Your character based on your pet: dogs are loved by brave people, cats – by smart ones. "educated people like cats, not dogs" People who don't like dogs are evil

Useful tips

There are many things and gestures that we do every day without even realizing that we are irritating our dog.

These pets, being the smartest creatures on Earth, become our best friends, but sometimes something can make them angry and discontent.

And since the animal cannot talk, we don’t even realize that we are doing something wrong, and this our pet may not like it.

Here are 11 things we do unconsciously and automatically that dogs hate so much:

What dogs don't like

1. Using words more than body language

Man is a creature capable of speaking and conducting dialogues.

We especially love to talk to our pets, who cannot understand the vast majority of what we say.

Over the course of their lives, dogs can learn the meaning of certain keywords, which the owner regularly repeats to them: “You can’t! Walk! Let’s go! Bring a toy!”

Some dog breeds can recognize up to a hundred different words and teams. But even if your dog knows selected phrases, this does not mean that he understands human language.

What animals rely on is our sign language. Only through sign language can they understand what we mean and what we require from them.

Dogs are real experts and can read gestures human body what you think and feel before you yourself can realize it.

However, if we only pay attention to what our mouths say and not what our gestures dictate, we may be sending mixed, erroneous signals to the animal.

It is worth visiting any dog ​​training school and you will notice how some people say one thing and do another, confusing the dog in the process.

For example, when giving a dog the “sit” command, trainers lean forward and extend their hand. In body language, this means inviting the dog into your personal space.

But when the dog follows this gesture while being verbally commanded to sit, he is reprimanded for the violation.

If you are interested in testing your pet, conduct a small experiment (your dog will only be grateful to you for it).

Try to spend an entire day without saying a word to your dog, but communicating with him only through body gestures.

You will understand how important body language and gestures are in communicating with your dog.

You will be able to communicate with her perfectly without using a single word. A conversation with a pet may well proceed without words using only gestures.

2. Hugging a dog

Surely you like to hug your four-legged friend. Wrap your arms around your fluffy neck pet– it’s always great! This is how we fight stress and lift our spirits.

It may surprise you to know that most dogs hate hugs. It seems to us, as great apes, that hugs are an amazing thing, thanks to which you can express a sea of ​​​​feelings.

Support, love, joy and other emotions can all be expressed through hugs. It is completely normal for us to hug and squeeze something valuable in our arms.

But dogs are not developed enough to understand all this. They don't have hands and don't hug. And it’s not customary for dogs to show their feelings and signify camaraderie in this way.

Remember this: if a dog puts his front paw on another dog's back, in their language it is considered an act of dominance.

Therefore, regardless of your intentions for hugging and showing friendly intentions, the dog views the act of hugging as a demonstration by the person of his dominance over the animal. After all, in the process of hugging, you put your hand on her back.

Most dogs tolerate hugs patiently, since for them the owner and the person, in principle, means superiority over the animal.

However, some individuals will feel fear and threat from humans.

You can feel this fearfulness and trembling. Some dogs may snap and even bite. After all, it seems to them that you are encroaching on their freedom.

Additionally, the same dog that accepts a hug from one person may react completely differently to another family member who tries to do the same. After all, if she accepts the hug of the first one, it simply means that she sees him as a leader and master.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a dog that truly loves cuddles and cuddles.

Want to check that this is really true? Just pay attention to her behavior when you hug her.

Is she tense? Moves his head away? Avoids even a hint of eye contact? Licks his mouth with his tongue? Or does he keep his mouth shut? Or maybe she presses her ears back to her head? All these signs indicate that the dog is currently experiencing discomfort. She's uncomfortable.

When a dog licks a person hugging him, it does not mean that he is showing his obsession with love for him. This is how she shows submissiveness and nervous behavior.

So the next time you want to hug your dog, pay close attention to all these signs that he is uncomfortable.

What dogs don't like

3. Stroking the dog's face or head

Do you like having your head patted? Hardly.

When someone reaches out to touch our head? Regardless of whether it is done with love or not, in most cases it is unpleasant for us.

IN better case it annoys us, at worst we may even experience discomfort to the point of trembling.

