible and I love them all.

Thanks for the compliment...I will tell them someone told of how handsome they are

reply to post by Bassago


Your friend forever will he/she be....how lucky you are

spartacus699
Dog's can read the owners mind. It's a weird phenomina

Hmmmm...I think you're onto something. When they "come and get me", I say "what's up guys...what do you want" and then, I follow them. As shallow of a thought as I may sound, there's something very philosophical to what you said. I guess it's safe to say...maybe they're the ones leading!

They ask, I pay attention and then "usually" do what they want, unless it involves sugar. My dogs love what I tell them are "sweet cakes", which is anything that has sugar in it.

That is the only thing I can throw off a cliff that Chako, would probably go after. Shattas would follow behind with the trial of various meats.

Thanks for the insight

ThePublicEnemyNo1

spartacus699
Dog's can read the owners mind. It's a weird phenomina

Hmmmm...I think you're onto something. When they "come and get me", I say "what's up guys...what do you want" and then, I follow them. As shallow of a thought as I may sound, there's something very philosophical to what you said. I guess it's safe to say...maybe they're the ones leading!

They ask, I pay attention and then "usually" do what they want, unless it involves sugar. My dogs love what I tell them are "sweet cakes", which is anything that has sugar in it.

That is the only thing I can throw off a cliff that Chako, would probably go after. Shattas would follow behind with the trial of various meats.

Thanks for the insight

There's been enough evidence to show that they actually know what we're thinking. I think they did a bunch of studies on this.

reply to post by ThePublicEnemyNo1


Very simple answer, you are the pack leader.
They respect you and want to protect you.
This says a lot about you as a human being, and I commend you with a high four. (doggies only got 4 toes on the paws)
My dogs do the same even if I'm making a short trip from one room to the other, unless I tell them to stay...and even then they get antsy.
Just one of many reasons why I know that doggies are among the very best things on earth.

You brought a tear to my eye. My dog of 14 years died 1/5/13. I almost got him out of my mind and now he is back.

They have an unconditional kind of love that is impossible to find anywhere else.

I miss my big boy, but will never get another dog again.

Peace.

reply to post by ThePublicEnemyNo1


I used to have a wolf, two of them actually at different times in my life. And when someone said pack, that is right it is the same mentality for their dog cousins.

That said, animals have instinct about humans. They have sensory perceptions that we do not and this can involve being able to tell a heart attack before it happens and many more things...

Once my son was sick and I had to go to walmart in the night to get him medicine. His fever was too high. I wanted to take him with me so he could get the medicine inside him as quickly as possble but my daughter had school the next day and I hated to wake her up in the middle of the night. We lived in the country at that time so I decided it was safe to let her stay home with wolfy to guard over her...

So I opened the door to her bedroom, wolfy was 'mine' (you could say) and usually slept at my hand beside my bed at night... but this night I looked at wolfy and told wolfy what I wanted to do, that I wanted to take my son to walmart with me and leave my daughter with him, and then I pointed to her bed and said watch over her now...

and he hopped up on the foot of her bed and layed down in a position to watch her... and I left.. when I came home 45 minutes later (that was as fast as I could get there and back) wolfy was still in the exact same position and did not get down until I said its ok now, you can get down...

That was a very amazing thing I thought...

My dogs follow me all around the house all day long. If I go to the bathroom, they wait outside the door. If I move from one couch cushion to the one beside it, they adjust position to be right under me. It's sweet, but it's also sometimes annoying when I am tripping all over them all day long! I am constantly having to watch out for paws and tails so I don't step on anyone! Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way! A home without dogs feels so lonely!

reply to post by ThePublicEnemyNo1


Dogs are truly amazing. I found my lab at the shelter a few months after my husband passed away, then 3 years ago when my son went to Afghanistan he left his 8 month old doberman with me. The lab is very serious and the doberman is a big goof. Everyone is welcome in my home, the dogs think that visitors are there to see them!

Last summer, a young man came to my front door, he was in his early twenties I think. The dogs came to the door with me and each sat right next to each one on my legs, never taking their eyes off that man, not making a sound, just watching him.
He was asking me if I wanted to donate to a local boys and girls club, then asked me if I liked his Wal Mart clothes. Anything to keep me talking - Jack and Petunia made him very uncomfortable.

I believe he was scoping out my house - my babies knew that before I did.

Norma Jean

My dogs will follow me if they are interacting with me. Sasha particularly. She is my baby.

But my wife works nights and sleeps during the day. So sasha sleeps with her during the day (or, lays in bed and watches TV). At night I sleep, so sasha sleeps with me.

If i come home and go to my room, sasha goes nuts running around the bed. The wife gets mad and groans, and yells at her. I smile and tell her "Hi" with some lovins. But If i get up to leave the room, she stays in the bed with the wife until I call her.

She is very smart. She knows the basic commands and follows them to the letter. I have had a long line of very, very good dogs going back to my childhood. Sasha stands out as my favorite, hands down.

OP...the red pit....talk about a gorgeous animal.

reply to post by ThePublicEnemyNo1


Partly this is because of the pack instinct, but another main cause of this behavior is that neoteny has been bred into the majority of dogs that are bred as pets, or service/working dogs. In general, adult dogs retain a great deal of puppy like behaviors for their whole life. It makes them quite amenable as pets, and companions.

Dogs that don't have this neoteny bred into them get reputations for being "hard to train" or "stubborn" or "lazy." But most of the time that's because those same dogs are independent thinkers...and what we would consider ancient breeds. (certain sighthounds, Akita Inu, Shiba Inu, Basenji come to mind for me.)

Either way, I agree that dogs are certainly amazing companions and good friends. My two pharaoh hounds, as independent as they are, would be as lost without me as I would without them.

reply to post by kelbtalfenek


The theory of "the forever puppy" as a differentiation from wolves to dogs is something that, while I agree is possible, is not wholly substantiated outside of supposition.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


Actually there is a long term research project that parallels this idea of breeding for behavior.
www.bioacoustica.org...

But I wasn't speaking of the "puppy forever" idea. I was speaking of "puppy like" behavior in adult dogs. This is reinforced by breeding for selected behaviors or attributes that are wanted in a companion animal... Behaviors such as social acceptance of non-pack entities (friends, neighbors, children, the paperboy, that dog down the street, etc,) or such as not killing the cat at the end of the chase (substitute bird, hamster, rabbit or deer if you like.)

As humans we further reinforce these behaviors by rewarding them. Did you ever wonder why your dog licks your face (or tries to) when you return? It's a puppy-like behavior. Wolf cubs will lick the mouths of their mothers when they return from a hunt, so that the mother will regurgitate lunch for them.

Regardless, I think we can agree that dogs are some of the best companions, loyal, faithful and somehow deeply knowing us, much more than we can believe.