Mr Safina says his dogs display their love of him by sleeping on his bedroom floor. I can second that emotion.
My beloved bloodhound Spako not only sleeps on my bedroom floor, but squeezes under my bed to sleep directly underneath me! And Spako shows emotions other than love and affection. Whenever I give too much of my attention to my other pet, my cat Jesus, Spako becomes visibly upset. Sometimes Spako will emit this growling noise as she watches Jesus and me. At other times she'll let out a very loud and menacing bark or two, which usually causes Jesus to scoot away very quickly. (But she has never attacked or harmed Jesus; in fact, they are great and often funny playmates together.) Of course I admonish Spako for her outbursts of jealousy toward Jesus, and remind her that she has always received far more of my time than he has. Alas, as is wont when we give too much attention to our human offspring, Spako admittedly behaves like a spoiled brat sometimes. But when I look at her goofy looking face and drooping ears, it's impossible for me to be upset at her for more than a few seconds.
25
Let me begin this way. I was listening to Sam Harris and Andrew Marantz have a conversation the other day, and Sam mentioned Putnam's work showing that homogenous societies have higher levels of social trust. He then asked Marantz if he was aware of the work, and Marantz said, "Sure. The alt-right cite it all the time." To Sam, this was Marantz's way of discrediting Putnam himself by suggesting that because the alt-right use his work to bolster their often-racist points of view, that alone discredits his research and, indeed, him.
I bring this up because when science finds something the Left doesn't like, they attack the research (like conservatives). Note the way Safina presents the views of those who speak against "animal" consciousness: "I think it’s because it’s easier to hurt them if you think of them as dumb brutes." I've had dogs all my life; I love dogs. Do progressives assume that if I'm not ready to concede dog consciousness -- and I'm not -- that I therefore have no problem with dog-beating?
Safina is an ecologist, not a neuroscientist. I don't think the consensus -- at all -- among neuroscientists is that a dog has "qualia." But reading The Times, you'd not know that. And it's not just this article; this has been an ongoing theme. How about a little balance? This paper's political orientation is affecting how it covers animal consciousness. You'd think the neuroscience community had reached a consensus. It hasn't.
In the meantime, don't beat your dog.
18
At 11pm, roughly the average time I go to bed, my dog will go to the bedroom. If I don’t show up in 5 minutes, he’ll come back out to the living room, sit and stare at me for a few minutes, then go back to the bedroom. Again, if I don’t show up, he comes back and repeats this act a few more times. I either go to bed, ending the process, or he realizes I’m going to have a late night working, at which point, he’ll come back and fall asleep by my feet.
Only people who’ve never had dogs believe they’re not smart or lack emotions.
I won’t even go into the story of how he somehow learned to work a baby lock after I put one on the cabinet door for which he’d also somehow learned to open by himself.
61
I have extremely well trained dogs because I know they have their own personalities with their own emotions and ways of thinking. I train them accordingly and it is so much easier.
My current dog loves my son. She’s a great dog, very smart but not obedient. She can be pretty bossy with my husband and son which makes me laugh. Great dog!
29
There's good news tonight for animals and the people who love them: the House unanimously passed the PACT Act, which makes it a federal felony to abuse, torture and harm animals (except, yeah, for hunting animals).
https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/23/politics/house-passes-pact-act-trnd/index.html
When I was about 8 I raised a praying mantis from a hatchling, feeding it and its brethren fruit flies from a lab, and letting all the young ones out into the garden, save one. She became a magnificent, perfect large - 4" - mantis whose home wasa big terrarium in my bedroom. She was so tame, and so intelligent, that she learned to come to my hand when I took the lid off, and sit on my forearm while I got a meal worm ready, or a piece of hamburger. I'd hold dinner out between my fingers and she'd firmly but delicately snatch it and eat it like an ear of corn.
In one of E.O. Wilson's books he credits his life as a scientist with the freedom his parents gave him to roam the woods when he was a boy. He saw the multitudes that live in one square foot of earth. When my children were young, we recreated Wilson's experience by putting potting soil in a terrarium and adding everything from sifting a few pints of garden earth, and we made an inventory - eggs, worms, larvae. In the spring, we did another inventory. So much life! And besides loving all creatures, these children especially pay attention to the tiniest - the ballooning spiders, the 6" worm snakes, the tadpoles. Great fun!
59
We are destroying the earth’s beautiful creatures daily. Climate scientists around the world agree we have only 10 YEARS to avoid the sixth mass extinction (including the human race.) If you believe all life is sentient, as I do ... if you believe the world and our children deserve a world worth living in ... If you love life ... get out and scream and shout for our government officials to take action NOW!
58
So long, and thanks for all the fish.
19
And yet, except for pets, the human animals choose to abuse, destroy their homes and unnecessarily consume them in a most hideous way. It's on us.We've got a lot of explaining to do.
39
All obvious to lifelong dog lovers.
39
The empathy, affection, and bonding of dog and man has been recognized since the beginning of recorded history. After 20 years away, Odysseus's dog, Argos recognizes his master when he returns incognito to reclaim his wife and home. Argos had long been depressed but communicates his joy to Odysseus who cannot return the signal because it would give away his presence. However, he does shed tears because of his joy in reconnecting with Argos, who then dies. It remains one of the most touching scenes in the literature of man and animal.
66
Mr. Safina says, "yes, dogs can love their humans."
So do cats, and anybody who has spent time with cats knows the possibility of mutually intense feelings of enjoying each other's company.
70
I think the word "love" is misapallied here. A dog loves first and foremoset being a dog, and being a dog is all about wanting to be near their family. Take that dog away from their family and put them in the midst of another family, and that dog, after perhaps a brief period of depression, will adopt their new family and will "love" that family as ardently as they "loved" the previous one. But real love, it feels to me, requires an element of exclusivity. We like a lot of peole, but love only a very small number of them. And when we fall in love with someone, we think they are so very special.... No such thing for dogs.... If you are not around to be "loved" by them, the dog will find someone else, anyone willing to engage, to "love"....
7
@Gina Jones
As a life long dog owner, I disagree. Dogs maintain a memory and a love for people they know even if they haven't seen them for many months or years. My current dog, who came to me from my son and who had lived previously many years with an owner who ultimately rejected her because she was too old to breed or show, exhibits affection for my son whenever he visits and gets very depressed and anxious when I am not around for a few days. I believe her earlier rejection left her feeling worried that I will leave her too. I know what she feels for me and my son is love. How is that different from what a human being might feel?
47
@Gina Jones Yes, and humans break up with one another, divorce, stop dating, whatever, and move on to someone else. Does that mean there was never any love in the first place? I think not. And dogs do recognize people they haven't seen in a long, long time -- weeks, months, years -- and the emotions are right there: love for people they love, fear or anger toward people who mistreated them or whom they for some other reason didn't like.
If you want to put quotation marks around the love of dogs/cats, whatever, you'd have to put quotation marks around human love that doesn't last forever, too.
52
@Gina Jones "If you are not around to be 'loved' by them, the dog will find someone else, anyone willing to engage, to 'love'...."
This sounds like a lot of humans I know.
