Not all cultures appreciate the dog. For some, familiarity has bred contempt, and for some he is an abject slave, reduced even to a source of food. For others he is something to be pampered and spoiled and made useless, as unfair and unkind a fate as any. Without a doubt, the dog is exploited by many, often treated cruelly or with indifference, and yet the greatest threat to the dog today comes from those who would cause his extinction in the name of animal welfare or public safety. These people seek to sever the ancient bond of man and dog to satisfy their own narrow agendas - yet another form of exploitation. Surprisingly few people recognize the dog for what he is - a precious gift to our species, who asks nothing more than to be allowed to accompany us always, to help us, protect us, to share our joys and sorrows. He is a gift whose origins are unknown. From whom did this gift come? And when? We don't know, and every culture has a different mythology to answer that question. Whether he came from wolves or gods, it appears the faithful dog has always been with us, functioning as companion, guardian and helper. He is our species' soul-mate.

The dog inhabits a no-man's land between human and animal. Unlike the cat, the pig, the sheep or the horse, he cannot, if given the opportunity, take up where he left off with Nature. In one sense, he is no longer truly an animal. Nor is his canine brain the equal of our primate one, and for this he is forever doomed to be misjudged. We struggle to quantify his intelligence in terms of our own particular endowments, which cannot be done. The dog cannot read nor write. He speaks with his body and his eyes. He does not use tools. He possesses loyalty, perception and patience in quantities we cannot comprehend. He shares with us our full range of emotions; he can sob with terror or sorrow and grin with good humor. He is more similar than different from ourselves. And the similarities in the ways we think and feel are such that a dog and a human can have perfect understanding, acting together as one while performing complex tasks. A single glance between dog and human companion can communicate subtle and complex emotion and meaning, proving without question that we have more in common than not. Friendships between humans and dogs have proven to be as strong, or stronger, than those found between many humans.

Listen to your dog.

-Diane Jessup, Author