Once Man’s Best Friend—Now a Member of the Family

July 10, 2013 - PRLog -- People always say their pets are like their children—and now there may be scientific proof of this phenomenon.

In a new study published in “PLOS ONE,” researchers found that dogs were more motivated and enthusiastic about playing when their owners were present, much like human children will be when their parents are around to cheer them on.

“This is no surprise,” say Claudia and Paul Elhoff, authors of the new memoir “Sushi: The Lhasa Apso—A Love Story,” which chronicles their ups and downs with a dog who believed she was human. “Sushi was our little girl in a fur coat. From the first day we brought her home, we had more of a parent-child relationship than dog and owners.”

While the study, conducted in Vienna, showed that dogs interact with their caregivers just like children do with their guardians, it is not yet clear how this behavior developed in dogs. What is obvious is that dogs and humans have shared close associations for more than 15,000 years, and in that time some very deep social connections have developed.

“Sushi was definitely a member of our family,” say the Elhoffs. “She was a constant companion through good times and bad, and when we lost her, it felt like we had lost a child. It’s been almost six years and we still feel a void in our lives without Sushi. If that doesn’t speak to the specialness of the relationship between dogs and humans, we don’t know what would.”

“Sushi: The Lhasa Apso—A Love Story”follows this special dog’s journey through the highs and lows of life, from good times at the beach house with the Elhoffs and their grandchildren to her long, brave battle with recurring cancer. This story is a testament to a life well lived and a reminder to us all that no matter what our species, we must enjoy the time we have because it will pass by quicker than we think.

Claudia and Paul Elhoff live in West Islip, New York. Sushi: A Love Story is their first book.