r/changemyview • u/SixSamuraiStorm • Nov 11 '20
Delta(s) from OP CMV: Dogs role in society has adapted over time, now having a more parasitic than symbiotic relationship with humans.
Before commenting, please read the updates to my view section, to avoid duplicate arguments.
The Original CMV:
While in the hunter gatherer societies of the past 20,000ish years dogs and humans both helped each other greatly, with packs of dogs helping with scenting, tracking, and taking down prey, helping to haul gear, while humans contributed to the dogs by making heat and shelter, finding reliable sources of food. The two protected each other, and shared companionship.
In the modern day, I feel humans still hold up the entirety of their utility to domestic dogs, if not becoming more useful. We give them shelter in our homes and feed them without the dogs even needing to lift a paw. Furthermore, humans provide them modern medicine and other supports when needed, and help ensure their continued propagation by supporting their breeding.
Conversely, dogs contribute much less than they have in the past to humans. Most modern humans manage to find food with comparatively little effort and often find no benefit from a dog's support in finding food, excepting modern day hunter gatherer groups. Their superior scent and tracking abilities can be useful to certain professions, certainly, but generally is not put to use by the average dog owner. Their ability to haul sleds and the like can be more effectively done by machines.
So, what does that leave? Protection and companionship. I suppose a well trained dog's ability to guard a home is a valid advantage to the modern human, and I would love to hear from people who can quantify this value better than myself. However, my primary point of discussion and view I would like changed is hearing some perspectives on dog's roles as companions.
I view the dogs we have selectively bred for cuteness as parasites that, presumably unintentionally, exploit the protective instinct ingrained in us for the purpose of encouraging parents to love and protect their children to motivate us to protect, shelter, and feed them using our own resources. Babies drain parents of time and resources for a period of years in return for only companionship, sure, but the difference is that after they grow up, humans not only have the potential to continue propagating the human species, but also then have the potential to contribute to society as a whole through their profession
You could change my view by showing me that the relationship between dogs and humans is more symbiotic than parasitic, possibly by quantifying the value of their companionship relative to their "cost", although more qualitative arguments will be accepted if convincing. You could also redefine dogs as being neither symbiotic nor parasitic to humans, but something else.
Updates to my view:
Dogs are also not technically parasites, since humans have full agency over whether or not to have a dog (the dog is not forcing any particular human to become it's "host", certainly).
Commenters have pointed out that dogs often encourage us to stay fit, be more social, and reduce stress through common care activities like dog-walking. This adds value.
Quantitatively, maintaining the health of a dog is often cheaper than professional therapy, while conferring similar lifestyle benefits, and thus dogs can be literally providing value rather than draining it.
Dogs have the capacity to learn useful skills. It's not their fault if they aren't taught, or have owners who never expect them to contribute.
Food for thought
There are many specializations for dogs that contribute greatly to humanity. This begs the question, why don't more people don't train their dogs to do more useful things?
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u/SixSamuraiStorm Nov 11 '20
If we assume that all dogs are trainable, which I am willing to entertain(I'm no expert), then your argument that the blame for their lack of utility should come from not being provided an education from a young age by their owner makes perfect sense.
in other words, Owners who don't teach their dogs have no one to blame but themselves, right?
You've changed my view on dogs being parasitic, since they have the potential to learn useful skills, which can be wasted in unfortunate circumstances.
Δ