The Intergalactic Journal of xenobiology and xenopsychology

ID: 242234341

Title: Adaptive Human K-9 Symbiotic Mutualism

Author: Dr. Krill

Symbiotic relationships are a staple of life within the universe. Assuming that a planet is habitable, it can also be assumed that the species interact. You can even go so far as to assume that species require that interaction to live with each other, otherwise there would be no sustenance. Sometimes these relationships are non beneficial; perhaps two species don't interact, or perhaps they compete for resources. Perhaps one species benefits while the other one does, perhaps that is to the detriment of one party. Sometimes both parties are rewarded for their relationship.

Bun in all my travels through the galaxy, I have never witnessed a symbiotic relationship that involved a sentient lifeform to the degree that humans and dogs interact. Sure Kallat fruit on Irus uses Rundi to pollinate, and the waterroot marshes on southern Anin have evolved to require the yearly harvest from Drev, but the human K-9 relationship is much deeper.

It all begins with domestication. Now there are a few things that are required for domestication. The first is a herd mentality that conforms to a social hierarchy. WIthout this domestication is possible but particularly difficult, and in my opinion, fall more under the realm of taming than it does domestication. Additionally domesticated animals need to be able to breed rapidly and in captivity, they need to be mostly docile, and have a variable diet, or at least one that is readily available, which can be brought to them in large quantities if need be.

The human relationship with dogs is a strange one. Humans are highly social, and wolves are also highly social creatures with a strict hierarchy, while the idea of Alpha and Omega has been long since debunked as false, there is still a strict social structure that must be followed. At some point in human past, humans likely took wolf pups and began breeding them, selecting only for the most docile and agreeable of the group members. Over time humans unintentionally bred a perfect companion for themselves into dogs. The dog/ human relationship is well established, and while other animals have been domesticated, only the dog has been specifically designed to meet the needs of their human companions.

Studies have found that dogs can interpret human facial expressions, and they do it in a similar way to humans. Generally humans examine only one side of the face more than the other, and this has also been found to be true in dogs. For wolves, where eye contact is a sign of aggression, a pet dog will see eye contact with their owners as comforting.

Dogs have been known to ask for help, understand human emotions, and are one of the only animals that understand pointing where other animals, even most primate species, did not.

Because of these unique abilities and advantages over humans, increased hearing, smell, variable size, speed, strength, and the use of teeth, dogs have been bred for almost any purpose, including hunting, search and rescue, military and police service, drug detection, tracking, performance, security, and service.

It is the latter to which I will focus my interest today. Service dogs may be the one greatest reason that humans have a higher ratio of disabled to able bodied member of their societies, not because humans are more likely to have defects, but because humans are more likely to survive them. And dogs can assist in a variety of ways, humans without sight use seeing eye dogs, who are trained to navigate complex environments and do basic tasks for their owners. Dogs are trained to detect the hormones associated with oncoming fainting spells, seizures, dangerous changes in blood sugar or other medical conditions. Furthermore, with their understanding of humans, dogs have been trained to combat emotional stress brought on by panic, anxiety, obsessive behavior, stress, and others.

***

He hadn't been feeling good all day

He should have known that, should have listened, but such is the hubris of man that he thinks he can push through anything if the time is short enough. Later he would look back on that day and chide himself stupidly for ignoring Waffles, who had been acting strangely all day.

He would have said strangely when she was actually doing her job and urging him not to go out, but he had chalked it up to her being agitated or maybe not feeling well.

Classic case of projection.

He was well into his first few weeks of living with his brother, and so far things had gone really well. The house was quiet, and soothing. Thomas left him to his own devices for the most part, and he had a lot of time to relax in an environment that he knew was safe. Over the past week he hadn't experienced any severe panic attacks, PTSD related or otherwise, and felt that today would be a good time to get out and get some things done for his brother.

Thomas was at work, and Adam was tired of staying at home taking up his brother's time.

He could go to the grocery store at the very least, get some food and cook a meal when they got back.

It was a good idea, and on any other day it might have worked, but for last night

Last night he had had a horrible dream, a burning red sky and ash falling around him like snow.

He remembered the cracking of bones and screams.

Adam had felt alien carapace crack under his hands, and woken up on the verge of screaming, and might have if not for Waffles, who was right there with him ready to do damage control. That dream had taken a lot out of hm, and he had been on edge all day. The little sounds of a car door shutting, and then the ice maker in the fridge had really set his teeth on edge.

But he had made plans and he wasn't about to stop them, so he had taken the bus out to the store. The bus ride had been fine enough. It was the middle of the day on a tuesday, so no one was on it, and other than the sound of the whirring gravity field, he didn't really have to worry about loud noises.

But then

The grocery store came.

