Joshua, an adorable little toddler, and Toby the dog got along so beautifully that dad decided to capture some of their interactions on video. Mostly, he did it by hiding the camera so nobody would ham it up: what he wanted was their friendship in its pure state.
Dogs were probably the first animal people domesticated, around 15,000 years ago, and the dog-human relationship that’s flourished since probably wouldn’t have been possible if kids and dogs didn’t get along so well. Really, it’s remarkable what dogs will put up with from children: tugging of ears and tails, rubbing their fur the wrong way, using them as furniture, dressing them in doll clothing, plus whatever else a creative little mind can come up with. The key to understanding why is the way dogs social structures work in the wild. They’re pack animals who know their place in their own pack and will fiercely defend the pack at all costs. For a domestic dog, the human family takes the place of their pack. So even if one of the little humans does something annoying, he or she is still “one of us” from the dog’s point of view, and the dog will grin and bear it.
But it’s hardly all torment for dogs who live with children. On the contrary, it’s often a mutually rewarding relationship. Each serves as a playmate for the other and provides a lot of love and companionship at the same time.
As you’ll see in the video posted below, Joshua and Toby love playing in the garden. The loyal Toby is wonderfully patient, not minding too much when his little human friend does things like place objects on him or mount him like a horse.
It doesn’t get more heartwarming than this. Do you have happy memories of a child (perhaps yourself) and a dog enjoying a great friendship? Tell us all about it in the comment section below the video and be sure to like and share!