38
Wallace, the "pound puppy" I adopted 4 years ago at the local Humane Society, makes my life better every day. He greets every day with a cheerful wag and an eagerness to go for a walk, forcing me to be cheerful and take a walk. He loves trips to the dog park so much my husband takes him every day; they both benefit from those daily excusions. We're the mutt owners in a designer-dog neighborhood with oodles of doodles; Wallace appears to be part husky, part Jack Russell terrior and part ??? He weighs 30 pounds and is incredibly alert, happy, healthy and handsome. I feel lucky to have him every day.
58
Dogs have a mentality close to that of a young toddler. Their emotional equipment is so sharp that they almost know what you’re feeling before you do. My firmest example is about my friend’s German shepherd. For reasons I won’t go into I felt a lot of ambivalence about the relationship. When I showed up at the door one day the dog lunged at my face. He gently took my nose in his jaws at the apogee of his jump. The message was clear: “I could have ripped it off your face but I know I’d get in big trouble for that.”
18
Where to begin. Love is a human emotion. You can project it onto a rock, but that doesn't make it so. I enjoy dogs, they are fun, but they are programmed to seem fun to us, we are the alpha they are genetically modified (evolved) to please. They have evolved traits and behaviors to ingratiate themselves with their human masters. It's worked well, unfortunately a little too well with many dog owners, who now seem to have inverted the roles to serve their dogs, make them obese, take them to therapists, name them family members, and most of take dogs into inappropriate places like restaurants, doctors offices, etc. This article should be about the unscientific anthropomorphization of dogs even by alleged scientists. I can't even bear to look at all the comments full of anecdotes about how human, how intelligent, how loving everybody's dog is. Everyone has a right to be dumb and credulous, no law can fix that. However, that doesn't give you a right to take your dog anywhere you like, or lie about it being a service animal. Enough!
9
Dogs and humans evolved together. They are our oldest domesticated animal. The concept of “alphas” is actually ridiculous and totally made up, go Google or yourself. That study was done on unrelated wolves brought together in captivity. In the wild, wolf packs are made up of families. Thus, it makes sense that dogs consider their human companions a part of their pack, and thus a part of their family. Empathy and emotional love has been shown in multiple animals other than humans, please open your mind to the possibility that humans are not the only ones blessed with the capacity to feel connection and emotion.
40
@G My experience is that dogs are like most humans in that they like a hierarchy in their social group. Cats are social but don’t subscribe to a hierarchy which confuses humans. My current dog intended to be the alpha of our pack but is 2 IC (second in command).
My opinion is that an alpha dog is a very smart dog that is calm and highly aware. I think some people think an aggressive belligerent dog is the alpha when really it’s a very fearful dog and unreliable. I think an alpha dog is a dog that can take care of the pack: find food, keep the peace, create bonds, and be watchful for opportunities.
15
@AR And human love has no self-serving ingratiating components? Hah! Not convinced.
I agree with you about service animals. Some people take advantage of the category when really, they just want to have Fido along. It makes problems for people who genuinely need service dogs.
17
The consciousness of our animals is an academic debate upon which the rest of us eavesdrop while rolling our eyes.
Yesterday we had to euthanize our 12 year old English Bull Terrier, Scout. My wife and I got her because we thought we couldn't have children (we met later in life) and 9 months later our daughter was born. The two of them were inseparable as they grew up together.
Scout was racked with cancer, she labored to breathe yet was still lucid and mobile, requiring rest after a few moments of activity. The veterinarian came to our home to administer the medication that would finally relieve her pain.
Scout lay on her cushion atop my wife's white robe that she imprinted with as a pup because it reminded her of her bright-white mother. We surrounded her with cherished toys and plush Target dog dolls which she strongly resembled. We gave her a bright new tennis ball and her ears perked-up and her forehead wrinkled which communicated she was fully engaged in her favorite pastime: she would always fetch and retrieve the ball but only grudgingly gave it back. Yesterday was the same, she gripped it between her front teeth, squeezing rapidly up and down while looking me in the eye, taunting me, one last time. After a minute of this she lay down between my wife and daughter and I and we gently stroked her until she was almost asleep. Sensing we were finally ready to let go, with our hands upon her, Scout patiently waited for the Dr., to release her from this world.
57
@Wanes , I’m so sorry for your loss. Your girl had a beautiful death.
31
The evidence that my dog had a rich emotional life was evident to me when I was ten years old. That was back in 1970.
57
My dog is very healthy, very happy, seems to smile a lot - we hold him - play with him - tell him when there’s a squirrel in the yard and let him out to chase though he never catches them - I always put some of my food on his - he probably receives more love than any of us!
13
Who knows why they do what they do?
I have two very intelligent animals - a yr old Sheltie & a 9 month old Abyssinian kitten. They have grown up together & adore each other. They play fetch together, 'box' each other, chase each other, sleep together & the dog sits by & patiently watches if the kitten eats her food.
My dog is crate trained & goes into her crate and sits down when I tell her to. Occasionally if the crate door is open the kitten will go into crate with her & sit there beside her.
Last week I took the kitten to the vet in an old airline cat carrier - a large plastic crate with a metal grate door. When we got home, I left the cat carrier out in the living room a few feet from the dog's crate.
The last few days when I tell my dog "get in your crate" the kitten will run over & get in the cat carrier & sit inside.
She doesn't do this every time but she's now done it 6 or 7 times. She sits inside the carrier for a few minutes, then walks out.
I've never told the kitten to get in the carrier.
The kitten understands that getting in the cat carrier is analogous to the dog getting in her crate & I guess she's imitating the dog. But why? Because she likes everything the dog does & thus imitates her? Because maybe 70% of what they do is playing & this is just fun for the kitten? When she sits in the cat carrier, she usually looks over at the dog in her crate. What's the point?
I wish I understood them.
In the meantime they make me laugh all the time.
71
I grew up a foster kid. I always loved the homes that had dogs because I knew even if the people were only tolerating me for the check, the dogs were always loving and loyal and true. As a foster kid I always identified with these poor creatures that had been taken from their own kind and thrown in with strangers who treated them as “lesser beings” that were expendable at a moments notice. All of my dogs have been rescues and, to this day, I can’t walk into an animal shelter without breaking down in tears. If you want to understand the concept of “unconditional love”, get a dog.
140
Biggest no-brainer article of the century. Only a cat owner could believe that dogs don't love us.
13
@Dallas Clare This dog and cat owner believes both of them love us. Years ago, we fostered a kitten for the local Humane Society. When it was time for him to go up for adoption and we took him back, he went into a deep depression and hid in the back of the kitten room. A staff member offered him to us as a rescue. The instant he got back to our house, he perked up. We realized that HE had adopted us and had felt abandoned. That was 12 years ago, and now he's a healthy, handsome, well-loved senior cat.
46
There is a lot of jealousy around human beings about intelligence and what it is that sadly affected scientists and the like, any mention of animal intelligence and you get 'that is not intelligence, that is projecting on them'. The supposedly great thinkers like Descarte and Spinoza said animals were dumb beasts that deserved to be beaten, and religion helped reinforce this notion with their idiotic version of the world made for mankind, special among God, etc.
