Dogs are better trainers than we are. They may know nothing about learning theory, but get along perfectly well with whom they want. Dogs don’t get too upset by a growl; they don’t become overconfident with a “yes,” nor do they get depressed by a “no.” They force us to get up early and go to bed late so they can go sniffing other dogs’ urine. We pay them for expensive food and medical care. And we do all that just because they sit and stand and look silly at us when we ask them to.

I remember, as a young student, listening to Professor Lorenz tell us that dogs were better ethologists than we were because they paid more attention to our body language than we did ourselves. That stuck with me then… and still does.

Featured image: Dogs are better trainers than we are (by A. Jones).