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Showing posts from September, 2014

Hug (and massage!) Your Hound Day! September 14th

Did you know that September 14th is National Hug Your Hound Day ? It is.  And while I am all for a day dedicated to the greatness of dogs, the truth is these companion animals are so good to us, and good for us, I think that they really deserve to be celebrated every day. Archaeological and genetic evidence indicate that our canine companions evolved from wolves .  Over tens of thousands of years, the individuals best suited to living amongst us – those who had a taste for our food scraps, who were not too afraid approach us, and who were best able to trigger our affection – selectively passed on their genes, thereby strengthening those traits.  Later, once dog-human companionship was established, humans took active control over their breeding to develop traits that made dogs even more sociable.  Other dogs were bred to help us herd animals, or to hunt.  Humans and dogs became interdependent. Dogs – and the wolves they descended from – are profoundly social animals.  To survive