We kept hearing how birds only operated on instinct, and as studies came out that showed how they could understand higher concepts, the argument was "their brains can't support that"..then MRI's showed bird brains had structures analagous to the human brain, that did similar things, just in a different area. Chomsky claimed birds could never understand phonetics, haughtily saying that is a unique advancement in human beings, and Alex the African Grey parrot blew that one to kingdom come.
Animal intelligence is sometimes different than human beings, other times it is eerily like ourselves, and while I could make a case, outside maybe Dolphins, that the order of human intelligence is all around higher, doesn't make what animals can do any less special. Octopii (?) seem to have their own form of intelligence, and what I saw on a recent program indicates a sense of humor, something definitely related to intelligence.
33
It has been noted that Donald Trump has never had a pet. When was the last time the White House occupant didn't have a dog or cat? You might think that at least Melania would want a dog or cat around, but then - birds of a feather, no doubt.
48
My wife and I have a bichon poodle, she gets jealous when we kiss and will hump one of our legs while we are kissing, or just jump up and down. I initially was perplexed by this, but the wife said, she is jealous. It appears that this is true.
11
I made the mistake of opening the cabinet, which contained the frontline medicine, while Heman was eating his breakfast. As soon as he saw that open the tube, he immediately stopped eating, looked really sad, and laid down next to his bowl. Seeing that he was in this stage already, I put the frontline on him. He gave me a dirty look, then ran upstairs without finishing his breakfast. He didn't even say goodbye to me when I left for work. THAT'S MEMORY! But, when I got home, Heman put his paws on my shoulders and gave me soft kisses (small licks on my lips). THAT'S LOVE (and forgiveness)!!! In case you are wondering about Shera, Shera is just Shera: she loves us a lot and always wants to be with us. But her #1 love is food, and Heman.
15
This is sweet, but I didn't need an article or a study to tell me this.
My grandfather cared for my grandmother at home for more than a year after she suffered a stroke that left her vegetative and non-responsive. Her rescued lab mix was at her side (her side, not my grandfather's - she was always my grandmother's dog) the entire time. On the day she finally passed, the dog laid at her feet on the bed and did not move until the mortuary came to remove her body. At that time, she followed the body out to the driveway and then followed the hearse up the long driveway to the street, where she sat for hours staring in the direction that it had driven. You can't tell me that dog didn't love her.
In the words of Pedigree dog food, Dogs Rule.
67
@Josie my Montana did the same for both my Dad and my Mom. He truly loved them when they alive and truly mourned when they passed.
26
Our 15-year-old schnauzer seemed to have a heart attack. Certainly something was wrong. My aunt, who was in the house doing a chore for us, called my mother, who rushed home from work.
On the way to the vet, the dog looked up at her and quietly stopped breathing. In the veterinary office, our vet confirmed the fact. "He's gone," he told my mother.
We always figured he had waited for her.
31
When I was little (big, too, I had my dog for 16 years) I'd wake up in the night to hear my half-collie checking each bedroom. His toenails clicked on the wooden floor and I could hear him coming. He went from bedroom to bedroom, several times during the night. He'd go from my parents' room, to my room, to my sister's room. I felt then, and still feel now, that he was checking to see if we were all right.
48
@Linda
Years ago I had a sheltie who was very loving and gentle but never wanted to sit with me or sleep next to me.
She spent all her time sitting by the front door or in the doorframe of whatever room I was in, ready to take on anyone or anything that might endanger me.
You can't buy loyalty like that.
19
The conversation is always about how animals behave or do not behave like humans. One side touting the similarities, the other side arguing anthropomorphism.
But it is the wrong discussion. Let's consider instead how humans act like animals. Behaviors driven by the different versions of the same basic systems.
32
Commenters agree with Safina -- we've all seen evidence of emotions in dogs and cats and other animals we live with. And, as Safina and many others point out, there is also evidence of emotions and feelings and suffering in many other types of animals, including fish and birds.
If you wouldn't eat your cat or dog, but you would eat pigs and cows and chickens and fish, ask yourself why. Is it fair to cause them suffering just because they don't live in your home?
42
@Heliotrophic I am always amazed at the number of people I know who care for their cats and dogs like family, but happily eat bacon.
27
If our dog sees luggage, he is depressed for a few days because he knows we are going away. We pack in a room that he has no access to. He only finds out we're leaving on the day of the trip!
49
@ACM
They know. Our dog blocks the front door.
21
"All of life is literally kin."
So very true. Loved this observation by Safina.
47
Come on, any dog-owner could have answered these questions. Of course dogs have emotions and memories. It's evident from the first week of taking care of them.
27
Even if my cats didn't love me, I'd still love them. They know that.
39
My wife and I had 2 BMDs . When my wife was oing through Chemo, before she died, One of them spent the better part of three years with her head on her lap. She died 4 days after my wife passed away. She just quit eating.
Her brother stayed with me for the rest of his life, passing away just a couple of years ago. I will never have a truer friend. I know it's anecdotal, but anecdotes are just primitive empiricism.
118
@jumblegym Oh that's WAY more than an anecdote. That's a beautiful, but so very poignant reflection. I'm so sorry for the loss of your beloved wife and also your beloved dogs.
38
Our young Maine Coon cat Duke trotted in one evening ready to sit on my lap. He saw, however, that our oldest cat Scratchy had usurped his spot.
I have never seen on any creatures face - human or otherwise - a look of jealousy and disgust more clear than on Duke's.
42
Our young chihuahua mix is always barky, distrustful, and avoidant of new people who come in the house, especially repairmen with boxes and clanky tools. When the refrigerator repairman began his work, Biscuit immediately began close-quarters and insistent sniffing sniffing sniffing. She pushed his legs around (she's a large chihuahua) so she could investigate every inch of him. I was amazed at her insistence and uncharacteristic boldness. Though she'd never cared about strangers' dogs before (and still doesn't), I asked him if he had a dog. Yes, he had a cocker spaniel.
Nine months previously, our cocker spaniel had died. I am certain Biscuit detected a familiar spaniel scent and reacted accordingly. Animals do mourn; I've seen it too many times to be able to deny it.
35
For years, I have been the "parent" of many cats and dogs that lived together in perfect harmony. When Sheba, our dog, was hit by a car, Cosmo, our cat walked the house crying for days, sleeping in Sheba's favorite spot. Years later Cosmo shared his space with Max, a black lab. When Max got cancer and had to be euthanized, Cosmo again walked the house crying and sleeping in Max's dish. Luna, another dog, came along and I swear Cosmo showed that puppy who was boss. Cosmo always drank out of the dog's water dish, even though he had his own. While Luna was drinking from her dish, Cosmo sat by watching but would eventually nudge the puppy out of the way to drink from his dish. Luna grew up with cats. She now has a life partner cat named Kramer. The games they play usually start around 10:30 pm...just in time for me to go to bed! None of those animals were ever very far away from me. It's extremely hard when I have to say goodbye, but I suspect that they are always with me and I'll see them again when I cross the Rainbow Bridge!
21
My father used to doubt that our cat had any real affection for us. When I went away to college, our cat switched from sleeping in my bed to sleeping with my parents. When I came home for the first time a year later, our cat returned to my bed my first night back. My father said, “Huh, I was wrong. I guess she really does love you.”
