This Dog Loves Me

 

Well, probably.

It's hard to directly attribute human emotion to an animal.

It certainly likes me feeding it.  And it likes to be in the same room I'm in.  And it gets in my lap when I sit down.  And it's excited when I come home - even when I'm just gone a couple minutes to take out the garbage can.

Boss-A-Man was my semi-retirement dog, recently promoted to full retirement dog.  He was our last rescue foster.  He lived with two older ladies in a van down by the river (or bridge, or something like that), along with a dozen other dogs.  When we rescued him, he was a mess.  He had heartworms, seizures, matted fur, starving, rotted teeth.  

That was over four years ago.  The vet estimated Boss-A-Man's age at 10 years old.  

But we nursed Boss-A-Man along to much better health.  Some improvements took a few weeks.  Others took years.  Boss-A-Man is in a good place now, health-wise.  He doesn't have too many teeth, and he still has a seizure once every few months.  But overall, he is a happy, healthy dog.

And I doubt he is now 14 years old.  Although with foster rescues, you can never be too sure.

Boss-A-Man's name was originally Bossman.  But early in our relationship with the dog, we had a visit from Alison's Cousin Suzi and her two young sons, Milo and Ollie.  Ollie was a toddler who was thrilled by our little pet and called him "Boss-A-Man!"  I loved it and have been using it ever since.  Alison uses it some, but she also calls him Bossy.

Interesting aside - Ollie's father is a professional animal trainer and handles animals used in movies, including the tigers used in The Hangover movies.

What breed is Boss-A-Man?  Beats me.  Mixed breed, but what the mix is, I don't know.  Chihuahua? Papillion? Pomeranian?  Sheepdog?  Well, probably not a sheepdog. But you get the idea.

Does Boss-A-Man love me? 

I know that I love Boss-A-Man.  I know that my life is richer and more enjoyable for him being in it.

Does Boss-A-Man love me?

Maybe they're right.  Maybe human emotions don't translate directly to whatever animals experience.

But I think it's close enough.  Animals may not have the same intellect as people.  But I don't believe they are soulless, driven only by instinct. On the contrary, animal research demonstrates that animals have richer emotional lives than we give them credit for.

Does Boss-A-Man love me?

Within the context of dog emotions, I think he does.

So, yes.  Yes, he does.

And that's the answer I'm going to go with.