Real Men Feel: Ep. 99, The Bound Between Men and Dogs

The Connection Between Men and Dogs Episode 99, June 26, 2018

This week on Real Men Feel, Andy Grant is joined by by Richard Morrell and Sean Higgins to discuss the emotional bonds between men and man’s best friend; touching on everything from unconditional love to grief.

“I wrote about the emotional bond between men and dogs back in May, but knew I had to wait longer before I could possibly speak about it.” ~Andy Grant

This is the article that prompted today’s discussion: Men and Their Dogs

Dogs, unlike perhaps anything else in the typical man’s life, give unconditional love and support. Your dog is ALWAYS glad to see you. Your dog ALWAYS loves you, whether you just yelled at him for eating your favorite sneakers or you’ve spent hours tossing a ball to them. No other living creature gives so much emotion, presence, attention and time to a man like a dog. Your dog will never call you names, go behind your back, or leave you for another owner.

Topics Covered Include:

Richard and Andy talk about recently putting dogs down.
The intensity of grief around losing a dog.
The unconditional love dogs offer.
The support of dogs when depressed and suicidal.
Have you seen men in your family display more emotion regarding their dog than other people?
What do you think is behind your connection to your dogs, as a child or adult?
Have you ever been surprised by your grief regarding a pet?
Do you think men are encouraged to show emotion related to dogs or is it more that they are discouraged in showing emotion in other areas of life?
Why do you think the bond between a man and his dog can be so strong?
Was the loss of a dog, in life or on screen, a moment that was ok for the adults in your life to cry over when you were a kid?
Anything top of mind that you’ve learned from a dog?
Some wild stories involving animal communicators are shared.
What do we mean when we say “pulling yourself together?”