I’m not a dog person. Actually I am against people having pets. That is a matter of principle based on morality. However that principle is trumped by another principle: the freedom of people to do as they wish if they are not causing any harm to others.
Many of my close friends in India and in the US have dogs. All of them are devoted to their pets and take excellent care of them. Those pets have it much better than animals in the wild.
I am happy to report that I get along well with all my friends’ pets. I like to think that I’m a good person; dogs instinctively figure that out.😃
Animals have been domesticated to do work. Draft animals like horses, oxen and donkeys are common. So also elephants and dogs. In South Asia, you have elephants used in logging.
(The picture above is one I took in Nepal several years ago.)
Elephants are extremely smart. Dogs too. The most amazing display of the smartness of dogs must be those that herd sheep. Sheep dogs are awesome. Decades ago I saw a documentary on sheep dog trials on public TV.
Here’s a video that I found on X today. Notice how the owner of the flock whistles to signal to the dog what to do.
To conclude this one, here’s a song.
Bye for now.
Atanu Dey : Life is a Random Draw 
Hi – can you please elaborate on the pet – morality belief you have?
I can see a morality angle when an animal is put to use like milking it (cow), logging (elephant) etc. And of course, the far more immoral angle of raising and slaughtering it for meat. But a dog as a pet — it’s been domesticated for generations and has a symbiotic relationship with the owner. There are numerous studies that show oxytocin release as the pet owner and dog stare into each others eyes, and as you have mentioned, most responsible owners take good care of their pets. They even joke the pet in the west has it made – easy life, pampered with affection. It’s similar with a cat. Pet owners treat them like children and they reciprocate like it’s their family.
Perhaps the immorality was when we domesticated wild dogs very early on. But even then it was symbiotic – the animals got food and shelter, the humans got special companionship and loyalty.
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