25
I had parrots for many years. I also suffer from depression. In the morning I would give them food, change the water and clean the cage out. I would leave their cage doors open since they were flighted. I would let them hang out wherever they wanted. I remember one day was a very bad day for me. I was depressed and sobbing. I heard the sound of my parakeet flying towards my bedroom. Then I heard The click clack as she walked the rest of the way. I stopped crying and watched her actions. She approached my bed. I put my hand down and she jumped up onto my hand and climbed up to my shoulder and since I was laying down she went straight to my face and gave me a kiss. She then turned around and flew back to her cage. I see it as her checking on me to make sure I was OK and to comfort me with her actions. I saw it as everything will be OK. Of course I’m putting human values on her actions. That was the only time in her life she ever did anything like that.
52
@Katz Jaybird - Decades ago, I was laying on my bed crying over a fight with my boyfriend. My teeny Blue-Point Siamese cat hopped on the bed, looked into my eyes and very gently put her paw on the side of my face. There was no mistaking the compassion. You know exactly what your parrot did and why!
35
And this is why dogs should never have to spend most of the day in a crate.
53
@The pygmy scribe Or worse. Dogs in my neighborhood are outside on chains all day and night, in rain, hail, 100 degree heat or freezing weather. The only time they see people is when someone comes out and drops some food and water in their dishes. I don't see the dogs get patted or talked to, just food dropped and the person walks away. What terrible lives for these dogs.
24
Leave the apartment for 10 minutes, your dog is absolutely thrilled to see you again, your family ?
29
Oh for crying out loud.. Now another "reason" for people to take their dogs everywhere .. How did we evolve into a nation inflicted with peanut allergies and, "I can't leave my house without my dog" .. It makes no sense. A man is suing a hospital for not allowing him to have is "service dog" with him during his open heart surgery ... The nerve of that Hospital! Bad hospital! Bad!
8
my dog is an angel to me. keeps me company when I can't sleep at night, she is truly my best buddy.
of course she would jump thru a flaming hoop for a dog treat.....
other than that she is very smart, sassy and jealous of others.
She gets mad when I am on the phone too long and spend too much time in front of the computer.
9
Our dog, Sherman, not only has a rich emotional life, he's mastered ours, too. Let's just say he knows how to get what he wants.
15
Animals are intelligent and sentient. More like humans than most people know. We need to stop torturing, killing, and eating them. You wouldn't eat your dog, right? Well, you shouldn't eat that pig (who is much smarter than your dog,) or that cow, who feels fear and love, just like you and your family. One day, maybe we will have Soylent Green. It makes just about that much sense.
19
@ChesBay While we are at it, how about we stop ripping babies from their mother cows so we can consume the cow's milk?
12
Back in the early 1970's I worked in a facility for the mentally retarded (as they were labelled then) where one could find doctors who said the patients (as they were referred to then) did not feel pain.
I guess we have evolved quite a bit now that scientists affirm that sharks and other creatures feel pain. This is good news in a world awash with bad news.
21
I agree entirely with this man.
Humans/scientists have got to stop measuring other animals' intelligence and consciousness in strict relationship to our own perceptions of the world and our not simply accepting consciousness, as he puts it, as the "sensation of experiencing the input from your sense organs."
And every conscious/sentient being, including dogs, cows, dolphins, birds, primates, etc., etc., has their own species-related way of sensing and processing experience that in most case are beyond human understanding.
It doesn't make it any less significant than human consciousness.
Good article.
19
Domesticated animals have been purposefully bred by humans for hundreds and sometimes thousands of years to do particular jobs in service to us. We bred these traits into them by observing outcomes in behavior and selectively choosing mates. We should be careful about overly anthropomorphizing the outcome.
3
@Working mom We should likewise be careful about forgetting that we are "only" animals and falling for some religiously based clap-trap that we are fundamentally different from other animals. Human breeders in the past were not creating new genes. They were only selecting for previously existing traits.
29
We got Montana 13 years ago. This golden retriever was from a litter of 12 and he along with his siblings came running out of the barn to meet us. Well the rest ran up a hill and Montana came to my husband, he picked him up and said this is our dog. From there on through the years, he was our love through the journey of raising our boys as well as taking care of my parents. No matter how many remotes, newspapers, lacrosse equipment and flip flops he ate, we love our Montana. He has shown his love to us, staying with both my parents until the very end of their lives, Dad in 2013 and Mom in 2017. He sat with me as I cried through this rotten depression. Giving me that it will be okay, I love you from his beautiful expressive face. I know the end is near for him and I know I will be with him till the end, giving him all my love as he gave all his love to us, his family.
86
As a former police chaplain it was my job was to provide support to people who had someone in the family die, either on the streets by violence or natural death.
One Sunday morning, I was called to the home of a person who had died in his basement. When I arrived, the family had put the person's dog in a side room where its crying was loud. When I asked if they wanted to pray around the person, they gathered near the person who was on the floor. The dogs cries rose. Finally, I asked them to let the dog out.
As we prayed together and held hands, the little dog nudged in the circle and placed his paw near his friends heart, his head on the person's shoulder. The little dog closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Together we all silently sent our thoughts into the universe. When we looked up, the little dog was gone.
As they moved the person to transport taking them outside we saw the little dog sitting on the sidewalk. As the person's remains were moved from the home to the ambulance, the little dog followed and sat until the doors were shut and the vechicle pulled away, then slowly the dog turned and walked back to the house.
I have two dogs and two little guinea pigs, a woodchuck lives under my shed coming out each night to graze in the grass. It is welcomed, the rabbits and chipmonks who try my patience, they all have a place where I live, we live together, we are family. Afterall as Temple Grandin says, "Animals make us human."
131
@Lou Ness thank you for asking that the poor grieving dog be let out to say goodbye to it's person too!
54
Tremendous testimonial, Lou Ness.
32
@Lou Ness
Beautiful testimony. Thank you.
16
I am 84, my service dog Mr Bojangles is 10. For 7 of 10 years his leash has been attached to my wrist. He knows when I am sad and blue and happy too. I kiss his eye, the tip of his tongue touches my eye lash. I begin to sneeze and he responds anticipating a seizure. My wife has been ill and he snuggles to help her endure the pain. He is overjoyed at the mention of our friend Lou's pending visit and gallops down the airport corridor to hug visiting granddaughter Sage's shoulders. We laugh and share sadness together, travel on planes, trains and busses. He enjoy Mountaineer sports-all of this and more "right in front of my eyes".
42
In 1996, I got my first dog, a border collie/cocker spaniel cross whom I named Scout. She was, for sure, my best friend in the whole world. I worked in a very stressful, high profile job and over time had begun to use alcohol to "unwind" at the end of the day...and the more stressful my job got, the more I retreated into numbing my stress and my fear. Scout always sat beside me when we were driving in the car...which was a lot, but in 2000, she suddenly decided to sit in the back. This is extremely unusual for a dog. They are creatures of habit. I wondered why she had done that and it wasn't until I stopped drinking later that year and she climbed back into the front seat beside me that I realized: she knew something was wrong and she did not want to be near me. I have been sober ever since and until she died, she never rode in the back seat again. When I got my medallion for my first year of sobriety, Scout came with me to the meeting. She deserved to celebrate, too...
