It's a popular saying that dogs are a man's best friend, but I don't think that's because of how

excited they get when we return home, or the cheerful-looking, smiling faces they have when you

play catch. I think we ultimately have that saying because of the darker part of the

relationship between dogs and humans, the protective nature they feel toward

their owners, and the distress they feel when we're not around. In fact, a study conducted by Arizona

State University took 19 dogs in a study in which their owner was under duress in a box with a door

that could be nudged open by the canines,

and had the owner call out for help.

Six of the dogs successfully released their owner.

Still others tried, but were unable to figure out how to nudge the door open.

Nearly all the dogs were distressed, whining and barking in their

attempts at rescue. Certain breeds of dogs, in terms of protection, could be considered better

than nearly any other form of protection, whether for raising an alarm or for going after someone

attempting to cause harm. For dogs, their owner is their

person, someone who needs to be cared for. In still other studies, scientists have found that dogs

go through a range of emotions when we aren't around. They will mope and mourn, sometimes going on hunger strikes when you go on

vacations. Other stories tell of dogs that have mourned their owners who have passed. One particular

story from Japan tells of Hachiko, who used to meet his owner every day at the train station to walk

home together. When his owner passed, Hachiko continued to go

every single day to the train station looking for his owner. This was an act he did for 10 years.

You've also likely seen the images of soldiers who return home who were in charge of a canine,

and the dog will lie down right before the coffin, still faithful.

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