The relationship between people and their pets never ceases to be amazing.  It can be as profound and complex as any that arise between humans, yet bridging the distance of species adds a fascinating challenge and depth.  It is remarkable to think about how these intense bonds between humans and animals have been forming for millennia and still retain an air of mystery.  How is it that despite all of their differences, animals and humans can form such deep, emotional bonds?  I propose that people need to find commonalties with animals in order to establish a deep, emotional relationship with them, and they do this by identifying animals' behaviors with emotions or motivations to which they can relate.

As the word “relationship” indicates, in order to form an emotional bond, a human needs to be able to relate to the other human or animal.  However, in order to empathize, people need to be able to discern commonalties, to find some sort of common ground or shared realm of experience.  This means that establishing a bond with another, for humans, requires the recognition or identification of something in common between the two parties.

This search for common qualities is apparent in the interaction between people and their pets.  One manner in which people recognize traits in animals is by attributing emotions to behaviors.  For example:  a person observing a pet who responds aggressively to a favorite toy that has become stuck under the couch may comment, “My, aren’t we grumpy today!” thereby attributing an emotional state to the animal.  This by no means denies the presence of emotion in the animal.  Attribution is, by definition, inferring the causes of behavior; therefore, attribution does not necessitate anthropomorphism because the causes inferred may be the true origins of the behavior.  However, inferring the cause of behavior to be a recognizable emotional state allows the human to establish a commonality between him/herself and the animal.

Another way in which people establish a connection, or common ground, with their pets is by attributing a human motivation (other than emotion) to the animal’s actions.  For example:  when a pet is charging after another pet and making threatening noises, a person may explain the behavior in this manner, “He is just getting revenge because she beat up on him yesterday.”  This interpretation attributes revenge, a human motivation, to the animal's behavior.  Whether or not this is the true motivation for the action has comparatively little significance.  While consistent misinterpretation of behavior (for example, that the motivation was the pet’s evil nature rather than revenge) may lead to a future weakening of the relationship by undermining its foundation, it will not hinder its creation.  During the formative process, however, it serves as another point of reference to which the person can relate.

One possible objection is exemplified by human interactions with wolves.  In dealing with wolves, people enter into the hierarchical social structure established by the wolves, and it is their behavior in relation to the pack that determines their rank within the society.  It is the interpretation of the human’s behavior that conforms to the ideals held by the wolves, rather than vice versa as demonstrated above.  Superficially, this example seems to oppose the theory.  In response to this suggestion, however, one must consider the process that is occurring.  From the wolves’ perspective, the human displays expected behavior to which the wolves can relate.  It is possible that they too are using a similar method to provide the foundation necessary to establish an emotional bond.  What is important to note, though, is that as this socialization process takes place, common behaviors and experiences are also being established from the human’s perspective.  This means that the interactions are creating the required human foundation for a relationship, thereby supporting rather than contradicting the theory.

While bridging the distance between species may appear a daunting task, humans and animals take the challenge and triumph.  As we have seen, the process of identifying animals' behaviors with emotions or motivations to which people can relate allows humans to form the connections that foster the deep, emotional bonds we witness between people and their pets.