Introduction

In 2011, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimated an 8.7 million (plus-minus) 1.3 million number of existing species in our planet, not including the estimated 86% of land-living and 91% of ocean-living ones that are yet to be discovered.

Photo Credits to: Freepic.com

Considering the very high chance for me to have been born as a different specie, I thought of what I would want myself to be if I wasn't born to a specie which where I currently belong. In probability, the higher the number of species there are, the higher is the chance of not having been born as a human - so, yeah I'm feeling lucky right now and contemplating to the fact that I'm actually experiencing existential crisis.

Based from my knowledge about living things, I thought of many animals: From platypuses because I was an avid watcher of Phineas and Ferb to cheetahs because they are simply the fastest. I also thought of being born as a whale or a dolphin (mainly for its intelligence) and I think you have an idea why. Got you, ha! ;)

But there's this specie that I can't help but choose which is the Canis lupus familiaris, more commonly known as...

DOGS

And the following are the main reasons why:

Dogs and humans are great together.

A recent study by Range and Viranyi (2015) concludes that dogs are naturally social with their conspecifics (example: wolves) and other species. After a very long domestication by humans, they have developed closer ties than with their own conspecifics.

Photo Credits to: Uberhumor.com

Who wouldn't love to bond and fight alongside humans?
In this sense, I generally prefer to have been born as a dog.

Dogs are adorable.

If I were to be born as an animal from another specie, I would prefer to be one which is acclaimed as adorable from the animals who could perceive and speak such a wonderful idea. I'm sure you would want to be born adorable. This asset will lessen my chances of getting hurt or abandoned, and increase the love that will be given back.

Photo Credits to: Cloudfront.net

Dogs are popular.

With the adorableness that dogs have comes popularity - this is apparent on the vast content (e.g. memes, videos, commercials) being produced and stored in the internet. Of course, I would still want to kick some buttocks even if I was not born human. With a possible status ranging from being a simple man's best friend to being a pet of a billionaire, I have the high potential of toppling down my beloved humans on their fame.