
Like a Dog - Thevet
https://thenewinquiry.com/like-a-dog/
======
bitwize
On the scale of dog people vs. cat people, I'm squarely in the cat camp. I
don't mind dogs, but I see the "heroism" in this article as a form of
codependence. Dogs are pretty much wired to be human companions; they thrive
on human attention and will do almost anything to secure it. Accordingly --
unless you broadcast "I'm a horrid person" vibes in some wavelength they can
detect -- a dog will love you almost by default; their love is what you'd
expect nearly any dog will do to fulfill its needs.

Cats, by contrast, naturally can take or leave humans. They get some material
benefit (ready access to warm dry shelter and effectively endless food) from
living with humans, but can fend for themselves pretty well on their own
without ever interacting with a human. So when a cat loves you, it _means
something_. It means you've really put work into that relationship and seen it
through to the end, and the cat has come to value you as more than a food and
shelter provider but a source of emotional stability and comfort. One sign
this has happened is when you find yourself unable to walk without nearly
tripping over your feline pal, who inserts themself into your path lest you
pass without petting or cuddling them.

I've noticed other cat people have similar views.

~~~
pcmaffey
> It means you've really put work into that relationship and seen it through
> to the end

Note: if you don't do this for your dog, you will have a terrible dog.

*I was 100% a cat person until I got dogs. Now the relationship I have with my dogs is 5x the relationship I've ever had with one of my cats. They require so much more trust, and return it in turn.

------
stuartd
_[Considering dogs generally, Ackerley] "saw how amiable and well-mannered
they were, in a way how sad, above all how nervous with their air of
surreptitious guilt, and meeting the mild, worried brown eyes that often
studied me and my friendly hand with doubt, I realized clearly, perhaps for
the first time, what strained and anxious lives dogs must lead, so emotionally
involved in the world of men, whose affections they strive endlessly to
secure, whose authority they are expected unquestioningly to obey, and whose
mind they can never do more than imperfectly reach and comprehend. Stupidly
loved, stupidly hated, acquired without thought, reared and ruled without
understanding, passed on or “put to sleep” without care, did they, I wondered,
these descendants of creatures who, thousands of years ago in the primeval
forests, laid siege to the heart of man, took him under their protection,
tried to tame him, and failed—did they suffer from headaches?_"

This really touched my heart. Disclaimer: dog owner.

