http://www.theotherendoftheleash.com/do-dogs-form-real-friendships

http://www.thebark.com/content/do-dogs-form-friendships

There is a Time Magazine article (only available online to subscribers - I am not sure if the magazine is the one that is currently out) sorry if this has already been posted.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2...-time-magazine/

Science and then observation/anecdotes, do they match kind of thing. I think!

Yes, the current Time magazine has the article. Saw it at the doctor's office yesterday. It was wonderful!

http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20120220,00.html

I have not read the original Times article, but had just read Patricia McConnell's (End of the Leash) follow up yesterday.

Interesting:



Try telling that to my dogs. Or yours.

I am not buying it. I think their studies are just limited on dogs and there the results are premature.

I have seen dogs protect each other, share, include them in their joy over an activity and many other behaviors I would view as friendship.

And I feel my friendship with my dogs is true.

Whenever Gracie does something the "scientists" say she is allegedly incapable of, I remember that scientist have to be able to prove something. If they cannot recreate the experiment in the lab, then it is not possible. So, I think these scientists should all just go out and get German Shepherds, have them live in their homes and then realize what they are saying is hogwash!!!! It was after reading The Other End of the Leash and Suzanne Clothier's Bones Would Rain From the Sky, that I came to that realization. Poor scientists, they just don't get it!!

I know that DeeDee and Lakota were very much attached to each other. They were friends and I always said together they were whole. On windy days when they were outside and laying in the sun, Lakota would always position himself to block the wind from DeeDee, because he knew his DeeDee didn't like the wind. He would always alert me if DeeDee needed more help than he was able to give her, she needed me. I am sure if any one would have tried to hurt his DeeDee that they would have had to deal with the force of Lakota.

Last night I was cuddling with Rosa and she got bored with me and went over to a different floor pillow, next to where Niko was keeping an eye on the cats. She went to pick up a Nylabone for a chew, then changed her mind and started giving Niko gentle kisses on his muzzle. He moved his head a little bit away from her and she followed, giving him a bit more energetic kisses to which he finally submitted (that's usually the best way to deal with Rosa when she wants to give kisses!). Then she flopped down next to him and started chewing on her bone.

I don't know, if it looks like friendship, and acts like friendship...

I'm a scientist but I DO get it !! (But maybe it's because I have a German Shepherd)

Oxytocin, the chemical that bonds mothers to their children (among much more other things) has been shown to be released by both the dog owner and the dog upon interaction. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/made-each-other/201005/dog-good I'm surprised that Zimmer didn't mention it at all in his article.

Someone forgot to tell Dharma that she is not supposed to form friendships. She has several "best friends" at the park. One is a male GSD named Smoke. Myself and Smoke's owners always joke that they are boyfriend and girlfriend. When he shows up at the park and we are already there, all I have to do is say "Smoke is here" and Dharma will stop what she is doing and race to the gate to greet him. The other day I didn't even have to tell her, she heard him barking as they pulled up. She was waiting for him as he got out of the car. He came out of that car like a shot and raced to her at the fence, barking like crazy and tail just awaggin!

She is also always SO excited to see her friends Maggie and Wilson. Maggie is a mix of some sort and Wilson is a boxer. Wilson even went after another dog one day that kept trying to bother Dharma. Wilson and Dharma were playing and this other dog came over and kept barking and growling at Dharma. Wilson jumped right on him like "don't mess with my friend!"

And Dharma and my foster Pippa have completely bonded. Pippa walked up to Dharma the other night and started licking her ear and then nuzzled her. Pippa then laid down right next to Dharma and curled up. Where Dharma is, you will find Pippa.

That is hogwash that they don't form bonds and friendships. Anyone who owns and loves dogs will tell you they do.

This is exactly how Molly and her GSD friend Basha are. I used to take her to the park and all I had to say was where is Basha and she would race to him

That story about Dharma reminds me of how Rosa and Rocco act when they are reunited. Even a year after being apart, they remembered each other and were sooooooo happy to be back together!

Anna has a lot of friends. When we were in OB school and she was a complete spaz, her one good friend was Chewy, a shihzu...she would see him and be a whole new dog!

She has her cousins, which I can mention by name and she gets all excited, and she interacts with them all differently, like she knows their personalities and how to act around each one. She also does the same with people, especially my bffs little ones.

Any way you look at it, they have relationships--owner, family, acquaintance, so why wouldn't friendship be included?

Why not write a Letter to the Editor and mention this?

The Hooligans have formed friendships with each other (not all of them). Currently Mac and Faith are close friends as are Slider and his bouncing baby boy, Bruiser. The odd thing is that Mac used to be a loner ... he always ignored the other dogs. I had three elderly guys that died within a 9 month span and when Honey, the last one died, Mac moped around, wouldn't play, just went out, pottied and laid down. After watching this for a while I got Faith and he immediately became an entirely new dog again ... they pal around together all the time.

Gayle you kinda mention this in your post, but I was thinking about this again, and if they can mourn, how can they not develop friendships?

I agree. I've seen too many dogs mourn to know that it doesn't happen and I always ASSUMED they formed friendships, I never questioned it, or even thought about it, until I read this thread.

When my stepfather died, my Mom's JR watched for him every day. If a truck went by the house she ran to the door looking.

It took months before she gave up on him coming home. I think dogs do have friendships, with dogs, other animals and people.