Maru and I were walking her family dog this evening, and I was commenting on how attached we—the human race—are to our dogs.
I marvelled at how we selectively bred and evolved wolves over thousands of years to be our closest, domesticated companions. I then commented how interesting it was that dogs had such little say in the matter.
Maru then turned my observation on its head. Perhaps its the dogs that have been playing 3D chess all along. Evolutionarily speaking, they’ve done exceptionally well. They’ve collectively convinced humans to provide them with all the shelter, food, and affection they need to survive and thrive. And us humans are willing to provide all of it without hesitation.
Of course, both observations are deliberately simplistic, but they hint at a symbiotic relationship that is hard to describe, but is so evident went felt.