Dude Looks Like a Doggy

Back in the day, people used dogs as much for their function as their companionship. Hunters needed dogs to point, flush, or retrieve game. Shepherds needed dogs to protect and lead the flock. Store owners and shipyards needed dogs to warn of intruders. Aristocrats needed to keep their laps warm.

Companionship between dog and man explains itself. Man sees himself in his dog. The hunter sees the hunter in his dog. The shepherd sees the shepherd in his dog. The aristocrat sees the aristocrat in his dog.

From left to right: Charlie, Benjamin. Bowsers at their finest.

Now, few people use their dogs for their breed (some still do!), but the tradition lingers on. Now, rather than a store owner using a dog to fend off and warn intruders, he finds a dog that looks like him . . . physically. Man still seeks something of himself in his dog, whether it be temperament, personality, origin, or looks.