191
Of course my dog loves me -- I am her Sugar Daddy on steroids. I open the door for her, take her on "bathroom walks" even during near-freezing rain and scratch her belly sitting beside the fire on cold days. I buy her top-of-the line dog food, weirdly expensive treats and scoop up her poop into little plastic bags that I am never quite sure what to do with. Transactional love? Maybe. But she's not complaining.
20
I'm on my sixth decade of life and the lucky companion to my fifth dog. I can't go more a few years without one. If nothing else, dogs remind us about the powerful experience of play, physical activity and loyalty. To the Q are they smart? Do they love us? No better person to put it all into perspective than the great writer Kurt Vonnegut in the short story, "Tom Edison's Shaggy Dog". Check it out -- it's a joyous thing, just like our canine pals.
http://mestreacasa.gva.es/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=500010784853&name=DLFE-516800.pdf
20
@jimmboy oh the link you shared is a real treat (for humans)! Thanks a lot!
6
Anybody who has (or had, in my case) a cat or dog in their lives knows that the answer to this question - whether animals have rich emotional lives - is a resounding "Yes!".
29
Don’t get me started on my many dogs over the years. They adore me.
Years ago, I had a great little Upper West Side apartment with a terrace overlooking gardens. A tiny sparrow managed to get himself trapped between the two glass storm windows in my bedroom. It was an arduous and delicate task to get him out without hurting him and he was so frantic I thought he’d give himself a heart attack. My alert and interested cat didn’t help matters. When I finally freed him, he flew to the edge of the terrace and five other birds joined him. He was screeching and flapping his wings and carrying on non-stop. The other birds were looking at him and stayed with him. There’s no doubt in my mind that he was conveying his ordeal to them, and they were there to show concern and support. “In addition to that terrible human, there was a CAT! I’m lucky to be ALIVE!” At least, I think that was the gist of it.
86
People prefer to deny the inconvenient. It's now increasingly obvious that all kinds of animals are intelligent and emotional. That makes human norms difficult - why is it okay to kill and eat something that thinks and feels, or, worse, to kill it for fun?
A lot of these findings are fairly obvious on their face. Anyone who's spent time with animals knows intuitively that they feel and think - just as we know this about other humans. It's only the fact that we've have to change our lives that has made it difficult to accept.
The rise of the vegan community as a choice taken seriously by the mainstream is extremely heartening, and suggests maybe we can make good choices after all.
46
@Evil Overlord
But how do we convince our dogs and cats to become vegans?
8
@Rea Tarr: Pretty simple, really. I have had vegan dogs for 18 years and they're in fabulous health. There is even commercial vegan kibble available - so it's not inconvenient. My dogs live longer than other dogs! As to cats, it is only complicated with those who are prone to urinary tract infections. Other cats do well on a vegan diet.
(My dogs beg just as much for vegan biscuits or carrot pieces or apple as they would for a meaty treat.)
5
@Rea Tarr The "whataboutism" question of meat-eaters. What is clear is that human beings have a clear choice to refrain from eating animals. Continuing to breed animals for slaughter just so we can enjoy the taste of a steak or a slice of bacon is a human choice, and whether or not your dog eats a squirrel it catches in the yard is irrelevant to that choice.
8
What a lovely article, the part that really hits home with me is that our pets "see us out just to be near us". What more pure showing of love can you ask for? I have grown up with dogs, cats, cows, chickens...all as pets. And the love, personality and intelligence they display always leaves me amazed. I wish people would really see how these peaceful creatures that we put on our plates, value the same things humans do - family, companionship, kindness. If you've ever raised a cow from the start of its young life, to adulthood, you would swear it is a dog in there. They love belly rubs, they come when you call, they jump for joy when food is on its way. I hope more people open their eyes and extend compassion to all living creatures. Excellent, heart warming article. Thank you.
45
The belated recognition by humans of the emotional intelligence of other animals demonstrates above all the self-centeredness and intellectual blindness of our species.
59
If you have ever had a relationship with an animal, then you know that this is a no-brainer. No studies are necessary, like the one done recently proving that cats develop affection for their care givers. I have a cockatiel that chirps when I start to unlock the door upon arriving home, cats that pile on top of me the minute I sit down, dogs that follow me and hang on my every word, and a horse that nickers at my arrival from across the property. This is during off times when they are not just expecting a meal as well. I am quite certain they enjoy my company. I also had two dogs that mourned visibly after my third dog had to be put down. They didn't play for months, literally. They didn't grieve when my ex-husband left however! What does that tell you?
59
Being smart doesn't mean being right. Also, inferring inner experience--what ever that means--based solely on observable behavior is problematic enough with human animals. Forget about non-human animals without language. But, such claims do garner publicity.
3
@Dr. Hank I'd guess you have never had a dog or a cat and that Dr. title has nothing to do with animal cognition.
7
@Dr. Hank
If we believe the behavior we see is love, then that's what it is. Who is to tell me what -- or who -- I "love?" It's my emotion to define. My cats love me. I know they love me. That's that.
13
@Dr. Hank what seminary did you get that Dr. from?
8
This has been obvious to most people for a long time, and hopefully will lead to a realization by researchers, zoo keepers, and all practicing animal husbandry (i.e. imprisonment, exploitation, and slaughter) that no animal should ever be confined, including as pets.
8
@Kim, SF
...uh, so where exactly are all the critters that live with us as pets supposed to go? I believe that view is neither logical, nor compassionate.
Sorry, but those of us with pets (as many of the comments testify) know that we are in no way “imprisoning” these animals.
I agree there are many things that can be done to improve animal welfare, including not eating meat, etc.
But, I honestly feel bad for you if you think all pets are “prisoners”... that just isn’t true by any standard of measurement.
19
@Kim
Well if we can't confine animals as pets, what's the point of realizing they are capable of loving us? Should we arrange visiting hours in the wild? Plan hug safaris?
9
@Kim : I semi-agree with you about not keeping pets, but what is your solution for the enormous number of dogs, who -- as best I can tell -- have been domesticated to the point of being unable to hunt for their own food?
6
So exactly who ever said that dogs don’t love their masters? Or can anticipate a walk outside when a human picks up the leash? This is a story without a hook.
5
@Never Trumper I : Domestic animals are companions, not slaves -- they don't have "masters."
Until we stop thinking about animals as being hierarchically lower than humans, we'll continue to devalue them and treat too many of them badly.
8
When we lived in Salt Lake on McClellad Street our dog was Cookie. Several times when the children were fighting Cookie left and went to Martin's Market and waited outside for her nicer people to show up. When we looked for her and found her and she came home with us we realized she didn' t feel comfortable with her quarrelsome family.
13
It’s long past time for scientists to study the scientists who claim that dogs and other fellow mammals have no feelings — to say nothing of the rest of the animal kingdom.
The obtuseness of these people is utterly astonishing and deserves scientific scrutiny, — which perhaps someday might lead to diagnosis and therapy for their obvious emotional pathology.
