In a message dated 12/10/2005 11:58:35 PM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Not love in the strictly human sense maybe but I have no doubt that dogs, at least, care very deeply for their owners. My fathers dog waited for him to come downstairs, (he wasn't allowed on the second floor), for 9 years after my father died, I suspect that's why he lived to be almost 20 years old. ========= Awww. That's a great story.
My understanding is that it's really more instinct. Dogs are pack animals and as pack animals they consider their human owners the alpha dogs, so they look up to them and follow them. Also dogs in particular have strong familial bonds -- wolves in the wild will fight for their family members and stick by them for life. So it certainly has some aspects that are very similar to human love -- loyalty, concern for the other, self-sacrifice, etc. Actually, come to think of it, that's a lot better than a lot of humans manage. Marnie aka Doe ;-)