For most people the average store isn't much source for concern, but as soon as he stepped inside, he was overwhelmed with a wall of rolling noise. There weren't a lot of people here, sure, but there was a mother with her young children, a team of soccer players from a nearby school coming to get snacks before a game, a couple of old folks and more than a few employees stacking boxes with the assistance of their robotic helpers.

The entire thing set his teeth on edge, and he swallowed hard, ringing his hands together nervously.

Waffles stepped in front of him and nosed his hands. He pushed her to the side, "I'm fine."

He continued to rub his hands together, and she continued to get in the way, much to his annoyance.

As he walked, the beeping of the grocery bagging isle grew louder.

Beep

Beep

Beep.

Boxes shuffled and voices rose. Somewhere a child began to wine verging on screaming because mom wasn't going to buy them a snack. Adam retreated to the frozen food section suddenly realizing he couldn't remember what he had come here for. He stood there awkwardly with Waffles sitting on his feet whimpering and whining tail wagging desperately back and forth.

Everything was just so loud all of a sudden.

Som days it didn't take much.

Some days were worse than others.

One day he could have stood by a speeding train and not been bothered. He could have walked under a red sky with the sound of roaring volcanoes in the distance and not batted an eye, but today, today it was the sound of a box falling to the floor in the next isle over as the intercom went off overhead.

And then in a flash he was back, deployed under a burning red sky and burning ash as sirens blared and a voice spilled out from the intercoms above. Adam was ready to run, had to run somewhere, but as he tried, he suddenly realized he couldn't feel his leg.

It was only to Waffle's credit that he didn't try to run, fall over and bash his face in. She had seen what was coming as soon as it happened leaping up to grab him and stop him from moving. When his head finally cleared, the store spinning around him, a wash of noise and chaos, she was there, something familiar and reassuring.

A machine turned on somewhere, and suddenly it was the whirring of steel eye armor, encasing him, shutting him in, buried in his skin.

Adam found himself on the ground curled into a ball. His heart raced inside his chest, he was sweating profusely, and it felt as if he was having a heart attack as the organ slammed against the inside of his ribcage. He was gasping for air, hands gripping his hair feeling as if he would fall off the face of the world.

And then she was there, crawling up beneath his arms. He tried to pull away but she kept coming, forcing herself into his arms. He gripped onto her fur and then to her vest, desperately trying to keep himself anchored.

Ash rolled through the sky choking his lungs.

And then he was on his back, and Waffles was there, having crawled up onto his chest and gently began to nose at his face. He could feel her weight, a solid constant that was separate from the visions invading his mind. Her weight, and her heat, and the softness of her fur under his hands were real. He buried his face in her fur trying to stave off any more nightmare visions from a past he didn't want to remember.

Her tail thumped against his leg.

And then, his heart began to calm, one slow beat after another finally falling back into rhythm.

The ash and red faded away.

Waffles licked at his face and wiggled a bit, resting her head on his chest.

He took another deep breath.

Just a few more minutes and then, he was there again, in the moment, lying flat on the floor of the frozen food section of the grocery store, which was bad enough in itself but he wasn't alone either.

An older man, maybe his dad's age, was standing nearby, though he hadn't approached.

"You alright?" He asked once he saw Adam begin to look around, his voice slow and low.

Adam nodded with some embarrassment.

"Need a hand."

The man didn't offer the hand until Adam gave a weak nod, and Waffles stepped to the side as the man helped him to his feet. The disconnect from his leg was still pretty bad. It throbbed with phantom pain strong enough to override the sensors, and he stumbled.

The man caught him.

"Easy does it."

Waffles was still at his side, attentive.

"Good girl." Adam muttered, reaching into his bag and handing her a treat. He may not remember to take care of himself but he wouldn't forget her treats. She took it happily but didn't take her eyes of him as he steadied himself.

"Maybe you should sit down?"

Adam shook his head, "No, its okay, but thank you."

"A good dog you have there." the man said though he didn't look at or even acknowledge the waffle's existence otherwise: clearly a man who knew how to behave around a working dog.

He nodded

"You got this?"

Adam nodded again, and the man made no fuss trundling off down the isle and towards the frozen vegetables.

Adam left the store without getting what he had come for, and returned to the bus stop where he sat on the bench head down, hands in his hair. Before he could start any of that waffles imposed herself into his space and forced him to pet her to keep his hands away from those destructive behaviors he had built up over the first few months without her.

"I'm sorry, girl." He mumbled

But she just wagged her tail and didn't seem to mind.

Waffles was happy to do her job.

And Adam was happy she was so good at it.

Maybe he just needed to take things slower next time. Maye just a walk.

At the very least listen to her when she told him something was wrong.