In the meantime, ask yourself how many parents take their children to petting zoos versus slaughterhouses.
17
My brother and his wife had a female Yorkie-poo named Jasmine. I would visit them about twice a year and when I did Jasmine would immediately attach herself to me because she knew from the past that I would take her on long walks (my brother and his wife didn't walk her much). One day I was sitting on the couch and Jasmine was snuggled up to me. My brother grabbed my foot and Jasmine immediately sat up and started growling at him. My brother said "she loves you and she is protecting you." I was stunned by this because Jasmine was not my dog and I rarely saw her. I'm not sure if she loved me but she sure acted like she did. Jasmine was a wonderful smart little dog and she was fearless. That said I have an 18 year old cat and each morning when I settle on the couch with my coffee he parks himself on my lap and purrs. I know my cat loves me.
31
Anybody who has ever loved a dog knows how incredibly intelligent animals they are. They love us unconditionally. We can do so much more to repay them.
31
my (now deceased) cat used to sleep with me, and he would always want to have a paw or some part of his body touching me as we slept. i miss him terribly.
34
@sparty b our doxie is the same way. She has to have some body part of hers touching one of ours, even the tip of a paw to an elbow is enough. She won't relax until she's touching H or me.
10
Good God this is obvious to anyone who has known and loved any dog, big or small, that has not been mentally bent through mistreatment.
To paraphrase Bod Dylan you don’t need a scientist to know which way this wind blows.
Dogs are hallowed animals and owe their existence to the first wolves who came in from the wild to guard the earliest settlements of mankind as we transitioned from hunter gatherers to agrarian communities.
We had a Flat Coated Retriever named Luna who was quite literally empath. We had to put her down at 12 years old.
After I pass I pray that we’ll be together again.
29
" consciousness is the thing that feels like something. "
Oh, NOW I get it!
6
Now, if only we worked as hard developing positive human connections...
14
I have 2 cats. I call them my herd. Where ever I go in the house or garden, they go. If I'm in the garden weeding or watering they're right there with me. They find comfy places to snuggle up no matter the room I'm in and when I go to bed they are right there with me, often trying to sleep on me. They purr and coo and generally treat me like they love me.
A few years ago I had a very large mirror delivered and set in my dinning room. It's about 5 feet wide and 8 feet high. In that room there are large glass double doors. The first day that mirror was set up a neighbor cat decided to sit at the double door and peer into the dinning room. My orange tabby noticed the cat, walked past the mirror where his reflection was fully visible to him and directly to the door and hissed at the intruder. At no time did he hiss at his reflection. My thought at the time was that he recognized his reflection as himself, not a strange cat that didn't belong and focused instead on the obvious intruder at the door.
Ever since that occurrence I've understood that cats are self aware. We are very self absorbed beings therefore mirrors fascinate us, but that doesn't mean that all animals are as self centered as we are. My cat doesn't sit in front of the mirror staring at himself like primates and dolphins do, but he still knows himself when he sees his self.
11
Well of course all that this article says is true and anyone who has had any sort of pet knows these things.
I know my dogs and cats that I’ve been privileged to live with have loved me as I have loved them.
15
dogs are very subtle but extremely aware and adaptive.
they are nearly untapped psychologically in my opinion
as many fall into the eat, sleep, daily walk routine many people can squeeze into their day. Dogs adapt to that though it is a poor excuse for life, they make do.
“ owning a dog” if one can be, should be a constant daily challenge to stimulate their minds and bodies and break the barrier of human/pets and just achieve friendship equally.
They arrange their entire lives to be with us, it is the least we
can do
14
Why would anyone have pets? If one acknowledges that animals have as much feeling and emotion as humans, how can ‘friendly’ bondage be the acceptable norm? How can researchers justify having pets? Would they give equal weightage to them as extended members of the family? Providing boarding and lodging should something happen to them or oneself leaving them bereft? Medical care equivalent to family? How can you justify euthanasia in animals so readily and yet hesitate with humans. I do not think the world is ready to understand or accept such concepts. It is simply esoteric waste of money when one already intuitively recognizes that the world around you is intelligent. We just choose to walk with our senses shut, conveniently.
Instead figure out how to wean people off this horrible culture of trapping animals for their own personal needs. Let them free. Then do research on animals in their comfortable habitats, not ours.
2
@Meena
You do realize, I hope, that we who have pets know that animals who love don't at all mind sharing their habitats with us as long as we love them as much as they love us. They don't think of it as "bondage," I'm pretty sure.
12
@Meena I think the answer is, because the animals enjoy this "bondage". In my experience as a dog owner, they are obsessed with their humans and very affectionate with us. Thus they seem to like being with us and, although I have had some adventurous dogs slip out the backyard now and then to tour the neighborhood, they always come back. On a more basic level, I don't see how anyone could look at a Doodle or a Golden Retriever or basically any other dog interact with humans and think that dog is miserable because it is in "bondage". It is my observation that these dogs are simply meant to be around humans.
12
@Meena Go to a country somewhere where dogs run free with no help from humans. See them frail, starving, and afraid of human contact and tell me again how humans harm domesticated dogs. Sure there are people who truly mistreat dogs, but most of us provide them love, food, health care, and a safe life. They want to be with us. And those dogs in countries where people hate them? They will still seek us out as puppies in hopes that one of us will bond with them. In my experience, people who hate domesticated animals also have little patience for other humans as well.
16
I realize that with questions surrounding animal behavior humans need scientific "proof" to validate complex behavior. seems the human ego can't accept complex emotional behaviors in other species. we ARE animals (mammals) as such. spend your life with animals and its evident. certainly animals understand the environment they live in better than people.
14
I had two Pomeranians from the same litter. When the alpha male brother was brought home from surgery, he was sore, wobbly and sedated--not his normal self. Shortly afterward when he staggered to his bed to lie down, his sister lay down in his bed beside him, spooned him, and placed her arm on his body. They'd never done anything like that before, and I took it to mean she was worried about the change in him and wanted to comfort him. They were together for years later and there was never another surgery nor repeat of this experience.
28
Memory is not consciousness.
An MRI does not measure humanness.
If animals have "rich emotional lives", what do humans have?
4
@George Locker Why can't they both have rich emotional lives. But also can we consider that some humans do not have rich emotional lives?
18
@George Locker
You've forgotten, George, that you too are an animal.
Being an animal means that all living creatures (including us) have "rich emotional lives".
Get used to it...
22
Happy and grateful, I spend a lot of time in the company of dogs, each with their personable ways. Of course, a lot of what they do is pretty doggy.
With dogs, I employ person qualities where they seem appropriate. I think no one in their right mind doubts dogs have personalities, with individually different abilities and dispositions and emotions. If you know a dog, you recognize a character.
That dogs engage in intentional action, impulsive, emotional, and deliberate carries the formal requirement that their behavior involves actions with significance. Emotional behavior involves an immediate recognition of relational significance.
All personal characteristics develop from an individual's prior capacities, their in-born and developed sensitivities and body-based needs, and their intervening experiences.
