INTRODUCTION From as early as 32,000 years ago, dogs have been roaming this earth. “Dogs have not only offered love and affection, but worked side-by-side with their human counterpart for centuries” (Smith, 2018). “The last fifty years have seen dogs increasingly drawn into the home as family members” (Power, 2008, p. 535), allowing pet dogs to be seen as attachment figures. “What’s interesting about this, is that dogs evolved alongside humans, so they are able to connect with us on a deeper level than many animals today” (Watson, 2016). From the beginning, the human species have created a special bond with dogs, constructing the way a home functions, and how we, as individuals, view ourselves. “A tenuous and contingent relation that is made” (Power, 2008, p. 536), more-than-human families have been proven to change our emotions and behaviours as human beings. The purpose of this report is to examine the various ways our pet dogs impact our lives. It will explore the notion of home making practices, emotional and mental health benefits, and how the human-dog relationship has changed the individual. It will also tackle the concept of the humandog attachment/bond, the uniqueness of human-dog interaction, and the effects on the human (such as a sense of security and source of safe haven). This report will begin by providing an overview on home making practices, and how humans view their pet dogs as a vital part of their home. It will then move into the concept of attachment and bond that lie between the human and dog. From there, the effect of dogs on human beings will be further explored, and conclude with how these effects have the ability to change a human being’s identity.
METHODS Research used for this report was found through the EBSCO database using English-language, peer-reviewed and full text articles. A publication date was not used, allowing for a wider range of articles. The following search terms and words were used: “pet dogs” “attachment”, “dogs” “human character”, “dogs” “human personality development”, and “dogs” “attachment” and “humans”. Research for this report was gathered from January 25 – March 25, 2018. Unfortunately, research on this topic was extremely limited and difficult to find. Specific information regarding the effect dogs have on the human brain, in further changing one’s identity, was non existent. Research articles selected for this report touched on various aspects of the human-dog relationship, such as attachment and creating a home. However, each article brought in a different perspective. Some articles consisted of interviews with pet owners, surveys with pet owners, or participating pet owners recording diaries over a nine-month period. In addition to the academic research, two credible media sources were also used for this report. Both articles were found on March 23, 2018. Key terms used in Google were: “dogs and