Life in a dog pack: lessons for dog owners and people who need more structure in their life

Dear Pundita:

You wrote: "Notice how people who are owned by a dog always conceive of it in democratic terms; i.e., 'I'm a member of a dog pack'."

That's quite true but I'm actually a member of a dog pack. As I noted in the first post of my series Life in a dog pack:

"When you have one dog the dog becomes a member of your family. When you have two dogs the dogs become members of your family. But when you have three or more dogs you have become a member of a dog pack.

Dog packs live by rules. The maintenance of order and keeping to a routine are very high values. And that order and routine pertains to you just as much as it does to the other dogs."

The canine members of our pack are:

Qila

Jenny

Tally

Mira

Dave Schuler
The Glittering Eye
* * * * *
Pundita's comment: Dave's engaging stories gently remind that dogs are not toys, nor are the adult ones four-legged versions of human toddlers. Man's best friend is a hard worker who needs responsibility to stay happy and off anti-depressants.

The commitment of time that Dave and his wife have given to the canine members of their family can't always be matched but it's an ideal all dog owners should strive for.