I think it's appropriate to think of a dog as a sort of person, loving, anxious, guilty, afraid, whatever, but always acting on what in the moment, given their personalities, they find significant. Given our interdependence, we are very significant to each other.
14
Expressed here is an enlightened concept that is core to it all. All living things each in their own distinct ways are "kin." There are those fortunate individuals who recognize this and whose lives are enriched by this acknowledgement. It still remains for collective humanity to come to this realization.
23
Wonderful! I'm going to have my students read this.
7
And we often treat them with indifference and cruelty. I especially feel for livestock as the laws to protect them are blind and weak. They don't have to have shelter or even much food. They can be sick and in pain and the authorities will look the other way. It is a crime against ourselves when we treat other animals (and yes, we are animals) in a way we would imprison for treating humans thusly.
59
A favorite fictional character of mine is Nanny, the dog who was the pet of the three kids in Peter Pan. How lovingly she cared for them. My 3 dogs loved being on the receiving end of attention: be it a meal, a toy, or a walk. But when I was down-- be it sick or sad-- each went into full "Nanny" mode. Nothing else seemed important to them besides my well being. One in particular was a good listener ( I called him a dog psychologist.) Another exhibited behavior I can only describe as "proud" when I came back to normal!
27
@karen Actually, it's "Nana" ;-)
4
We lost our beloved older dog two months ago. Along with the normal, joyful experiences of life with dogs, he lived through my two bouts of cancer. He clearly (to everyone, including my docs and his vet), appointed himself as my chief guardian and would lie next to me, watching closely and occasionally putting a lion-sized paw on a fragile arm or leg, as if to reassure me. When I was in hospital, if given the chance, he diligently sat outside looking in through the windows for me. The one (and only) night he was kept separately in our mudroom, upon dr advice to not potentially hurt me post-surgery, he was so distressed that he ate one wall of the room! Anyone who lives with and treats their dog kindly knows how connected they are to us. Dogs reliably demonstrate the best of “human” qualities - loving, loyal, forgiving, intuitive, funny.
67
@We Shall Overcomb. I'm so proud that patients in our little community hospital are allowed to have visitors bring the patient's dogs in for visits. We see the lift in spirits in our patients and the love between pet and master with every visit. Of course dogs experience love!
42
As I read this, having a breakfast of grains, yogurt, coffee; I contemplate upcoming dinner which will involve meat.
uggghhh. Thank you, my friends, who are vegan and vegetarian for leading the way.
36
@DonW I stopped eating meat and dairy about 13 months ago, and I can assure you that you will not regret the change. It is such a small way that we can each help prevent the needless suffering of another living being.
9
@DonW: Please, come join us! It's easier than ever! Look on the web for programs such as the 21-day vegan kickstart for information that will make a transition easier.
7
I recently ventured to Botswana's Okavango Delta region and viewed the region's wildlife first-hand during a mobile tent safari. Under the careful guidance of local guides, we were able to unobtrusively observe many of the animals - and was struck by the display of complex social behaviors, interactions both within and between species, exhibited by all the animals, particularly the elephants. In one instance, we viewed two elephants that had stopped to investigate the sun-bleached skull and bones of a long-past elephant. In turn, they carefully manipulated the bones, and gently picked up the skull with their trunks, then easily replaced back to the ground, obviously in a display of deference to the departed. When perched near a watering hole, approaching elephants would assess our presence, and I would find myself looking directly at another creature who was staring right back - eye to eye.
22
As a college student I had a roommate who held Christian fundamentalist beliefs. Among them was that animals had no soul, no intelligence and no personality. Asked about Koko the gorilla's sign language skills, he said she was just performing tricks for treats. When confronted with a video of Koko the gorilla, doting on a kitten and signing appropriately descriptive word to her trainer, he doubled down. His faith did not allow him to take in any evidence contradicting his childhood indoctrination.
After a while I gave up on him.
138
My dog has frequent deeply emotional dreams as evidenced by long continuous loud sighs, whimpering and barking. This is evidence to me of memory, emotion and the ability to reflect on its own existence.
Also all the other behaviors listed in this article and comments.
This tells me that dogs are more like us than we have ever acknowledged.
23
@mr. trout Their dreaming behavior which includes their eyes and paws moving can only mean one thing: they are telling themselves visual and probably auditory stories just like we do when we are dreaming. My dog might not have run after anything and barked at it lately, but she would be clearly imagining doing that in her sleep.
5
While I agree that dogs do have emotions and that their love is real, I do want to raise a related question.
We human beings live partly in the present and partly (even mostly) in the future. Those who worry about global warming are worrying about what WILL happen in their view. But it is not clear that animals have this tendency to live in the future as thinking about the future tends to take place in the frontal lobe.
Wittgenstein famously asked. A dog can be anticipating his master, but can the dog anticipate his master day after tomorrow?
Animals live their lives in the present. We humans live them partly in the present but also in the future (and the past).
3
With all due respect, here in Montana, we are surrounded by wild animals plainly storing food or fattening themselves up in anticipation of the long winter ahead. Domestic animals don’t feel the need to do so bc we have taught them to rely on ourselves as food sources but everything else alive around here is clearly focused on their future.
46
@Ludwig I have to respectfully disagree. A simple example is what happens when humans take out luggage. Nothing is happening in the present to upset them, but most dogs will get depressed because they know luggage means their humans will be gone in the future.
23
@Jessica I've seen that too. But I think it's a simpler thing for them, a matter of association: luggage = sadness. On the other hand they can clearly tell themselves invented stories (dreams) when sleeping. Not just general feelings or simple memories but stories.
2
My boyfriend abandoned his old dog at the end of our relationship. The dog’s grief was palpable when he realized his long term companion was not returning for him. Human beings do little to be loved that unconditionally.
83
Mica - you, and that loving dog, are both better off without that boyfriend.
21
@Mica Olson i hope you kept the dog and helped it understand that it was still loved.
18
I will seek out his books. I also recommend the late Oliver Sack's book of essays, "The River of Consciousness", where he writes about forms of consciousness in humans, animals, and even plants.
33
@Akita I recommend anything by Oliver Sacks.
7
It's funny.
To anyone who owns dogs this is, as Mr. Safina points out, a no brainer.
Dogs have a remarkable range of emotions and are quite clearly perceptive to our emotional moods and needs.
I find them more empathetic and loyal than most people I encounter. By a mile.
Their only short coming is their limited longevity.
95
We adopted a 2 yr-old rescued Scottie whom we had for 12 yrs. He came from a chaotic home where there was apparently a lot of yelling, some of it at him. He was very sensitive to tone of voice. My husband and I agree politically, but if we began to talk in a tone of voice that indicated our disapproval with the current state of affairs, Andrew would disappear to hide under a desk in another room. He was never yelled at in our home, but he remembered his past.
70
Our long gone Bambi, same. She especially revolted at the "s" word. Respectful of her feelings, we mostly eliminated the word. She was very scared of fireworks, her dog friend Jasper not at all. We're had him since he was a pup and his trust in us was broad and deep. I still picture him each July trying to reassure Bambi, with ear licks and soft barks. As if to say" you know better, our people will never harm us! "
11
@cmixon
Love the name Andrew for a dog!
