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Solomon Victoriano
Professor Lynda Haas
Writing 37
15 March 2014
Dogs for the Benefit of Humanity
Throughout history, animals have assisted humanity, be that in the military, medicinal
progress, or even as pets. However, of these animals, the dog has been the most helpful to
humanity; because of the special relationship between dogs and humans, scholars in the
sciences have been researching its evolution. For example, Leslie Irvine, a renowned
professor who studies sociology human-animal interaction, wrote a book-length study called
If You Tame Me in which she describes how and why the bonds between humans and animals
emerged. In his book The Genius of Dogs, Brian Hare, a Professor of Evolutionary
Anthropology Duke and Director of Dukes Canine Cognition Center, describes his canine
research, which measures the intelligence of dogs. And in his article on Time, Jeffrey Kluger
raises questions about how smart animals are, and the relationship between humans and these
animals. According to these scholars and experts in the field of animal studies, dogs have
benefited humanity since they became domesticated. Although this idea is well known, Leslie
Irvine and Brian Hare see that dogs benefitting humanity emerged when dogs became
humans pets, while Kluger raises points of who benefits from the relationship between dogs
and humans.
According to leading researchers and experts, dogs have evolved to benefit humans.
Dogs have been humans companions since cavemen existed. Leslie Irvine suggests that the
need for a hunting companion started the human-canine bond: Once dogs make a kill,
humans moved in and took the carcass, leaving scraps for the canids (14). Bonds with dogs

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formed due to the need of a hunting companion. Brian Hare, an animal researcher, would
agree that dogs would also want to form this bond with humans. He states that that [dogs]
often use our behavior to infer what we want, and what we want is usually to help them
(125). So despite the fact that the human-canine relationship emerged due to the need of a
hunting companion, it evolved into a deep companionship that still stands strong to this day.
Hare brings up the idea that dogs understand human communicative intentions. To show this,
he gives an example of how his father taught their pet dog how to fetch the newspaper every
Sunday morning. Hare later states that no other species besides humans has demonstrated
the ability to learn the meaning of words so quickly and with so much flexibility (129).
Dogs can be taught not only to fetch paper, but also to do various tasks ranging from assisting
the disabled to being guard dogs. Though Hare shows how this bond forms through the need
of a hunting companion, Professor Irvine focuses on how dogs are beneficial to humans
because of how well they adapted to being around humans. She states that dogs incorporate
their owners into their social groups while other animals dont. Dogs have adapted to be
around humans, going as far to making them part of their kennel. Professor Irvine quotes
another author, Yi-Fu Tuan, a renowned doctor in the field of human geography, and
according to him Whether we use them for economic or playful and aesthetic, we use
them (26). Tuan believes that we use dogs for our benefit, which Irvine disagrees with. Hare
would disagree with this point as well, since Hare believes that the bond between human and
dog is greater than just master and pet. Although dogs evolved to become hunting
companions, the relationship between dog and human remained strong because of the benefit
dogs continually brought humans.
Leading experts and scholars argue that the companionship between humans and
dogs only benefits humans. Jeffrey Kluger, a Senior Writer for Time, states, Humans have a

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fraught relationship with beasts. They are our companions and our chattel, our family
members and our laborers, our household pets and our household pests. We love them and
cage them, admire them and abuse them (Kluger). Irvine quotes another scholar, Carol
Brooks Gardner, a retired Professor of Sociology, who furthers Klugers point about pets
being companions yet chattel. Gardner states that dogs serve as a badge that human
caretakers use to meet other dog people (Irvine 20). Though humans care for dogs, this
interaction usually comes from the fact that dogs can bring humans happiness through
companionship. Humans end up just abusing the fact that they own a dog for their own
benefit. Kluger raises the point that humans use animals for their benefit because [t]hey
dont think, not in any meaningful way. They may pair-bond, but they don't love. For all we
know, they may not even be conscious (Kluger). Tuan narrows this idea down to dogs
specifically, stating the pleasure of animals' company originates in our ability to be masters
over them. We manipulate their behavior in ways that are not natural and that other humans
would not toleratewhen they become old, inconvenient, or tiresome, we get rid of them
(Irvine 25). Tuan believes that the relationship between dogs and humans is heightened by
the fact that humans can become a master figure in a relationship. Dogs are only there for
our use, and when theyre of no use any longer, we can just get rid of them. Irvine would
disagree with both Kluger and Tuan, arguing, Although their utter dependence on their
human guardians indeed creates a fundamental inequality, this does not necessarily translate
into domination (Irvine 27). Though it may seem humans are the only benefactors of this
companionship, dogs also benefit greatly from this companionship. Dogs are given homes,
food, care and love from their owners. Despite the fact that humans appear as the dominant
figure, dogs are companions not just pets. The relationship between humans goes beyond

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animal and owner, and it is because of this heightened relationship that humans have kept
dogs as domesticated animals through the ages.
Dogs have been and will continue to be used by humans to benefit them. Dogs have
benefitted humans through their companionship and though it may seem wrong at times,
humans, as well as the dogs, will continue to benefit from this companionship.

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Works Cited
Hare, Brian. "How Dogs Are Smarter than You Think." The Genius of Dog. N.p.: n.p.,
n.d. N. pag. Print.
Irvine, Leslie. If You Tame Me: Understanding Our Connection with Animals.
Philadelphia: Temple UP, 2004. Print.
Kluger, Jeffrey. "Inside the Minds of Animals." Time. Time, 5 Aug. 2010. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.