Blog 18: Source 3

This source talks about the pseudo-relationship between humans and family pets, in this case dogs. The dogs are obviously a different species and yet are treated as equal members of the family. Despite the large differences between humans and dogs, many of the dogs are treated as human-like family members. When the owners of the dogs were asked what their dogs meant to them, almost all of the owners called their dogs their child and as a family member. Then most of then answered that the dogs were childlike and even fewer viewed dogs as siblings.  Almost all of the dog owners said that the dogs were pack animals as well. The dogs in these families often joined in on family activities and showed the same traits and respect to their owners as a child would to their parents. Dogs will wait to eat until their owner feeds them and they wait intently while watching their owners to provide the food for them. This is almost a mirror image of how children wait for dinner from a parent each night after school.  The dogs are allowed to roam freely about the house much like a child would, but have some boundaries in the house where they are not allowed to go. Parents will often set boundaries as to where kids can go in the house of their safety or just as a boundary that the parents wish to establish.  Encounters between dogs and humans usually exceed the rules of pack behavior allowing owners to share a family like bond with their pets. This simple example can be used to help explain my thesis because even groups that contain different species are able to forge bonds that are similar to the bonds shared between family members of a family.