Some dogs are more intelligent than others. I guess I've only been responsible (I never considered my care taking as a form of 'ownership') for smarter dogs than the one you describe, peachfizzy.

Hey I think dogs are great -but don't you think they are very excitable? My dog was happy to see me even I had only gone outside to get the mail.

everybody calm down. dogs and cats are both wonderful in their own unique ways and anyone who doesn't know this has never had one. subject closed.

he's just a troll trying to get a rise out of dog lovers

Not so, PF...my dog's reaction to my return is in direct proportion to how long I've been gone..it's startin' to sound to me a little like maybe you don't really know all that much about dogs..

Your dog would act the same whether you were gone for a few days or 5 minutes.

Dogs are much more social than cats..we have a couple of those worthle...er..ah..darlin' kitties around our house...when they come and lie on our tummies when we're reading in bed, or gaze deeply into our eyes, my wife thinks it's because they love us...I think they lie on us 'casue we're warm and when they gaze into our eyes they're thinking "Feed me, servant." When I've been gone for a few days and I come home the cats barely raise an eyebrow...but my dog is so happy to see me that he runs happily around in circles and carries on for five or ten minutes...when Odysseus returned form his long voyage, nobody knew him..not his old retainer, nor his son nor his wife..but his old dog recognized him and thumped his tail with joy..

Most cats will not allow themselves to be so dominated and enslaved as dogs will.

You probably can't since they have at least some signs of self-respect and dignity.

Try to teach that to a cat...

Dogs are kinda stupid though.

Here, here Potato! One can see the focussed attention, I would say of 'love,' of the dog to its master, waiting for the master to give the signal to thrust up its snout and catch the biscuit. Dogs and many animals love the community of humans and they love to show 'and develop their intelligence,' yes, intelligence! Consider the great joy and gaiety of dolphins with humans. They are in their element of happiness and love to perform.

I've had lots of dogs..most of them were pretty poised and self-assured..but they all loved doing tricks and performing..dogs enjoy our attention and they enjoy pleasing us..doesn't mean they're cowed or degraded..your view strikes me as somewhat gloomy and cynical..

Will Power? Just shows how cowed dogs can become. What self-respecting animal would let themselves be so degraded.