And we really don’t like it when the hands of strangers come close to our face, thereby violating our personal space.

If someone suddenly puts their hand towards your face, most likely the reaction will be that you will want to pull your head back and lean back in your chair. The fact that someone is invading your personal space will undoubtedly stress you out.

However, most people think that dogs enjoy being petted on the head.

However, in reality, although many dogs are okay with this and allowing themselves to be petted by someone they know and trust, most do not enjoy it.

Please note that even the beloved domestic dog may pull away slightly when you touch its muzzle to pet it.

She will allow you to do this only because she considers the person in charge, and not because she likes it.

Remember that dogs also have their own personal space. This is why knowledgeable and responsible parents teach their children to gently stroke the dog's back or rear, rather than patting or petting its face.

If you really want to pamper your dog, don't pat him on the head, just pat him on the back and rub his neck a little.

Believe me, your pet will appreciate such affection much more than a hateful pat on the face!

4. Approach a strange dog, looking him straight in the eyes

We all know how powerful and powerful eye contact can be. It is usually seen by a person as an important sign of trust or attention.

However, don't forget that eye contact also makes you feel nervous and uncomfortable.

Agree, there is little pleasure in when a stranger, without taking his eyes off, looks into your eyes, especially if he is approaching you.

Eye contact is part of establishing dominance for many species. A person can resort to it to express various emotions. His interlocutor can determine by facial expressions whether the look is friendly or not. A dog cannot do this.

When you look a stranger's dog straight in the eyes without blinking, you may smile, trying to become a friend, but most likely the dog perceives you as a dominant or even an aggressor.

They may show submissiveness by looking away, or they may suddenly start barking. In any case, for most dogs, a stranger looking him straight in the eyes is a potential enemy, and similar situation is not entirely convenient.

If you want to greet a strange dog, approach it with your shoulders slightly angled. Do not approach the dog abruptly, look away a little and speak to him in a quiet, calm voice.

This behavior on your part allows the dog to believe that you are friendly and will not harm him.

This means there is little chance that the animal will react aggressively.

What not to do with a dog

5. Lack of regularity and rules

A dog is an animal that needs and loves rules.

We think that rules make life boring or miserable. But for a dog, rules are really important. She simply needs to live by the rules that the leader dictates to her, that is, she must follow the commands and requests of the person.

Animals are like children. They need a consistent set of rules to follow.

Compare the polite, well-behaved children you know with the spoiled, ill-mannered ones who lack social skills and parenting. They only cause irritation and antipathy.

It's about the same with animals. He needs to be educated. A dog must live by certain rules. Only then will she be happy. The rules do not imply cruelty or aggressiveness. This means that the dog must be kept in strictness, but at the same time giving it freedom.

In addition, when raising a dog, you should not confuse it.

And speaking of confusion, animals don't understand exceptions to the rules. For example, they don't understand why they're allowed to jump on you when you're in casual clothes, but not when you're dressed up for an event.

They don’t understand why they are allowed to jump on the couch after a bath, but are strictly forbidden to do this if she returns from the street dirty.

By telling a dog “no”, you are programming it that it cannot be done in any situation without exception.

By breaking the rules you set, you only confuse the animal.

It is simpler and easier for a dog to live when it knows where the boundaries of what is permitted are. And when you take the time to respect these agreed upon boundaries, you will be rewarded for your fruitful work in the form positive results. This builds trust in you as a leader. You create the conditions for your pet to be happy and content.

6. Forcing your dog to interact with dogs or people he clearly doesn't like

Just like people, dogs have their own likes and dislikes. Like us, they identify friends and enemies for themselves.

The dog's behavior makes it clear who it likes and who it doesn't like very much.

You shouldn’t force your dog to communicate with someone if he makes you understand that he doesn’t like this “someone” at all. However, many dog ​​owners refuse to understand their pets or simply do not read the signals their dog gives them.

Typically, dog owners force their pets to interact with people they like, but their animals don’t like. Or do they allow strangers tattling your dog even when he is demonstrating obvious signs that it is unpleasant for her and she has a desire to remain alone or leave.

It is important to note that there is a difference between forcing an animal to do something and rewarding it for good behavior.

