I can only assume you have, as have I, given more than passing thought to how different the world would be if dogs engaged in commerce the way humans do.
My curiosity about such matters runs into practical difficulties when I try to envision what forms of payment dogs would use. Would dogs simply barter, for example trading beef for chicken and bones for blankets? Or would dogs develop a system of currency, wherein something of little or no intrinsic value would be used to facilitate purchases?
And, would dogs attempt to amass vast stores of their currency (or their items of barter), more than they could possibly use in trade for what they might need or want? Would dogs display capitalistic greed?
I suppose I’ll never know the answer to these questions. Nor will I know what inter-species commerce would look like, were dogs to be in a position to buy their food and shelter from humans. But, wait. Maybe all I need do is look at the relationship between humans and dogs as it is today to get my answer.
That’s exactly it, brother!
Dogs are just what they seem. Materialistic thoughts would never occur to a dog. You give a dog food and shelter, you get in return unconditional love. You give a dog NOTHING, you get in return unconditional love. There are of course exceptions that prove the rule. But introduce me to a thousand dogs, I’ll have 999 friends. Introduce me to a thousand humans, and I might gain two friends.