We feel a tremendous love for our dogs and our dogs sure seem yo love us. But is a dog really capable of emotions? Or are we just projecting our feelings onto our dog?Scientists avoid the subject because part of what sets humans apart from the animals is our ability to experience feeling. To say that animals actually have feelings, in the same way we do, would change everything-perhaps disrupt our entire position and standing in the animal kingdom.
However, any dog owner knows that dogs love completely and have a greater capacity for love than most people. If one were to describe the main characteristics of a dog, they would be have to be:
1) Strong affection
2) warm attachment
3) unselfish loyalty and benevolent concern for others.
Probably why the author of "Dogs never lie about love", Jeffrey Moussaieff masson writes, 'Dogs are Love". So there isnt a question of whether dogs love, they mystery is how they have such an enormous capapcity for it. Dogs who are neglected or abused still show love for their humans and wag their tails in hope of a little affection.
Dogs taken from abusive situations hold no grudges towards the human race. A half an ounce of kindness from a new person results in an abundance of affection from the formerly mistreated dog. Humans rarely have the capacity to so completely forgive and love under those circumstances.
Probabaly the biggest reason the dog has become man's best friend is because we know that when it comes to love, a dog can always outdo us. The highest form of love, AGAPE LOVE, which is completely UNCONDITIONAL, is something people ofthe have to work at or grow into. To love someone regardless of what wrongs they hae done you is very difficult for humans.
A dog, however, is born with an endless capacity for AGAPE LOVE, and doesnt even have to work at it. You can be a complete grouch, ignore your dog and refuse him your love. When U decide u are ready to be sociable again, your dog doesnt pay U back by ignoring U too. He's just happy your are there. More amazing still is that the love that dogs and owners feel for each other lasts a lifetime. This is the ideal love humans strive for but often fail at.
Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson so beautifully writes in "Dogs Never Lie about Love" Learning to know somebody is often the beginnings of dislikes, sometimes even of contempt. Among humans, love often does not survive a growing aquaintance, but in a dog, love seems to grow with aquaintance, to get stronger, deeper. Even fully aquainted with all our weaknesses, our treachery, our un-kindness, the dog seems to love strongly and this love is returned by most dog-loving humans. We, too seem to love our dogs more the more we get to know them. the bond grows between us and our dogs.
This is why we need dogs, they do something for us that rarely a human companion can do. No matter how much U mess up your life, or how much wrong U do, no matter how many mistakes U make or how often u make them, regardless of yoru looks, income or social standing, YOUR DOG NEVER JUDGES U. He always thinks U ARE WONDERUFL AND LOVES U WITH ALL HIS HEART!
"extracted from I cant remember where' but the above is so so true!!!
