An Amazing Insight As To Why Dogs Love People

Millie took a real turn for the worse 2 days ago
My huz and I thought we were going to lose her....and I did NOT want to think about that....too hard....way too hard
She could keep nothing down and was vomiting and had constant diarrhoea
We had tried all our home remedies....Millie has had digestive problems most of her life so we can usually 'fix' it....not this time
She was just standing so still unable to move and obviously in lots of pain
Eventually huz scooped her up and went to her Vet....they were gone a long time....a very long time....Covid precautions
However the Vet gave Millie an injection for acute vomiting and she just went to sleep when she got back home
We gave Millie a small amount for her evening meal with some of our canned ham on it which she enjoys....and she ate it all
Millie has been recuperating slowly but surely and huz and I are ecstatic about that
We do realise we will 'lose' her one day....but today was not that day....thankfully
 
@peramangkelder Oh, how scared you probably were......I hope things subside.
Hate to see your little girl, as i'm sure you are not feeling well.
Losing her will be heartbreaking.
Love her to the skies and stars,and moon.
It's sad that they can't tell you how she feels.
Hold her close and tight.........Millie, sweet little girl, keep living for as long as you can.

Big hug for you. loving hug, for your Millie.
 
The PBS documentary referred to in the OP is from the NOVA tv channel. I remember watching it too. The studies they did on both the human girl who loved everyone and dogs showed that the level of pleasure the dog experiences (and the human) was determined by the amount of the neurotransmitter dopamine the brain releases; revealed on the scan by increased blood flow to specific regions.

Also showing more activity on the scan was the expectation of Praise....but not much activity on the scan with food. So food is not as important to them as some may think.

The documentary also studied what makes dogs so special when forming very strong loving connections to members of any other species, never mind other members of their own species, any other species. Dogs appear to be, not just loving, but almost, indiscriminately affectionate. New research suggests that this could be partly because dogs get flooded with the ā€œlove hormone,ā€ oxytocin. And the reason for that may lie partly with some very special genes.

Callie Truelove is the teenager with Williams Syndrome which is similar to the oxytocin and dopamine that the dogs have. Callie radiates an incredible warmth toward everyone around her. She has a service dog named Doodle Dandy.

New research suggests that Callie and Doodle Dandy share more than just a friendship. Geneticists have recently discovered the same rare mutations that cause Callieā€™s hyper-sociability are present in the dog genome. But they are not found in wolves, suggesting these rare mutations were acquired by dogs during domestication.

Here is the transcript of the show if you want to learn more.
Don't worry about "Becoming a Member". You can ignore that and just scroll down and click on "Transcript"
Read the transcript or you can watch the show if you choose to become a member I think.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/dog-tales/
 
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When it comes to dogs, I can just tell by looking at them if they are friendly or not.

And then I talk to them in a different voice which they seem to react to. It's a higher pitch like when you talk to a baby.

My neighbors dogs are especially friendly. Except for one who is extremely shy of everyone except their immediate family. Eventually she will become friendly. I don't push it.
 
Millie took a real turn for the worse 2 days ago
My huz and I thought we were going to lose her....and I did NOT want to think about that....too hard....way too hard
She could keep nothing down and was vomiting and had constant diarrhoea
We had tried all our home remedies....Millie has had digestive problems most of her life so we can usually 'fix' it....not this time
She was just standing so still unable to move and obviously in lots of pain
Eventually huz scooped her up and went to her Vet....they were gone a long time....a very long time....Covid precautions
However the Vet gave Millie an injection for acute vomiting and she just went to sleep when she got back home
We gave Millie a small amount for her evening meal with some of our canned ham on it which she enjoys....and she ate it all
Millie has been recuperating slowly but surely and huz and I are ecstatic about that
We do realise we will 'lose' her one day....but today was not that day....thankfully

How is Millie doing today? My Labrador retriever Jezebel (RIP) had digestive issues most of her life, too. I gather it was the doggie equivalent of irritable bowel syndrome and my vet was able to keep in pretty much in control once she figured out what it was. She's (the dog) been gone about 30 years now and vets have much better medicines available now than they did then. Bonnie (RIP), pit bull mix, had gastric issues and one of the new veterinary medicines cleared it up quickly and then she went on a small maintenance dose and had no further problems. The vet said that Bonnie's problems may have originated because she had been neglected and abused and fed a very poor and inadequate diet before I adopted her at age about 7-3/4. She went on to have a much-loved, happy and pampered retirement before she passed at age about 13. She was the sweetest dog, and I SO loved her.
 
