It's all in the eyes!

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

http://www.today.com/health/gazing-our-dogs-eyes-releases-cuddle-ch...

[Nala and Cooper]

I saw an article like this just a few days ago! So true.

[OliviaM]

One of my absolute favorite things about my 8 year old dog are his "puppy eyes", even though he's no longer a puppy! I always feel pulled to his eyes and every time he gives that look, I feel like I can understand what he's saying. Guess this also explains why I love looking at cute puppy pictures online, because despite how bad my day is going, I always feel better after looking at some cute puppy eyes! Here's one of my favorite sites to cheer myself up with an overload of cute puppy videos and pictures: http://www.surprisefeed.com/. 

[Roxanne Yap]

I was mesmerized staring at the dog's picture in the article because it looks so much like my Hummer. I so agree with the article. No matter how angry I am, I could not bring myself to be lash it out on Hummer especially when he looks at me quizzically. It just melts my heart.

[Kaitee and Orwell]

Dogs also consistently look to the left side of our face when reading our emotions. Humans do the same thing subconsciously while determining another human's emotions. 

Dogs are also better able to follow a direction in which we point accurately (yes, they can do better than chimps on average). 

My fiancee and I have discussed this many times. We think that even though dogs are not as frequently used for their original purposes (because of technology), we cannot give them up because of the companionship and affinity most people feel towards them. It may even be encoded into our genetics now, since we've had dogs with us for thousands of years. Dogs and humans have developed a symbiotic relationship over the years, one of the only ones in which WE benefit from their presence (blood pressure, mental health, etc.). They are also some of the only carnivores we've domesticated. 

I just think there is fascinating research going on in anthropology and biology concerning dogs and their relationship with humans. If I wasn't already declared, I would probably want to go into research in this area. 

As for Orwell, I do think of him as my baby. I don't really want a human baby-- perhaps ever. The love I have for dogs in general is far more than the love I have for humans. Mama bear claws come out if I think Orwell is threatened, or if someone thinks him lesser. I had the same reaction with my late yellow lab even since I was 7 years old. I'm sorry to say this, but if a dog's life is threatened (expecially Orwell) and a human's life is also threatened at the same time, I'm going to save the dog. I wasn't raised that way, but I would say that my experiences in life have led me towards that hypothetical decision.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

My dood's eyes are interesting. Yogi has always had very expressive eyes. He looks people in the eyes and speaks with them. It's one of my favorite things about him.
Maci on the other hand generally doesn't make eye contact, and when she does, it's pretty brief. She tends to look away.
She is the alpha of the two.
I think it does effect somewhat how I bond with them.

[Kaitee and Orwell]

Orwell is like Yogi. Every day we actually look into each other's eyes for an extended period of time multiple times a day. He doesn't necessarily do that with everyone, though. The cuddles and the eye contact are my favorite things as well. I have Asperger's and have trouble with eye contact in general, but I can hold eye contact with a dog no problem.