man's best friend

If you own or have owned a dog you will understand the love that our furry friends give us and how they are completely devoted to us unconditionally. A dog in the home brings people together, they are a source of laughter and happiness. Our companions protect and provide for us in ways that are truly amazing. In return for their love and companionship, we provide and care for them, by making our homes their homes.

This relationship between hound and man has existed for thousands of years and began with our early ancestors. Man’s best friend provided protection for early man and aided with hunting in the first human settlements. Dogs evolved from wolves and it is believed that early humans were able to domesticate wolves until they could care for their puppies and in doing so, cultivated trust between wolf and man. As these domesticated wolves bred in smaller circles, this relationship to man grew stronger with each generation.

It is believed that these early dogs or wolves also used humans to their advantage, by developing the emotional scope to attend to humans needs, they would, in turn, be fed and taken care of. And so over time, the dog has evolved to understand and almost communicate with us to better suit its evolutionary needs, in contrast to the hard lives that they would lead in the wild.

Since then, we have started to breed dogs to maintain or produce specific qualities and characteristics that suit our needs, creating a large variety of different dog breeds. For example, the Basset Hound was bred for the purpose of hunting hare, as its ability to smell ground-scent is excellent. These dogs would be used to hunt food, not much different from the dogs who would have aided early man. Jack Russells were also bred to hunt small game, their small bodies and long snouts could fit into underground rabbit holes, driving them out for the hunters.

As human development moved towards cultivated societies, the dog was bred to be smaller and more docile for the home and companionship. In the mid-19th century owning pure-bred dogs was seen as a sign of wealth and privilege, these dogs were not only loved but held prestige in the household.

Today dogs have grown to be so attuned to our needs that we have been able to train them to care of us in ways that transcend their ancestors. A service dog is a type of assistant dog who is trained to help people with disabilities, such as hearing or visual impairments, mental disorders, seizures, and mobility impairment. Dogs also aid the police, military and rescue services in remarkable ways, saving lives alongside man. These dogs not only have qualities of loyalty, affection, and devotion but are able to be extremely keen, alert and eager to learn. Specific breeds such as Retrievers and German Shepherds are particularly good for these roles and can be trained from when they are puppies.

Dogs are incredibly intelligent and are able to pick up on our emotions and needs well enough to prevent us from harm. For example, service dogs that help people who suffer from seizures, actually protect their owner from hurting themselves during an episode by lying under their owner's body or head while calming and providing a reassuring presence. It is truly remarkable how dogs are able to attend to our needs and understand our emotions.

This is why these beautiful animals have become man’s best friend and in return for their devotion, we provide them with all the care and love they so rightly deserve. With our busy schedules of modern day society, it can be hard to care for your dog's needs through the day. This has brought about the need for a service catered to the care of dogs and we are seeing more of such businesses popping up around the world.

For example, The Dog Club in Bali is providing these services to suit the needs of expats caring for local dogs they have taken in and provided for. At this center, you are able to take your dogs along for a specially designed yoga or meditation class, massages designed to help relax or sooth pain and much more. They provide the perfect solution to show how much we love our furry friends! Pool facilities and gardens are provided for them to run and play as well as daily walks on the beach, all taken care of by professionals who will take the utmost care of your companions.

It is only right that we have the option of spoiling our best friends as they attend to and care for us on a daily basis. Do not forget their ancestors; the majestic, fierce and strong wolf who protected us in times of need and have remained devoted ever since. There's a wolf in every one of them, protecting, providing and giving everything they can.