Canines, in one form or the other, have been a part of human life for thousands of years.
They have been protectors and guardians, saved us from drowning, helped us with agriculture, transported us in sledges, aided us in hunting, entertained us with amusing tricks, sniffed out dangerous materials and narcotics for us, served as furry detectives alongside law enforcement, fought fires with our firemen and even been important allies in the battlefield. There are even some dogs who have been credited with saving lives by sniffing and identifying cancerous tumors at early stages. Believe it or not, its true.
Yet, to this day, there is one thing that these intelligent, adorable and majestic creatures give us that has little replacement elsewhere and which for some people tops everything else; companionship and love.
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Dogs are capable of profound bonding with human beings which few creatures in the animal kingdom can be seen to do in the same way. In a lot of cultures, the epitome of loyalty and devotion is still the archetype of the dog and its sense of belonging to its human master.
This next story, however, reminds us of another side of dogs which we don’t get to see too often and that is their intuitive bond with infants and a benign loving playfulness that could bring smiles to the most solemn of faces.
The infant in the picture above crawled towards the family dog, a Siberian Husky, and began to express a desire to play with him and shower affection. The dog responded as if playtime with a crawling human infant was the most natural and routine of activities for him. Thankfully, dad was close by to grab the camera and record this incredibly endearing and precious footage for all of us to share.
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Its beautiful to watch how a dog otherwise capable of a lot of ferociousness, when called upon to defend his human companions or hunt for his own food, was so gentle, loving and tenderly playful with the little tyke who had no fear of the dog, but rather approached him as if he was a live cuddle toy. Though this seems remarkable to most of us, its very understandable and expected for those who know their canine studies well.
Siberian Huskies are part of the same family of dogs that have been living with the Chukchi tribe of Siberia for centuries, if not more than that.
They are not only helpers in the daily lives of the tribe as guardians and sledge-pullers, they also cuddle up with the infants and toddlers of the tribe and keep them warm with their super-soft fur and body temperature. Imagine having a warm, incredibly plush and soft blanket for your children that was also capable of loving and cuddling them.
No wonder, this Siberian Husky instantly began to respond to the baby’s invitation to play and snuggle.
And in case you’ve forgotten the legend of Remus and Romulus, the two boys who grew up to found Rome and were raised by wolf mother, you should know that Huskies are distant evolutionary cousins of wolves and thus are extremely family oriented animals with a deep sense of maternal roles. As you can see in the video below, the baby even gives the dog kisses to which it responds with turning on its back, giving a kind of pooch-hug to the baby and then licking him.
However, its not all about fun and games. Scientific longitudinal studies show that children who grow up having affectionate relationship with dogs, are more likely to become adults who have a healthy ability to empathize than children who do not have such a childhood.
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So the next time you are planning a playdate for your child, you may also consider adopting a dog and bringing a new best friend into your little one’s life. This video is certain proof that you don’t have to be the same age or species to be pals.
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