How Dogs Will Make It Possible To Live Forever

Just a little glimpse into how my mind works. Read the following article and see if you go anywhere near where I'm heading.

CNN.com - Study finds dogs understand language - Jun 10, 2004 "'You don't have to be able to talk to understand a lot,' Fischer said. The team noted that dogs have evolved with humans and have been selected for their ability to respond to the communications of people."

OK, pretty interesting. Could use to talk about the different types of intelligence. Are dogs smarter than cats, or just different? Other interesting and worthy topics come to mind as well.

But here's what come to my mind: our old companions may be critical for our next step in evolution as well.

You see, I think there's good evidence that we didn't shape dogs like we have cattle and corn. It's more likely that our two species evolved together. Not only have they evolved to be able to understand and respond to us, but we too have been shaped by their companionship.

Nature doesn't have much use for us after 40. Done with raising the next generation. It's up to us at that point to go on or fall apart. These creatures we call pets help sustain us in ways that other humans don't and can't. And should we figure out a way to stay young and healthy longer than our three score years, we'll need them more.

Children grow up and move on, necessarily separating themselves. Mates may change and move, too. Friends have lives of their own. And few of us can stand our own company endlessly. But a dog needs you. And yes, they understand you. Perhaps more importantly, they care. Other animals will be present for you, but how special a relationship, forged across the millennia, and now, likely to carry us forever forward.