The dog should receive a reward for its good behavior. Let it be a piece of meat or any other treat that your animal loves.

However, common sense should always be used when interacting with dogs for the safety of your pet and those interacting with it.

After all, if a dog doesn’t like someone, but its owner still forces it to communicate, it can behave unpredictably. For example, to attack and even bite.

Pay attention to her behavior. If she doesn't like someone or something, she may growl or bare her teeth. If she does this, it is best to take her away from the hated object.

In addition, another very unpleasant situation: Your dog's trust in you as a leader or protector will be undermined. So try to read your dog's body language, it is quite telling.

If a dog doesn't want to interact with someone, don't force it.

7. Walking without being able to sniff or explore the area

Walking is a very important part of every dog's life.

Of course, it is very convenient for the owner when he a pet obediently walks on a leash, obediently listening to human commands.

However, it is also important that the dog spends some time exploring its surroundings. Dogs see with their noses, perceive the world through their olfactory receptors.

Animals place as much importance on their sense of smell as we humans use our sense of understanding to interpret the world around us. It's safe to say that dogs appreciate smells, just as we, for example, appreciate a beautiful sunset.

They need to study at least, spend a few minutes a day sniffing the area.

People focus on walking for the sole purpose of walking the animal solely out of necessity. Therefore, we often follow the same old route, often without any variety, in order to return home as quickly as possible.

Make your dog happy by walking him a little longer than usual. Let her explore smells, let her discover new territories, new places to walk.

Give the animal some freedom. Training his nose will come in handy. Discover a completely unknown route with her.

Several times a week, give her the following gift: explore another area or trail, let the dog sniff a tree, a puddle. Slow down a little, do not jerk your pet if he suddenly lingers near the object of interest.

And to help your dog understand the difference between a walk, where he must be obedient and walk next to you, and a walk, where he is free to explore the area without being separated from you, you can take a special backpack or harness that indicates that you have Today there is a special walk where the dog will be allowed to have a little distraction.

These walks are a great opportunity for your dog to get some of the mental and sensory stimulation and release that makes life interesting and fulfilling.

8. Harsh tugging on the leash

Dogs have amazing ability understand human body language.

They are amazing at reading our level of tension, feeling it even through the leash. When you hold the wire or pull hard on it, you increase the level of stress, frustration and anxiety. Your dog, and you yourself, become tense.

Of course, many will say: “I don’t want to tightly control the leash, but I have to,” or “My dog ​​pulls on the leash, not me.”

An amazing amount of energy is transferred from you to your pet through this small strip of canvas or leather. Thanks to the leash, you exchange energy. By holding the leash loose, you let your dog know that everything is fine and that there is no reason to worry or tense up.

With a loose leash, you tell your dog that you are calm and in control, thereby conveying your calm to the animal.

When you tug harshly on your pet's leash, you are sending him a message that you are tense, nervous, and on guard. And your dog responds to you with the same restless reaction.

Remember, just as you don't like it when your dog pulls on you, your dog doesn't like it when you constantly tug on his leash.

If your pet is well-bred, he understands perfectly well that he will not leave you, even if he thinks that he needs it.

A dog that is kept on a tight leash and constantly tugged on is more likely to bark or react aggressively in even the most normal situations than one that is handled more gently.

It has been proven that a dog that walks on a loose leash will more likely will be calm and pliable. Agree, it’s a simple thing for a person to understand. Dog owners just need to learn that the less you yank your dog, the more enjoyable your outdoor walks together will be.

9. High voltage owner

Tension on the leash isn't the only time your dog can tell how you're feeling.

You can tell when the person you're with is feeling tense, even if you don't realize it. Dogs have a similar ability to determine what state their owner is in at the moment.

Everyone has heard these sayings before: “You can’t help but love dogs,” “Time spent with cats is never wasted,” “A dog is a best friend human", "There is no one more loyal than a cat."

Eternal confrontation

And in fact, rivalry between cat and dog lovers has existed since the beginning of time, and the answer to this seemingly innocuous question is “do you like dogs or cats?” can bring both a warm hug and the end of a friendship. If stereotypes are to be believed, cat lovers are naturally isolation-loving creatures, usually associated with women who are arrogant, judgmental and doomed to loneliness. Dog lovers, on the other hand, are affable, athletic and energetic - they love to party, are easy to please, and are just as easy to read as an open book.