I'm sorry....I've posted this story too many times
Those that have read this too many times, please forgive me, and scroll on

But, the comments in this thread brings back too many fond memories

My First Friend is still with me....after many decades;

Iā€™ll Never Forget My First Friend

I was three.
He was a few months.
Neither of us had much to play withā€¦.but each other.

View attachment 116532


We never lacked.


Heā€™d look up at me with complete unwavering trust.
Trying to read my face.
Ears perked up when I spoke.
Wherever I went, he followed.
He rapidly grew, and soon we were face high to each other.
Weā€™d roam the patch of woods up the hill from our place, him guarding my every step, sometimes blocking my way when I got too close to the cliff edge. I didnā€™t know it at the time.
Iā€™d take my naps nestled into his chest.
Heā€™d lie there, never moving a muscle.

As I grew to boyhood, he remained a part of me, my shadow.
Weā€™d wrestleā€¦.heā€™d let me win.

Weā€™d hunt.

Weā€™d fish.

Not that he took part.
He was no hunting dog.
Just my companion.
Weā€™d share lunch.
Heā€™d listen to my every word, as we sat on the creek bank.

Years passed.
I got very busy, but not so busy that we wouldnā€™t still roam the woods every so often, even though he had a bit of a time keeping up.

The day came when he just didnā€™t get up.
I was sixteen.
Mom told me to take him in to the vet.
ā€˜Heā€™ll be able to fix him up.ā€™

I gathered him up and laid him in the passengerā€™s seat of the pickup, right beside me, and we had one of our conversations while I drove the twenty miles.
It had been awhile.
Too long actually.


I sat on the stool beside the exam table, while the vet did his thing.
Once again my best friend and I were face high to each other.
The vet was talking with my mom.
He handed me the phone.
It was time.
He had to be put to sleep.

OK, I brought him in to get fixed up, and now heā€™s going to be put downā€¦.just like that.



I was told I had to leave the room.

Like hell.





The vet didā€¦..something. I donā€™t recall.





I held my best friendā€™s face with both hands.


His ears perked up as we had what would be our last conversation, telling him the reality.
Then I just cradled his head, holding it to my chest, not moving a muscle until, feeling his last breath against my heart, he went to sleep.

Even though the wipers were going, I had a hard time seeing through the rain drops on the way back home.







ā€¦ā€¦..Iā€™ll never forget my first friend



A bit of a poem I cobbled together (I'm no poet) goes with my little story;

3iJztsU.jpg
There needs to be a "bawling my eyes out" emoticon.
 
How is Millie doing today? My Labrador retriever Jezebel (RIP) had digestive issues most of her life, too. I gather it was the doggie equivalent of irritable bowel syndrome and my vet was able to keep in pretty much in control once she figured out what it was. She's (the dog) been gone about 30 years now and vets have much better medicines available now than they did then. Bonnie (RIP), pit bull mix, had gastric issues and one of the new veterinary medicines cleared it up quickly and then she went on a small maintenance dose and had no further problems. The vet said that Bonnie's problems may have originated because she had been neglected and abused and fed a very poor and inadequate diet before I adopted her at age about 7-3/4. She went on to have a much-loved, happy and pampered retirement before she passed at age about 13. She was the sweetest dog, and I SO loved her.
@Butterfly it has been a week now since we honestly thought we would 'lose' Millie
She is so much better and almost back to her old self again
Millie has always had digestive problems since she first came to us at 8 weeks of age
We always have to choose her food carefully and she has her favourites which we tend to stick to
We give her OTC medication should the need arise but this last bout of illness was the worst one
A few weeks prior she had a nasty bladder infection and was passing blood and the Vet thought the 2 illnesses were connected
I hate to see her ill and or in pain because she has never given us anything but Love her whole life
I hope Millie is with us many more years yet
 
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@Butterfly it has been a week now since we honestly thought we would 'lose' Millie
She is so much better and almost back to her old self again
Millie has always had digestive problems since she first came to us at 8 weeks of age
We always have to choose her food carefully and she has her favourites which we tend to stick too
We give her OTC medication should the need arise but this last bout of illness was the worst one
A few weeks prior she had a nasty bladder infection and was passing blood and the Vet thought the 2 illnesses were connected
I hate to see her ill and or in pain because she has never given us anything but Love her whole life
I hope Millie is with us many more years yet
I hope Millie will stay well for a long, long time. šŸŒ¹
 

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