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The importance of education |
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We know how important it is for our children to receive an education in a wide variety of subjects. We place great emphasis on education in our society, to such an extent that we spend at least the first 18-20 years of our lives as full-time learners. Beyond that can come another decade of education, although now you're going to pay through the nose for it. As a species, it is our desire to learn that has made us who we are. Even children prize knowledge. It is generally agreed among anthropologists that the human race could not have risen to dominance without the help of domestic dogs. For at least the past 14,000 years, dogs have been helping us hunt and gather food, carrying our loads, protecting our homes and bodies from predators, and freeing us up to grow the complex brains we enjoy today. Dogs may have influenced the growth and success of human society more than any other outside species. So why do we send Johnny to Harvard and leave Fido at home to play with old socks? In a dog's heart resides the very definition of "unconditional love". Alexander the Great so treasured his dog Peritas that after his (the dog's) death and marvelously expensive funeral procession and burial, he named a city after him. King Edward VII's dog Caesar led the monarch's funeral procession in 1910. John Wayne adopted the nickname "Duke" after his childhood airedale of the same name. It's clear we love and value our dogs. We owe them more than training; we owe them a real *education*. I'm not suggesting you enroll your dog in Physics 101 at CU. He wouldn't enjoy that anyway. But any neurologist will tell you that a brain that's always learning something new is a healthy brain. So teach your dog anything he wants to know. Enroll him in his own private home-study course. Does he watch curiously when you are watering the garden? Teach him to hold the hose and help you! (Warning: This may result in dramatically one-sided water fights, a wet person, and a wagging tail.) Does he bark at the mailman? Take him out and introduce them; teach your dog there is nothing to fear. Helping your dog to make positive associations at an early age will enable you to spend lots of time together out in the world, gaining new experiences and enjoying life's classrooms. Watch your dog for signs of curiosity and interest, and indulge his desire to learn! .
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