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Why man’s best friend is still a four?legged substitute parent?
Márcio Paulo Barbosa Pena Mascarenhas
Man’s best friends is actually a substitute parent, fulfilling
deep emotional needs that humans fail to meet, according to a
leading dog expert. People bond with dogs as much as babies do
with mothers, and reap unconditional love, security and
protection from the relationship.
Dr. Valerie O’ Farrel ? a psychologist ? says that dogs can also
compensate for an unhappy childhood. People perceive in their
pets qualities lacking in their parents. According to him, most
dogs perform remarkably well as “emotional sponges”, soaking up
owners’ hang?ups. “Dogs obviously cannot understand the nature
of their owners’ predicaments in the way that a sympathetic
human listener can. Because the dog does not get upset or angry
or go away, the owner can imagine he understands”, states the
doctor.
As well as protection, concern for our well?being and
unconditional love, we often assign to dogs a fourth parental
function: providing a safe and welcoming base to come home to.
Some canines take this duty very seriously, Dr. O’ Farrel reveals.
She describes the experience of a 37?year?old beauty therapist
with her faithfull mongrel. “He would follow me to the station
each morning to see me off”. I would watch him from the
carriage and see him about to turn and go home. Invariably, he
would be there to meet me when I got off the train at night. And
what’s more surprising ? we lived about a mile and a half from the
station.
Grade 1, Student’s book, Belo Horizonte,14th edition.
