Dogs or Robots

Having acquired our 3rd dog I found myself thinking about how some people never build a connection to a dog soul. I have a deep bond with my dog Bella. She goes with me everywhere. She loves car rides, she LOVES playing ball and she loves going sailing and golf cart riding. There are limitations when you have a dog. I can’t just decide at a moment’s notice to go somewhere because Bella and my other 2 dogs are dependent on me for life. It is possible to make arrangements with my neighbors to cover the care while I’m away but that got me wondering.

There are some people who do not have a dog or any pets for that matter. Mankind domesticated dogs nearly 30,000 years ago. It started with wild wolves hanging around encampments for scraps of food and over the years the wolves in return helped provide protection. Now dogs come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and colors. The bond I have with Bella makes me think about the strength of the bond over generations. But will it last? What about the people who don’t have dogs? What about the people who don’t want to be responsible? What about the future? Will dogs still hold such a special place in our hearts or will that change?

Will some people begin to replace their dog with a program? What if technology replaced the dog as man’s best friend? People are already addicted to technology. At the time of this writing, I’m using a chrome book for editing this post but I also have a tablet replaying the Texas XPEL 375 Indycar race and I have my handy cell phone next to me ready for action. At my feet are Belly and Mr Butterbones (Hairy). I couldn’t imagine life without technology. As AI improves, humanity might find more benefit from a relationship with a computer than with an animal. In the future, perhaps in the form of a robot, we might not be able to tell the two apart. A robot dog doesn’t need to be taken outside, they don’t get sick and they don’t make a mess in the house. A robot dog can even play. Sadly, I am on borrowed time. My best friend isn’t going to be with me for the rest of my journey. Death of a pet can trigger very powerful emotions and many people can’t bear the grief. What if you could have your friend forever? Would you prefer a robot over a real dog?