Cheetahs are known as the fastest animal on the Earth, but, few people know that they are very sensitive beings.
They get so anxious, they feel nervous when it comes to socialize with each other and get too stressed to procreate. While dogs are friendly and lovable pets.
They are shy to interact with other animals, and it seems that dogs helping them to relax and calm. “It’s a love story of one species helping another species survive,” said Jack Grisham, vice president of animal collections at the St. Louis Zoo and species survival plan coordinator for cheetahs in North America.
“A dominant dog is very helpful because the African animals are quite shy instinctively, and you can’t breed that out of them,” explains Janet Rose-Hinostroza, animal training supervisor at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
“When you pair cheetah cub with a guide dog, the cat looks to the dog for cues and learns to model their behavior. It’s about getting them to read that calm, happy-go-lucky vibe from the dog” and that helps them be more confident and willing to get it on.
“We’re very protective of our cheetahs, so the introduction is a painfully slow process but a lot of fun,” Rose-Hinostroza added to ThoughtCo. “There are lots of toys and distractions, and they’re like two cute little kids who desperately want to play.”
Twitter user Andy Stardust recently shared pictures of a cheetah and his support Labrador from San Diego Zoo, who appear to be best buds. The San Diego Zoo has been assigning dogs to cheetahs since the 1980’s.
Cheetahs are paired with outgoing, affectionate dogs because they look to them for cue and learn to model their behavior. ‘It’s about getting them to read that calm, happy-go-lucky vibe from the dog.’ In other words, dogs help Cheaters to the bone, the ultimate friendship.