The Dog in Nature

An Excerpt from The Conceptual Dog...

The dog is a creature of the great natural systems of the earth and his sense of identity is drawn through a deep and abiding connection to them. His ancient role within those systems is part of his genetic material. His utter lack of access to natural environments deprives him fundamentally as it deprives us. Stable ecosystems of field, forest and stream support a wide variety of natural life forms. In some parts of the world, the dog is still one of them. The biodiversity found within natural areas can not only sustain the physical life of a canine, it enhances the animal's entire conscious experience. As they develop, dogs master diverse and increasingly complex social and environmental challenges and they integrate their experiences into a coherent sense of self. The living natural world is rich and variable; it is constantly in motion, always changing and subtlety unique. Dogs will find outlets for their inherent expressions in such environments and the full potential of a canine can be actualized through this exposure. Animals in nature engage with the flow of time with attentive awareness. They continuously orient themselves to their environments and this enables them to structure responses, anticipate consequences and adjust activities accordingly. They demonstrate inquisitive exploration, playful interaction and exploratory manipulation of what is found. They deliberately create opportunities to try out new things and have novel experiences. Their activities demonstrate purpose, enjoyment and an apprehension of life’s meaningfulness.