Dog gone happy

Dog. That which we call by any other name would still be just as fluffy, fun, loving, and our best friend, right?

 I sure think so. Think of all the names we have for dogs.

Doggo. Doge. Fido. Pup. Pupper. Pooch. Fur baby.

The feelings dogs illicit in (most) humans, no matter what name you call them, are one of “awwww”, comfort, love, and general happiness. Assuming they’re not chewing on your shoes or anything. But even when they do, we still love them, and want to take care of them.

But why is that?

Based on some research by an English biologist, what it comes down to is instinct. Our evolutionary makeup dictates we take care of our pets. And we’ve been doing it for thousands and thousands of years, all over the world.

And why wouldn’t we?

There’s the chemical release of ‘happy hormones’ when you pet your dog. You feel good when they roll onto their back, little arms and legs stuck in the air, tongues lolling out of their mouths in pure puppy heaven, as you scratch their furry bellies. It’s almost therapeutic. Watching your dog come running up to you after you haven’t seen them for a day (or an hour, or ever five minutes) makes us feel good, and wanted, and needed.

Even when they’ve destroyed the house, we still love them. We forgive them. (And we make memes out of them, of course.)

So is it any wonder there’s been a shift from ‘pet’ to ‘family’? Heck, your dog probably makes you happier than your family sometimes anyway!

So I say, embrace it. Embrace the change, embrace peoples growing shift to taking care of their dogs. If we get a little extra over them sometimes, well, if it isn’t hurting your pooch, or anyone else, why not? Mutually happiness is what having a dog is all about.