as suburbanites, my wife and i discussed the nature of human beings. if the typical city dwelling human being was dropped off to live in the wilderness, we pondered, how long would they survive? are modern humans even capable of surviving in the elements like their ancestors?
the topic then shifted to dogs. i asked, “could our dog survive in the wild?”
our dog, a yorkshire terrier, is a toy dog. while bred as ratters, they evolved into animals convenient for laps and carrying around in purses. they have a doll like quality as their hair is soft and human like.
while i have had dogs in the past, i had never raised a purebred puppy. with this breed, there was the realization on how reliant they are upon humans. every morning, there is a brushing to avoid knots and matting. there are groomings and operations to remove hair stuck in difficult spots. beyond this, socialization of the animal required a three-fold combination of 100 percent love, 100 percent attention/direction, and 100 percent meatloaf. the effort’s resulted have produced an adoring animal who is friendly to strangers.
while our dog descended from wolves, it is unlikely that she would survive in the wild. the grooming aspect alone would prevent the transition.
both humans and some dogs have become separated from nature. a coincidence? as mankind’s intelligence harnessed nature, we became separated ourselves from it. dogs, likewise, became separated as a result of humans taking them on for work, such herding or ratting, as well as for companionship. dogs’ loyalty and emotional support are valued.
dogs also provide humans an emotional reflection. displays of human anger and frustration can impact a dog’s psyche as much as displays of love and affection can bring reciprocity. some dogs’ behavior can tell us something about the human condition.
our relationship with dogs is insightful into to humanity’s relationship with the master and the creator of the universe. the torah tells of a selective process of choosing certain individuals to become a nation. crafting and molding was used to further separate them from nature. to this, a book of instruction- the torah- was provided. this was done for some elusive purpose.
while the master’s of the universe’s purposes and relationship to humanity may never quite be known, humanity’s creation of the dogs provides some enlightenment. we created an animals intended to be a source of joy, happiness or labor. in the process, we fashioned animals requiring care, instruction and kindness in order to thrive. in turn, as humans, do we need care, instruction and kindness?
be well!!
if you enjoyed this post, please “like”
if you would like to read more posts, click here
if you find this post meaningful, please share
The Ten Commandments Project 