Who is smarter?

Well, this rivalry is about to intensify even more as a recent study has shown that between lovers different types pets there is a quantifiable difference. And (every cat lover will claim to have known this for a long time) this study suggests that cat lovers are more intelligent than dog lovers.

Cat lovers are smarter

At the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Denis Guastello, a researcher and associate professor of psychology at Carroll University, announced that the personality differences between cat and dog lovers are not limited to just a few small personality differences. Partially due to environment which they prefer most, cat lovers scored higher on an intelligence test than dog lovers.

What are pet owners like?

“It's not surprising that dog lovers will be more mobile because they'll want to be outside, talk to other people, take their dogs with them,” Guastello said. “If you are more prone to introversion, sensitivity, then you will sit at home, perhaps read a book, and your cat does not need to go for a walk.”

Cats are smarter than dogs

If you, like a cat, are a nonconformist who tends to spend most of your time alone, then you are likely to be more inclined to spend that time productively, such as reading or studying. foreign language. This sensitivity and introversion may be a consequence of the fact that cats have more than 300 million neurons, while dogs have about half as many. And this difference is significant - it affects a number of things, from the ability to survive in the wild to improved visual memory.

Cats and dogs - what's the difference?

It turns out that the curious cat comes back not because of a feeling of satisfaction, but because of knowledge, as well as an understanding of how to use this knowledge. Fickle, mysterious and intelligent, cats eventually improved their communication skills with people, learning to convince people to feed them when they are hungry, despite the fact that many times a night cats wake up their owners, driving them crazy. At the same time, dogs are more inclined to follow their owner's commands and act depending on his actions. And while dogs have the ability to sniff out drugs and cancer, as well as several other diseases, cats exhibit more expressive and complex vocalizations. It was found that wild cat capable of creating a real ambush by manipulating the victim using his voice, that is, imitating the voice of his victim. Moreover, dogs are much more dependent on their owners, for which the by and large evolution - dogs were domesticated twenty thousand years earlier than cats, and therefore they are so much more obedient. Cats, in turn, are more like their owners - they are models of independence and autonomy, and these traits, according to many, are markers of high intelligence and a tendency to success.

Anyone who doesn't like dogs doesn't value loyalty. We can safely agree with this statement, because dogs are the most sincere, most faithful and devoted animals. If a dog is angry, it barks; if it is happy to see someone, it wags its tail and curls around its legs. This is the main difference between dogs and people - they are always sincere and never lie or be a hypocrite.

Dogs are so amazing with their spiritual devotion that they have become not just pets, but also the center of many statements, and even works. We offer you a selection of quotes with meaning, beautiful and funny phrases about dogs. Cheer yourself up with us and your four-legged friends!

And in dogs, unlike people, good memory for good - and bad for bad. (Elchin Safarli)

Dogs, unlike people, will not offend you just like that...

I have long suspected that dogs are much more smarter than a person; I was even sure that she could speak, but that there was only some kind of stubbornness in her. She is an extraordinary politician: she notices everything, every step of a person. (N. Gogol)

Dogs see everything, but are silent about everything.

Dogs talk, but only to those who can listen. (Orhan Pamuk)

A dog, even when wagging its tail, is talking to a person.

Dogs are usually loved more than wives, because dogs only bark at strangers. (V. Havel)

Dogs don’t hurt their own...

If people have the naivety to believe in God, then dogs have the naivety to believe in man. (Eric Emmanuel Schmitt)

A dog will trust its owner, like a person trusts God.

If you need someone grateful, get a dog. (R. Harris)

You may not expect gratitude from people.

If a dog puts its head on your lap, sooner or later you begin to understand that it needs to be petted. (Matt Haig)

A loving owner will pet the dog without any hints.

I'm not obsessed with dogs, I just love them very much. (Tom Hardy)

You can't help but love dogs.

A dog is a friend. She understands everything, but cannot say anything. The dog sympathizes silently - this is its advantage.

