On Fri, 02 Mar 2018 15:56:14 -0800, Joerg
wrote:

On 2018-03-02 15:22, John B. wrote:
On Fri, 02 Mar 2018 13:02:46 -0800, Joerg
wrote:

On 2018-03-01 22:38, John B. wrote:
On Thu, 01 Mar 2018 14:10:49 -0800, Joerg
wrote:


[...]

... And as for the dog having a bed in the kitchen, that
would have been a no-no. Dogs stink.


Not true. I regularly meet working dogs. They somehow sense that I like
dogs and come up close. None of the stank so far.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_odor
"All natural dog odors are most prominent near the ears, and from the
paw pads. Dogs naturally produce secretions, the function of which is
to produce scents allowing for species and individual animal
recognition by other dogs and for use in scent-marking of territory.
This is a feature they share with other canids"...


Everyone who is somewhat knowledgeable about animals knows that dogs
perspire via their paws. So of course those smell. That does not mean
the whole dog has to smell, just like a human does not have to smell
just because he has sweaty feet.

There is very little smell near the ears.


"Another source of odor that can be considered natural results from a
common dog behavior. Dogs like to roll in and mark themselves with the
feces of other animals in their environment."


Some do. Just like some people like to slather themselves with cheap
perfume that I find grossly repulsive. That still does not cause me to
say that people stink. Because many don't.

But people do stink. If you have ever been around really primitive
people you will find that they do have a rather powerful odor.

Note that perfumes and all of their derivatives were developed to
counter the odor of unbathed humans.


[...]

... Or perhaps extremely self centered
:-) You haul a manger full of hay down for the critter, dish out some
oats, haul in a bucket of water and when you start you start to brush
the mud out of his tail, he kicks you.


They can be materialistic but the ones I frequently encounter aren't.
They like me even when I arrive sans carrots. Though the trunk on my MTB
often gets sniffed for potential goodies in there.

[...]

I'm not sure that the animal, other then some dogs, actually feels any
emotion for a human. Horses, for example, will react to most people
that pet them.


They do but they usually need to know you. There is a large horse ranch
on the singletrack to Placerville which I ride a lot. Some of the horses
come to the fence when they see me approaching yet they know I never
bring them treats because that isn't appropriate unless I have
permission. I never asked there because it's also a boarding place where
I would't allow it if I were the property owner.

Those horses like to meet me, affection without expecting anything in
return. While some like their noses rubbed others do not like to be
touched at all yet they come. One day two other MTB riders were standing
at the fence trying to cajole the horses into coming. They couldn't be
bothered until I joined up. Why would they come if they didn't feel some
emotional bond?


Probably because they recognize you as a source of carrots, apples, or
other goodies. I suggest that if you give $10 to the next guy you see
begging on the street you will invoke exactly the same "emotional
bond" that you note with the horses. When he sees you he will be right
there with his hand out.



Dogs, perhaps because they have "pack instincts", do appear to develop
an emotional relationship to the "Alpha" animal". Google
"Saint Guinefort" or "Hachiko".


Many other animals seek such pack relationship and the alpha can also be
a human.

The word "animal" comes from the Latin animalis, meaning having
breath, having soul or living being. The biological definition of the
word refers to all members of the kingdom Animalia.
--
Cheers,

John B.