Why Do People Want To Have A Dog?
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Since time immemorial, dogs have held a secure
place in man’s hearth and home, whether it be merely
for use as mousers and ratters, as in the middle ages, or
to act as a guard of the household or purely as a companion
to his owners.
There has been no change in this scenario
down the years and dogs remain, to this day, the animal that
the largest numbers of humans adopt as their pet.
Perhaps it might be of interest for us to
try and work out the various reasons why people want to have
a dog. After all, they’ve been part of human households
for quite a while.
It is said that dogs are descended from a
creature, which was very similar to a wolf, called Tomarctus.
Apparently, it wandered the earth some 15 million years ago.
Since the transformation into their current form, the first
known records show them as being pets to cavemen. Exactly
what caused the cavemen to keep dogs as pets instead of some
other creatures can only be guessed at. Perhaps they helped
him in his hunts, or acted as a guard or just provided companionship
in the desolate wilds.
Today, the situation can be said to be somewhat
different, although companionship and providing security still
remain valid reasons. Let’s look at some of the other
reasons why people keep dogs.
It could be because the owner has just lost
a dog that he considered his best friend and feels frantic
to get another one. This would be one of the most common reasons
for wanting a dog.
Once you discover the joys of having a dog
around you, one that becomes your friend and companion; it
becomes hugely difficult to do without his friendly presence.
A second reason could be the “keeping
up with the Jones’s” syndrome. A family or a person
living close to you have got themselves a dog and you see
for yourself the fun they are having with their new pup.
That is when you start thinking to yourself
how much a dog could enrich your life and that of your family.
Their selfless love and devotion can’t but thrill you
when you come back into your house.
If you live by yourself, all the more reason
for you to get yourself a “friend”. Someone who
is genuinely happy to see you and who likes your company above
all others.
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A further reason for people bringing dogs
into their homes is because someone in their family might
be pressurizing them to get a dog. In all probability, it
will be the young son or daughter and really, dogs do indeed
provide wonderful companionship to kids.
However, if you do face a similar kind of
pressure someday, give some thought to the set-up in your
home before you give in to your kids’ pleas, because
there will have to be someone who will take care of the dog’s
upbringing and, if your kid is less than 10 years old, he
or she may not be up to this task as yet.
Another very common reason for people bringing
dogs into their households is also one of the most obvious.
Someone sees a cute puppy or dog, which they like very much
and which is available and they bring it home. As simple as
that.
But really, if you come to think of it, isn’t
this what life’s all about. The love and affection that
springs up within you when you see a particular person or
animal first off is probably the chemistry that is likely
to work best.
Finally, you may have fond memories of a
dog you had in the old days and feel that you really enjoyed
the time when he was with you. It may have helped you develop
personal qualities being with him and perhaps you feel that
your children would also benefit from being around a pet dog.
Now that we’ve examined the major reasons
why people such as you may want to keep dogs, let us now try
evaluating whether you are, in fact, ready to have a dog of
your own. Remember, this is not a one-day exercise. You are
going to be your dog’s keeper for the whole of his life,
which, for many dogs is 12 to 15 years.
If it is a puppy that you are bringing in,
you have to be prepared to go through the entire life cycle
of the dog with its attendant joys, sorrows, trials and tribulations.
Training him, seeing to his needs when he is little, right
up to the time when your aging dog may be on medication and
may need your help to even move.
It is a labor-intensive and tiring job and
you will have to forego many a party and tailor your movements
to suit the needs of your pet. Don’t even attempt to
take on a dog in your household if you are a clean freak.
There will be many times when your puppy
will poop and pee all over the house and you will have to
clean the muck. Don’t take him on if you are basically
lazy and don’t like too much activity. Don’t take
him on if you love vacations and often travel for weeks or
months at a stretch.
But, if you are prepared to spend quality
time at home with your dog and are not too fussy about cleaning
up your puppy’s poop and have the sense of humor to
accept his little pranks, maybe even in the middle of the
night, a dog is the perfect companion for you.
So go ahead, join the ranks of the millions
who, over the centuries, have chosen to keep a dog as their
pet. You won’t regret it.
Nancy Richards
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