The Dog Effect

There has been a lot of talk in recent years about "The Butterfly Effect." The popular metaphor follows the theory that every single action in the world, no matter how small, has a profound effect on the rest of the world if given a long enough time frame. If a butterfly flaps its wings in New York, it may rain in San Francisco.

In 2004, a movie named "The Butterfly Effect" was released starring Ashton Kutcher, Melora Walters, and Amy Smart. The movie gave examples, sometimes to the point of redundancy, of how a slight change of events would change the course of history dramatically for the characters lives.

If a tiny butterfly flapping its wings has captured the imagination and curiosity of theorists, physicists, and philosophisers the world over, imagine the effect of a dog. According to the 2009-2010 National Pet Owners Survey carried out by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, residents of the U.S. owned approximately 77.5 million dogs.

77.5 million! 39% of all U.S. households own at least one dog. This means that almost four out of every ten houses has the potential of a "Dog Effect." A dog's actions are at any given time affecting at least a third of the United States.

"A dog doing what?" you may ask.

Doing anything!

Sniffing the air, snuggling on your couch, tearing up your neighbor's lawn. Imagine!

Think of all the times your life has changed because of a dog. There are obvious changes, such as bringing home a new puppy or saying goodbye to an old friend. There are dramatic impacts too, such as the sudden loss of a dog too young or the heartbreaking decision to end the life of a dog too sick or too old or in too much pain.

But think of all the little, tiny, inconsequential (supposedly) "dog effects" on your life. Maybe you crossed the street one night on a walk to avoid a close encounter with a strange or aggressive dog. Maybe you chose a different hotel on vacation due to their pet policy. Maybe you are never in your yard except to clean up after the dog.

Maybe its even more removed. Its possible that your laundry room door doesn't close properly because the previous owner's dog used to lay against it every night for ten years, forever throwing the hinges off balance. A minor annoyance for the rest of the door's existence, caused by some unknown dog.

Or maybe its a more positive impact.

Maybe your boss woke up in an awful mood, but then was surprised by the friendly wagging tail of his neighbor's poodle when he went outside to get the paper. Maybe when he went over to the neighbor's house to return the dog, she answered the door in a tiny nightgown and they made love on the foyer floor. And maybe because of this, his entire mood changed and instead of firing the secretary that day, he went in and gave everybody raises!

Before you scoff too loudly, remember that if a butterfly's wing flap can affect the weather across an entire nation, anything is possible by a dog.