There are headlines around about Cheryl Cole at the moment saying that she only trusts her mother and her dogs. Her husband is conspicuous by his absence from that list, and it's grabbed her a lot of media attention, so I guess she's happy with that. But it initially struck me as very sad.
It got me thinking about trust in relation to our dogs. We trust them in so many ways. We trust them to be a friendly reliable family member, we trust them to return to us when we let them off them leash, we trust them to play alongside our children, we tell them our secrets. Some of us rely on them to act as our eyes or ears or give us vital warnings that our body is about to misfunction in some way. We depend on them to herd our livestock, sniff out a variety of dangerous substances, put their guarding instincts to good use, and rescue us from sea and snow. That's impressive, though not exhaustive.
They're an amazing species that we have exploited to our benefit, and in some ways to their disadvantage. From the first human canine pairings (however they came about) we have trusted our dogs. Initially they were hunting partners, but as time passed that bond grew ever more complex and diverse. So should be really be surprised when Cheryl Cole - or anyone - says that they trust their dog more than their partner? How many people in your life actually offer the unceasing, unerring love and support your dog does? Now maybe that's sappy, but I stand by it.
So I guess the real surprise is that some of us manage to find another human being who is as trustworthy a companion to us as any dog could be. If you do manage to find that, cherish it - and try to make sure that he or she is a dog lover too, it helps!
Take care,
Julie x