Many people love dogs because they are friends who never criticize.

Anyone who says you can't buy happiness has never bought a puppy. (Wilfred Lampton)

A puppy is a happiness that grows.

The life of dogs is too short, this is their only drawback. ­

The worst thing is to lose those to whom you are so attached.

It's good when a dog is a friend, but it's bad when a friend is a dog...

Dogs are the most loyal and selfless friends.

The dog is the only creature that has seen its God with its own eyes (Jack London)

All dogs idolize their owners.

A dog jumps on your lap because it loves you; cat - because it’s warmer for her (Alfred North Whitehead)

The dog is looking for affection, the cat is looking for benefit.

A dog is the only creature in the world that loves you more than itself (Josh Billings)

It's a shame that not everyone appreciates this.

If you pick up a hungry dog, feed it and caress it, it will not bite you; This is its fundamental difference from a person.

A dog, unlike a person, will always be grateful and will never betray.

The gods do not count the time of life spent walking a dog. (Folk wisdom)

When you walk your dog, you are actually walking yourself.

Perhaps being called a dog is not such a big insult. (John Stevens)

Strange people: they are compared to the most loyal creatures on Earth, and they are also offended.

The most loving being in the world is wet dog. (Ambrose Bierce)

Mine loves me too...)

Every dog ​​should have its own bone. (Bee Dorsey Orley)

And your place in the house.

It’s all the same: a person gets a dog so that there is no feeling of loneliness. The dog really doesn't like to be left alone. (Karel Capek)

In general, they find each other.

Don't live in a city where you can't hear dogs barking.

This means that unfriendly people live there.

Women and cats always do as they please; men and dogs can only relax and come to terms with this state of affairs. (A. Heinlein)

Everyone has their own destiny…)

Dogs have only one drawback - they trust people. (Eliane J. Finbert)

Dogs sincerely trust those they live with.

Buy a puppy and you will find the most devoted love in the world.

There is only one way to buy love with money - buy a puppy.

It is not the dogs that should be feared, but their owners.

If the owner never offends the dog, the dog, in turn, will never get angry with people.

A dog is not just a person’s friend, it is part of the family!

Or rather, a full-fledged and equal member of the family!

A dog is the most wonderful, perfect and useful of all acquisitions that a person has ever made. (J. Cuvier)

When a person gets a dog, he disciplines himself.

No matter how little money you have, a dog will always make you rich. (Lewis Sabin)

This is true, because dogs give us something that money cannot buy - love.

Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, unlike people who are unable to love unselfishly and mix love and hate. (Sigmund Freud)

Dogs don't know how to be hypocrites.

Money can buy any dog ​​- but not the wagging of its tail.

The wagging of the tail must be earned)

Compare bad person with a dog means making a great compliment to him and a huge insult to the entire canine race...

A bad person is not worthy of such comparison.

The more people I get to know, the more I like dogs. (G. Heine)

And the more disappointed I become in people.

Dogs laugh too, but they laugh with their tails. (M. Eastman)

Dogs have their own language - sign language, which replaces a thousand words.

We love our dog and don't want her to change for the better; and we want to change a lot about the people we love. (Nadine de Rothschild)

They don’t try to change those they love...

A dog has rarely been able to instill prudence in a person; but it costs a person nothing to let go of a dog. (J. Thurber)

The dog responds well to training, but it senses the owner’s weaknesses just as well...

We need to learn from dogs: they always look at us ingenuously, without any trick, with an open soul and value us not for our strengths or weaknesses, but for what we are. (V. Kazaryan)

Dogs teach us to be sincere.

A wonderful creature is a dog. No other animal gives up its freedom so willingly in order to serve man faithfully. Most people are completely incapable of this. (Mark Frost)

People cannot even sacrifice their freedom for the sake of love.

Never judge a dog or a person at first sight. Because a simple mongrel can have the kindest soul, and a pleasant-looking person can turn out to be a rare bastard. (V. Vysotsky)

The first glance is deceptive: it shows only the appearance, but does not reveal the soul.

The dog licked the iPhone 3 times and called the veterinarian.

Licked it 5 times - ordered pizza delivery.

