Does this seem freaky to anyone else?

Sometimes, I look at my dog and the following goes through my head:

"Here I am. I am an omnivorous primate. For some reason, I went out of my way to bring a large carnivorous beast into my den. Not only that, but I spend a great deal of time teaching this large carnivorous beast how to fit in with my little primate family. I even trust this large carnivore to hang out with my tiny helpless offspring."

How weird is it that people do this? It just seems like a really odd behavior for any animal. Kind of like a family of mice adopting a kitten or something. Thoughts?

LOL!

Well, humans are basically the weirdness animals on the earth, I think. Right along with being the most dangerous.

LOL it does seem odd when you put it like that. However beneath the surface it does seem to happen even in nature more then you would suspect, more so with social animals, I suppose because it is within their genetic makeup to seek out others to form relationships with to survive. Also the motherly type instinct seems to bring this out, like when mom dogs will raise kittens or mom pigs raising puppies. I once saw on nat geo some type of cat I believe it may have been a cheetah, caring for a young gazzel, she still had her nipples swelled so they suspected she may have just had a cub that was killed and was now trying to take care of the first thing she found in substitute, I think they said in the end the gazzel would probably die because of the incompatiable types of milk or something like that, but it was very amazing to see such a thing occur in nature.

I've often thought that, while looking at Sarama's shiny, sharp, white teeth. And my distant ancestor who did it was probably deeply insane . . . but I'm grateful anyway.

Oh yes. And when you add the cats into the mis,k things just get weirder. (WHY DID I BRING MORE SQUIRMY KITTENS HOME? AM I CRAZY?)

Zhucca, somehow your sig fits perfectly with your quote.

What really is strange to me is the fact that I bring snakes into my "den", and go out of my way to forage dead rodents for them to eat, keep them warm, etc. That's pretty strange too!

I guess we have benefited from our ancestors' relationships with non primate animals in many, many ways. I'm grateful someone decided to throw scraps to the wolves at any rate.

Yea once you think about it it does seem kinda funny. I understand why our ancestors did it (for helping to hunt, to pulling their sleds) but nowadays dogs have pretty much "lost" their true meaning. I know there is still many working dogs, but not a smany as there was even 150 years ago. Now majority are just buddies/furry family.

I always think about this while walking Blaze (in my neighboorhood. When at the dog park I know people are equaly as crazy about dogs as I am lol). My neighboorhood is anti dog. Majority of people in my neighboorhood come from countries whot hink of dogs as "Dirty filty creaters", so when i walk him people literally scream and run (I'm NOT kidding) away from us. I look down at my scary beats, walking beside me, loose leashed and think, "Hmmm I guess to the unexperienced dog people out there, dogs are just like wild animas/wolves, and are scary looking" Not that I think Blaze looks scary (who really could think a "lassie" dog is scary lol. I have been asked before if he is a fox, uhhh ok.

But it does seem strange for us to now just "shack up" with them and keep them as members of the family.

Cats are just a differnt story lol. We did get marley mainly for the point to keep the mice away. (We live around lots of open field 100+'s of acres of it, so LOTS of field mice around) So we did get her to be a "working" cat. Though she does do a great job at being the family clown for the most part.

Haha I have to agree, a lot of people really needs some behavior training...

Oh gosh, yes! Thoughts like those on lots of different stuff ... when ya get those, for that split second it's as if you suddenly just landed on the planet.

Loved how you expressed your thought ... so true! It's so cool how they (dogs) are so freakin' happy to hang with their humans too.

What must they think about ... ... when you turn on or turn off a light switch ... ohmahgosh, my human controls light!!!

Better yet ... when you come back from the grocery store or with take-out food? You're not gone long but come back in with all that yummy smelling stuff?!? They must think you're the greatest hunter in the whole freakin' world!!!