What is the bond between dog and man, how did it develop?

Lets think back to when the experts surmise that dog and man connected, back a whole 14000 years ago. My family tree records go back to the 1200's, not even 10% of the time period, and what I read of the family 800 years ago, I'm not convinced I want to know the family back then.

Clothed in skins, need a woman to cook the food, bash her on the head and drag her home. If this is how we treated the women, can you imagine how we handled the dogs. The experts say that the dog approached man not the other way round, and it's surmised that the dogs, natural hunters, found it easier if fed by man.

Standing off out of harms way, drawn by the aroma of fresh flesh and finding a relaxed man, they learnt to pant and make the noises that attract our attention today. This possibly annoyed our fore fathers, full having gorged themselves; to chase the dogs; tossed bones at them. This for the dog, far easier than having to chase and kill his own food.

At some stage bones weren’t enough, flesh required. The leader of the pack “I need a volunteer, Rocky (dogs name), you are worthless to us, go to that fat well fed man, cuddle his neck and then place your head gently under his hand. Understand? We'll stay here and see what happens.” the runt of the pack, slowly approaches the man, who watches him suspiciously. Gently nuzzling his neck, gives him a lick on the face and places his head gently under his hand. The man's heart won over, he gives the runt a titbit of meat. (Women, there might be a lesson here. Feed your man, cuddle his neck and place your head under his hand. He will love you again. Enough marriage counselling back to the article.)

The leader of the pack, seeing the resultant love of man for dog, adopts the same attitude and this is where the story should end. But it isn't the end. The dog, being far more intelligent than what we give credit for, began the training of man. No, the training of man, not the other way round. He discovered if he showed man love, man loved him back and fed him more. If he sat on his hind legs, and begged, man fed him more. If he wagged the tail and showed attention, man scratched his head. If he showed excitement, man took him for a walk or hunting with him. The bond formed.

One thing that has always confused him, why man shared his bed on occasions. He noticed when the other man, who cooked and cleaned up, with protuberances on their chest, raised their voices and shouted, it was best to move away. It confused him though, why when this happened, man shared his bed? The only lesson man taught the dog, was by women, lift your leg or bend your back and place a “land mine” in her area, she will kick your tail end, or rub your nose in it.

Dogs are aware that you are trying to teach them tricks, if they where able to understand you better, they would do it sooner. They know if they act out your request they will reward them, and dogs being food converters, are always hungry. Once they understand what you want, they do it, and you feed them. “Sit... sit... sit” you repeat, “what you want me to do it here on the carpet?” he thinks, “how would you like it if she rubbed your nose in it?” Finally he understands there's not an “h” in the word, and sits on his hind legs. You shows pleasure and feed him, now this he can understand.

The next time he's hungry he sits on his hind legs, you smile and stroke his head, “want your food do you?” tail wag is the answer, and he gets fed. You sit in front of the TV and eat a snack, something he likes, “Ah ha, watch this” he says to himself, promptly nuzzling up, tail wagging, and finally sits on the back legs. What happens? You give him some, and his reaction “knew it, have this bloke so well-trained.”

Lessons from the story;

• We love the runts and ugly dogs, because they were the first to make friends with us.
• Dogs are always hungry.
• Dogs will do anything for food.
• Dogs train us, not us them.
• And women, follow the example of dogs, your menfolk will love you. ( Sorry, only joking, please, no heated comments.)