My friend's dog is a huge Rottweiler. And every time he says that he fed his dog on the way to me, I want to go and count the neighbors.

And also their cats...)

Announcement. Dog for sale, kind and affectionate. Eats everything. Loves children very much.

Either they wrote the truth, or they clarified it unsuccessfully...)

A very smart dog has disappeared. Sharik, if you are reading this now, call home!

Sharik, turn on the GPS...)))

A cat is the closest friend, the second “I” of the owner, so if someone doesn’t like the cat, then he doesn’t like its owner either. Cats are usually owned by ladies who harmoniously combine the advantages of both sexes. Such women are beautiful and smart, feminine and efficient, efficient and effective, pretty and persistent in achieving their goals.

For unmarried cats, cats often replace a non-existent child, because a cat also needs care, affection and tenderness; it is a playful and capricious animal, like a child. A lonely woman with a cat treats men with distrust and is reluctant to enter into close relationships with them. A man who likes cats recognizes a woman's right to be independent. But a bachelor with a cat is a completely self-sufficient person, and it will take a lot of strength to win his heart. Hating cats can mean hating everything female. In psychology, there is even a term “cat phobia” (scientifically, eilurophobia). Ladies who despise cats feel bad about themselves deep down, and cat-phobic men don’t truly love women.

Dogs

For a woman, her dog is almost always a symbol of a man, even if the dog is female. Looking at the breed, you can always tell which male qualities the owner values ​​most.

A large shepherd means that its owner needs a protector and reliable support. Bulldog means that a woman values ​​her partner’s loyalty, reliability, solidity, constancy and sense of humor. The lady with the Doberman has an iron willpower and is defiant towards men - who can protect me better than my dog? A woman who holds a malicious, yapping, biting and cowardly creature in her arms makes too high demands on men, expecting to find some incredibly wonderful qualities in them. As a result, such women are rarely happy in marriage. Almost everyone who loves dogs is intolerant of the independence of others and seeks to control the lives and actions of loved ones.

It is believed that only evil and cruel people cannot stand dogs, but this is not always the case. Opponents of bobbies and bugs simply may be shy, fearful, may be afraid of these biting and loudly barking predators, or perhaps they simply prefer to seek love and friendship in the human world and do not understand why they might need this little wolf. Many people are disgusted by the need to train another living creature and become its owner, and therefore they flatly refuse to have a dog at home.

Hamsters and guinea pigs

Everyone who loves small furry animals needs protection strong man, tenderness, affection and care, because they themselves feel small and defenseless. That's why children so often ask to buy a hamster; they want to be big, strong, caring friends for tiny animals. If a person cannot stand the stupidity of other people, then he is unlikely to be moved at the sight of a hamster or guinea pig.

Parrots

Exotic bright birds appeals to romantics, melancholic, sensitive, vulnerable people who are bored in silence and loneliness. The parrot reminds of tropical islands, fairy-tale pirates and compensates for the lack of travel in everyday life. Birds are not tolerated by irritable, hot-tempered, workaholics, overloaded with work, sybarites: loudly chirping and piercingly screaming parrots disturb their comfort, confuse their thoughts and confuse their plans.

Rats

Loving rats means declaring to the whole world: I am not a bore! I have original thinking, and your stereotypes have no power over me! A rat fanatic will first study everything, touching and checking, and only then draw his own conclusions. And he doesn't care about other people's opinions. If a child brings home a rat, it means he has a sociable, cheerful, kind-hearted character. Rats are not liked by conservatives, shy, timid, careful people who follow only beaten paths in life.

Based on materials from wday.ru

There are people who don't like dogs. They don’t like them simply because they don’t like animals at all. This is not a matter of taste. There is some kind of spiritual deficiency here. But nevertheless, you won’t be nice by force!

There are people who don't like dogs for specific reasons.

Sometimes the reasons can even be good: for example, once, most likely in childhood, a dog scared a person and unpleasant memories, or wariness, or even fear remained for the rest of his life. These people have excuses. And Professor Bosse's definition does not apply to them.

