The Unique Love Between Humans and Dogs | Elias Weiss Friedman | TED

伊莱亚斯是广受欢迎的Instagram平台“The Doggist”的创始人，拥有760万粉丝。他探讨了人与狗之间深刻的联系。他强调，通过他的照片和附带的故事，他反复见证了人们对他们的狗狗怀有的独特的深沉的爱，有时甚至超过了对其他人的爱。 在过去的11年中，伊莱亚斯已经在世界各地拍摄了大约5万只狗，他突出了一个反复出现的主题：无条件的爱。他指出，人们经常分享这样的故事：在经历了一天的压力后，他们狗狗充满爱意的目光有力量消除他们的烦恼。狗狗慷慨地给予爱和眼神交流，而这种直率正是伊莱亚斯努力在他的摄影中捕捉的。他将这种简单与复杂的人际关系进行对比，幽默地提及与他的未婚妻之间更加微妙的互动相比，他的狗埃尔莎提供了简单而热情的问候。埃尔莎是一只来自德克萨斯州的救援犬，代表了养狗在他自己生活中的变革力量。 伊莱亚斯还讨论了文化差异如何影响世界各地人们与狗狗之间的关系。虽然他承认人们普遍喜欢狗，但不同地区也出现了一些趋势。在洛杉矶，人们经常看到狗狗陪同主人在车里，这表明他们花了大量时间在一起。他还分享了来自英国的观察，展示了那里欢迎狗狗的酒吧，这在美国不太常见。他讲述了一个来自克罗地亚的幽默轶事，那里有一只名叫尤蒂（Jutti，意思是“黄色”）的城镇犬，自由漫步，并受到整个社区的照顾。在瑞士，人们对犬类繁殖的重视程度，包括对育种者的强制性培训，给他留下了深刻的印象。他将此与美国监管较少的育种行为进行了对比，后者可能导致犬类过度繁殖。 服务犬是伊莱亚斯作品的另一个重要方面。他承认在机场看到服务犬所带来的情感冲击，并强调它们在支持有各种需求的人们方面发挥着至关重要的作用，包括那些患有创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）和其他精神健康状况的人。他分享了退伍军人莎朗和她的服务犬艾迪的故事，艾迪可以执行噩梦中断等任务，并提供情感支持。伊莱亚斯了解到，在艾迪到来之前，莎朗基本上无法说话。他还讲述了内森的故事，内森是一位退休的空军退伍军人，在通过“美国退伍军人犬只组织”（America's Vet Dogs）获得服务犬之前，他一直处于社会隔离状态。他分享了这只狗如何彻底改变了内森的社交能力。 他还分享了他的朋友安格斯的故事，安格斯患有严重的焦虑和抑郁症，在尝试处方药后，他意识到自己需要更多帮助。他偶然发现了一种专门训练来帮助患有精神健康需求的人的特殊犬种，并遇到了那只狗，奥帕尔。伊莱亚斯解释了安格斯的狗如何改变了他对约会和生活的看法。有了奥帕尔，他不会再有之前出现的强烈的情绪波动或恐惧。如果约会不顺利，奥帕尔正在等着他，和奥帕尔在一起会是一段美好的时光。 然后他分享了关于玛吉的故事，玛吉是一只设施服务犬，并分享了那只狗如何让他意识到他之前的状态不太好。 伊莱亚斯讨论了他在与狗一起长大的经历以及“The Doggist”的演变。他指出，很长一段时间以来，他一直避免自己养狗，理由是他的旅行计划和对自身没有准备好的认知。然而，疫情促使他寄养了一只狗，这让他遇到了来自德克萨斯州的埃尔莎。他爱上了埃尔莎，并表示这件事加深了他对其他人与他们的狗之间关系的理解，并指出养狗打开了他心中一个新的房间。他与埃尔莎的关系促成了他与未婚妻的订婚，进一步证明了养狗在他生活中的变革力量。

Elias, founder of the popular Instagram platform "The Doggist," with 7.6 million followers, discusses the profound connection between humans and dogs. He emphasizes that, through his photographs and accompanying stories, he's repeatedly witnessed the unique depth of love people hold for their dogs, sometimes even surpassing the love they have for other people. Having photographed around 50,000 dogs worldwide over the last 11 years, Elias highlights the recurring theme of unconditional love. He notes that people often share stories of how, after a stressful day, their dog's loving gaze has the power to wash away their worries. Dogs are generous with both their love and their eye contact, a directness Elias strives to capture in his photography. He contrasts this simplicity with the complexities of human relationships, humorously referencing how his dog, Elsa, offers an uncomplicated, enthusiastic greeting compared to the more nuanced interactions with his fiancée. Elsa, a rescue dog from Texas, represents the transformative power of dog ownership in his own life. Elias also discusses how cultural differences influence the ways people relate to dogs across the globe. While he acknowledges a universal fondness for dogs, certain trends emerge in different regions. In Los Angeles, dogs are often seen accompanying their owners in cars, indicating the extensive time they spend together. He also shares observations from the UK, showcasing pubs where dogs are welcome, a sight less common in the United States. He recounts a humorous anecdote from Croatia, where a town dog named Jutti, meaning "yellow," freely roams and is cared for by the entire community. In Switzerland, the seriousness with which dog breeding is approached, including mandatory training for breeders, impressed him. He contrasts this with the less regulated breeding practices in the United States, which can lead to overpopulation. Service dogs are another significant aspect of Elias's work. He acknowledges the emotional impact of seeing service dogs at airports and emphasizes their vital role in supporting individuals with various needs, including those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health conditions. He shares the stories of Sharon, a veteran with PTSD, and her service dog, Eddie, who performs tasks such as nightmare interruption and provides emotional support. Elias learned that before Eddie, Sharon was essentially nonverbal. He also recounts the story of Nathan, a retired Air Force veteran who was socially isolated until he received a service dog through America's Vet Dogs. He shares how that dog completely transformed Nathan's social capabilities. He also shares the story of his friend Angus who has a serious problem with anxiety and depression, and while trying prescription medication, he realized that he needed more help. He came across a special breed of dog specifically trained to help assist people with mental health needs and met the dog, Opal. Elias explains how Angus's dog has shifted his perspective on dating and life. With Opal, he does not have the intense spiral of emotions or fear that would have come up before. If a date doesn't work out, Opal is waiting for him, and it will be a good time with Opal. He then shares the story about Maggie, a facility service dog, and shares how that dog made him realize that the mood he was previously in was not great. Elias discusses growing up with dogs and the evolution of "The Doggist." He notes that, for a long time, he had avoided getting a dog of his own, citing his travel schedule and a perceived lack of readiness. However, the pandemic prompted him to foster a dog, which led to him meeting Elsa, a dog from Texas. He fell in love with Elsa and remarks that the event deepened his appreciation for other people's relationships with their dogs, noting that owning a dog opened a new chamber of his heart. His relationship with Elsa catalyzed his engagement to his fiancée, further demonstrating the transformative power of dog ownership in his life.