From: Scott Chase (ecphoric@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu 26 Jan 2006 - 12:52:18 GMT
http://findagrave.org/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5637]
I was watching a show called "A Dog's Life" on the cable channel Science
Channel this morning and one segment introduced the Scottish legend of a
Skye terrier named Bobby that was so devoted to its master that after he
died of tuberculosis, the dog kept a graveside vigil for many years until
its own death. The story was a basis for a 1961 film.
The legend itself could be construed as memetic. But, beyond that, what is
it about such stories that have an emotional impact upon people. I admit to
geting choked up as I watched the depiction of the terrier's behavior on TV.
There's gotta be something innate in this phenomonon, that such altruistic
acts can result in a deeply felt emotional reaction. We are affected by
stories of selfless bravery, such as that of former US Cavalry soldier Rick
Rescorla who died saving the people working for his company in the World
Trade Center on September 11th. Being emotionally impacted by accounts of
human bravery shows some innate response to acts of altruism, but why are we
so afftacted by selflessness in animals too. And what about the other side
of the terrier's story. What is it in a dog that would cause it to be so
devoted that it stays put long after its master has passed away? Is this due
to the innate aspects of pack behavior, where a dog will look up to the
alpha of the pack? Would a dog stay by the death spot of a fellow pack
member for such a long time? I've heard something of how elephants return to
bones of their deceased, but what about dogs? Surely the legend of
Greyfriar's Bobby falls outside the norm for typical dog behavior.
I do recall a comedian who said something to the effect that upon an owners
death a dog would feel upset as the coroner takes the body away, but a cat
would play with the toe tag.
The bottom line is that despite an innate predilection for self-centered
behavior, both humans and dogs seem to have a sense of devotion that crosses
species boundaries. Stories about dogs are very popular and seem to hit us
somewhere deep within our psyche, such as the tragedy of "Old Yeller". Does
the supposedly neotenic cuteness of dogs impact us like that of babies? Does
a relationship with a dog dupe us into entering some sort of pseudo-parental
response, not too far removed from the explanation of why people care for
adopted and foster children not related to them. Are we merely a pack leader
in the dog's eyes, the latter possibly regressing to innate patterns if it
becomes a stray and meets up with a pack of feral dogs, following the alpha
of that pack and forgetting its owner?
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