Human indifference and selfishness, militant philistinism and cruelty are manifested in the attitude towards dogs. After all, there are people who, on a dog - a silent and dependent creature - take out their anger on someone or something, “get even” for their failures in life, satisfy the base feeling of tormenting someone, mocking someone, dominating! Callousness manifests itself in the attitude towards dogs - after playing with the puppy, they throw it out into the street, dooming it to hunger and cold. But this dog has already gotten used to the person, fell in love with him, and can no longer do without him. Callous people do not think that this dog has a heart, that it is alive, it can shrink in melancholy and ache with grief!

The bourgeoisie, in the worst sense of the word, is incapable of understanding how anyone can love four-legged animals, especially those from whom you receive no benefit.

Let's make a reservation right away - we are not talking about any specific dog, but about dogs. Here - a big difference. You can love your dog (and a tradesman is capable of this). Your toy, your fun, your property. And the rest - to hate. This often happens. And that's not what we're talking about. We are not about love for our dog, we are about love for dogs, our own and strangers, familiar and unfamiliar, close and distant, dogs - representatives of the animal world who are closest to us. We are about love for our closest neighbors on the planet.

The tradesman cannot understand this. Yes, he doesn’t want to understand. Moreover, he does not want to keep his philosophy to himself. That's why he is a militant philistine - he wants to impose his attitude towards the world in general and towards animals in particular to others. Philistines often hide behind in beautiful words, mask their philosophy with demagoguery. But she is still visible.

After all, you even hear this: they say, love for animals, in particular for useless dogs (that is, those from which there is no practical benefit), gives rise to sentimentality, weakness, and we must raise strong, brave, firm people.

And these preachers of cruelty and militant philistines do not understand that only a good person can be truly strong and brave, only a humane person can be. And if he takes up a weapon, then first of all he must firmly know and understand why he takes it, understand that he is doing this in the name of life, in the name of good.

These are exactly the kind of people our soldiers and commanders were who fought the Nazis during Patriotic War, it is under this motto that all honest people of the planet are fighting for peace, and their firmness, determination, and courage are inextricably linked with the highest principles of morality and humanism.

The fascist leaders, whose names are cursed by all the peoples of the Earth, raised killers, letting the youngsters from the Hitler Youth raise puppies.

And when the dog grew up, became attached to its owner, and he became attached to it, the future SS man was given a pistol and he had to publicly shoot his dog. It was an exam, an exam for cruelty. The fascists who passed such an exam calmly tortured and shot, hanged and sent thousands of people to gas chambers.

The tradesman is on the alert, he can immediately seize on such a thought: well, they say, the attitude towards the dog is not an indicator - after all, the future SS men, although they shot at their dogs, loved them. Or again: don’t millionaires and millionaires, half mad with this love, love their pets, feeding them on golden dishes, leaving them colossal inheritances, and so on?

It's like that. But we have already talked about the love for their property, for their toys, which for them are dogs. And we are for a different love for dogs. For the one about which Konrad Lorenz very precisely said: “Only that love for animals is beautiful and instructive, which is generated by the love of all life and which must be based on love for people. Only those who are able to feel this way can give their affection animals without moral harm to themselves."

Time is the main judge of works of art and literature. Weak, unartistic works are irretrievably drowned in it, but it preserves the best works of human talent. Among the best works of world literature preserved by time are many books about dogs.

Experts have determined that a person can read about ten thousand books in his life. And to collect and read everything that has been written about dogs, probably not even a thousand would be enough. human lives. After all, poems, poems, stories, stories, novels have been written about dogs. There is, perhaps, not a single major writer who has not devoted at least a few pages to dogs.

Many treatises have been written about dogs, scientific research, abstracts. There is no such cultured people who would not have their own canine literature, who would not now be seriously engaged in dog breeding. The question of the benefits of dogs, their utilitarian use, can no longer be separated from moral issues. And not only because, by treating dogs poorly, we treat our friends poorly and commit actual betrayal, but also because a dog is the closest representative of the animal world to us, and “love for the animal world is an aesthetic feeling that shapes views , tastes. The loss of these tastes is tantamount to the loss of happiness and, perhaps, has a harmful effect on mental abilities, and even more likely - on moral qualities." So wrote Charles Darwin.