On Dogs

What if other animals were domesticated popularly as opposed to dogs? Cavemen drew
paintings of lemurs scavenging alongside them, or monkeys alerting humans to approaching
predators. Men walk their sloths in the park to get women to speak to them. Stitch from Lilo and
Stitch is a typical pet. Maybe instead of domesticated cats, ancient Egypt would have worshiped
hippopotami.
Its interesting that dogs are a cultural constant. Rich people have dogs. Poor people have
dogs. Often you see homeless people with dogs, and you feel compelled to give them money or
supplies. They must take care of the dog as well as themselves. Why are we so attached to our
dogs? If they were lizards, would it be the same? If they were animals we couldnt hug, like
birds, do you feel the same?
I have birds. I feel differently about them than dogs, because they dont have the same
personality as dogs. They cant be hugged or petted as extremely as dogs, and they lack the
mobility.
My current dog, Honey, is my own. We adopted her when I was 10, after she had been
returned once. Images of that day are clear in my mind, simply because she was in too small a
cage and had stepped in her own doody; I felt so bad that I couldnt leave her alone.
My grandmothers dog is named Delta. Delta, because she was found in the Mississippi
delta, and because my grandparents are creative. When my uncle found her on their business
property, she was emaciated, weighing 17 pounds. Shes the size of a labrador. Her stomach
hung, as she had had puppies (they clearly didnt survive). A rope was tied to her neck, torn at
the end where she had chewed it off, and had rubbed the skin raw and then grown into it. I
remember the pink tenderness of her flesh when they took the rope out of her neck.

Theres such a difference in the treatment of dogs. There are dogs like my grandmothers,
and dogs bred to be put into shows. Show dogs get the treatment and are treasured like little
iridescent pearls. Is it because theyre a source of income, or do their owners actually just love
them? I believe those yippy dogs, the ones that get dirty around the eyes and mouth, are not
loved by anyone. In an age without humans, these dogs wouldnt exist because they would be
taken out by predators. I saw one dog at the AKC show that took 5 hours to be groomed for the
stage. Its a similar story to pugs and bulldogs, completely useless other than being cute.
Why do humans play God with these animals? Why would we create breeds whose lives
depend on us? Originally, pugs and bulldogs were bred because people liked their childish, flat
faces; they were very popular in pre-revolution France. They were larger and less prone to falling
ill. Pugs suffer from health conditions ranging from the eyes and palate to meningitis (brain
infection). These flat-faced dogs, because of their tall foreheads, frequently have bulging eyes or
entropion, the folding of the eyelid inward. Their stout bodies can have hip dysplasia and are
extremely prone to obesity. The most common issues are breathing problems leading to
overheating and blocked airways. Inbreeding leads to genetic disabilities and deformities, like
closed nostrils, which humans also force upon these animals.. Another health problem for pugs
are their wrinkles. They must be cleaned as to avoid irritation and infection. Pugs would not
survive in the outside world, without the help of humans. There is no point to their existence
other than for human pleasure.
But now, after creating them, do we have the right to take their lives away? Do we enjoy
making an animal who is completely reliant on us? Are humans so desperate for control? Maybe
it would have been better if dogs and other household animals had never been domesticated.
They no longer hold a place in the ecosystem like they once did. However, we no longer hold our

place in the ecosystem either. We dont need to hunt or gather, simply genetically modify food to
our needs. We dont need companion animals. Originally, they could be used to help in hunting,
etc., but now it is a sport. Are dogs needed in society anymore? They provide emotional and
physical support to some, but are they worth the costs, fiscal and emotional, to keep? People love
their dogs; it would be nearly impossible to remove them from our current world. Would it have
been better to have lizards?