Surely I have said this before, but I love dogs. They are such amazing animals, and our interactions with them equally so. I am currently reading a book, "For the love of a dog," which discusses various aspects of dog behavior but focuses specifically on emotions (with a lovely section on recognizing emotions in animals). I've comparatively well read on this topic (comparative to the average Thoughty-Come-Lately), and each time I learn something new I am amazed at how much deeper the rabbit hole goes. There is a particular joy that comes when one human attempts to (and succeeds) connect to another human being. The human-dog relationship is similar, but certainly different as well. There is so much joy to be had in getting to understand the being behind those puppy-dog eyes and floppy ears. Indeed, I am not quite sure if a human life could be complete without animal relationships, any more than a life without relationships to other humans can be complete.
