Though behaviorists and cognitive scientists might insist otherwise, what we see in our dog’s eyes is more than just animal instinct or the trained behaviors of dumb beasts. Looking back at us, we see intelligence, humor, joy, disappointment, fear, anger, lust, anticipation, relief, curiosity, delight, boredom, resignation, amazement, sorrow, sympathy, and—undeniably—love.
If we honor the dog as a dog, we do not see another human being trapped in a fur coat, doomed to wander through life on all fours at the end of a leash. We see another sentient being who, though science may anxiously remind us there’s no “proof”, has feelings and experiences that often parallel our own but are uniquely canine. Our dogs look at us, and we cannot shake the feeling that they are telling us something, in fact that they are telling us a lot more than we can understand. And we want to know.
Quoted from Bones Would Rain from the Sky ~ Deepening Our Relationship with Dogs by Suzanne Clothier. If you haven’t read it, you should.
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