3
@cmixon you should read the poem by Mary Oliver, "Benjamin, Who Came From Who Knows Where."
2
I have always been a bit afraid of cats although I have no idea why.
When I go into homes for visits where cats live, almost always the cat will come around my feet, brush against me, and some will jump right into my lap.
To be polite, I stroke them, and listen to them purr and wonder what I am afraid of, as I think the cat is trying to tell me there is nothing to fear from them.
I'm slowly getting over it, and cats are still trying to be friends with me.
52
@Sajwert Cats ALWAYS want to be friends with whomever is afraid of them, allergic to them, or doesn't like them. But if you love cats, they won't come near you. They love being ornery - but they really are lovely animals. Mine is just as loving as our dogs - and will follow me around to get attention.
15
@Sajwert Having had many cats, and after doing a lot of reading about their behavior, cats are curious but also try to avoid conflict and aggressive situations. For many cats staring is quite rude and an aggressive signal (although if the cat is very familiar with you they often don't mind and even respond positively when you half close your eyes).
People who don't like or are afraid of cats often have body language that the cats interpret as non-threatening--if you are visiting someone with cats you aren't going to yell and scream for them to get away (that wouldn't be nice) so instead you sit quietly in a chair not moving hoping the cats will ignore you. You also try to avoid looking at them which means no eye contact and I think that signals to the cat, hey, I'm not at all threatening. So, if they are especially friendly and curious cats they will want to check out the non-threatening visitor--who may also produce all kinds of different smells they aren't used to--and who must be marked! (hence the head butting and cheek rubbing)
13
It is of course interesting that the value of the dog is that it is in someway like us, loves us ... we still define the world relative to a human dominance ... what would it be like if we were just part of the world?
47
Everyone who reads this should buy all of Carl’s books — and read them. The brilliant insights he brings to his studies and research are often astounding, sometimes obvious, but always shared in well developed context. His work and observations will help you find fulfillment in the world that surrounds us but that we usually overlook.
35
I think it was Daniel Dennet once observed (I can’t lay my hands on the vaguely-remembered citation just this moment) something to the effect that notwithstanding our close genetic kinship with the higher primates, it has been Canis lupus familiaris, the common dog, and not the chimp, bonobo or gorilla, that has been under intense selective pressure for the species’ last four thousand generations or so to understand human language. For at least 15,000 years, humanity has been the livelihood of the dog. Upon our toleration and goodwill the dog has relied, and these elements it has attempted to conduce after hard study. Market demographers may bring to bear more sophisticated tools to their assignments, but Rover has a good deal more fur in the game.
We humans are so routinely callous in our depredations upon the other animal species of this planet that if they were magically raised to sentience, their vision of the demonic would certainly take two-legged form. We have invaded and now occupy the planet as harshly and proudly as ever the Third Reich lorded over France, and yet…here there trot at our heels our very own collaborators, who may not have welcomed the human hegemony at the outset, but who have bound their fates with us and even (heaven help!) love us. We have an obligation to be kind to them, don’t you think?
73
A few years ago I was working outside and heard crows manically cawing. With each set of caws more crows appeared and joined in. They were all gathering around a crow that was hit by a car and dying. It was a heartfelt moment.
128
My cats get extremely anxious when my wife and I are arguing (it never goes beyond shouting). "Her" cat (one of them has a preference for my wife) actually tries to move rapidly in between us as if to "break it up." The other puts his ears back and tries to shrink into the carpet.
This is just the tip of the amount of interaction they have with their sensory surroundings, engagement between themselves and especially, their engagement with us.
And they NEVER act like that when other people are interacting with them.
Their complex and intuitive behaviours are simply too voluminous to be listed here.
They are capable of an extremely large and complicated understanding of the world around them, and OF COURSE they feel pain.
99
As a professional biologist specializing in the evolution of animal behavior, I completely agree that animals have emotions. On a purely functional level, emotions allow us (and other animals) to react appropriately in certain situations. It's "love" and "anger" that drives a mother bear to protect her cubs at all costs. Or, more precisely, the flood of hormones and chemicals elicited by the presence of a predator near her cubs. Anyone who has given birth knows that immediate overpowering love toward your newborn. It's what bonds you to that baby for life. And it's what causes you to sacrifice your own life for hers if need be. That mother bear is no different. I don't think any scientist studying behavior in animals thinks any differently. Evolution has resulted in emotions that trigger adaptive (appropriate) behaviors. So of course your dog loves you. You are a member of its pack and it needs you to survive. Maybe that sounds too "analytical" for some of you. But it's the way a behavioral scientist looks at it. And it doesn't make me love my children, or my dog, any less :-)
72
All due respect, a human does not have to give birth to achieve the bond you describe. Otherwise, no dad would feel that love. Otherwise I-- an adoptive mom-- would not feel the love I do for my baby, now an adult of 23. Otherwise, all bio moms would be great; statistically we know that is not true-- abuse, neglect, abandonment are also part of the human experience, biology be damned. Words matter.
16
Watching puppies play together, there is no doubt that there is a consciousness present, along with a lot of similarities to human childrens’ play. Love, affection, joy, but also envy, jealousy, spite and competition are regularly observable.
At least for mammals (and probably beyond), it’s clear we share a lot of traits and are more similar than science used to acknowledge.
37
I have heard a humpback whale sing first hand. End of all doubts as to all creatures' consciousness. I once saw a blue jay attack a hawk that was eating its mate. The shrieks of pain and anger were unbearable and profound. Those who deny animal emotions do they also still think the sun revolves around us?
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I think most animals, even insects are conscious or even sentient. Have you ever noticed a praying mantis or dragon fly gazing or following you with its eyes ? Mantids are particularly good at this. My little dog, of 8 different breeds, has more personality than many people. She recognizes many English words. She knows instantly if I'm making popcorn by the noise the kernels make in the jar. She becomes anxious if we take out luggage to pack. Sometimes she "weeps" and howls when I come home if I've been gone a long time. I'm certain other commenters will have similar anecdotes about their pets.
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@Old Hominid : In 1984, I was briefly the apt.-mate of a very busy, very social woman who was seldom at home.
She had a beautiful Siamese cat who, during her absences, pooped right next to the litter box. He didn't poop anywhere else in the apt.; he didn't pee outside the box; and he pooped outside the box only when she was gone for more than 24 hours.
It was pretty clear that he was displaying his displeasure and loneliness in the best way he knew how -- very visibly without doing any real damage.
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Why are dogs being put into MRIs?
Of course pets have emotions. Anyone that has owned a cat, dog, bird, horse or farm animals knows that unequivocally.
You see their joy, fear, but also sadness when there is a loss of a family member or another pet.
If you visit a zoo or have seen any of Jane Goodall's footage, you know it is true of wild animals too. You see how these animals recognize people and have a response to them.
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@Gus
Actually the canine MRIs are very important as they showed which areas of the brain were engaged with various responses. The MRIs made clear that it was not just having more olfactory cells that made dogs "good sniffers," it was HOW that information was processed in a different part of the brain. If you look into the studies you will see how carefully and humanely the dogs were conditioned to the machines. Google is our friend.
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There is no harm from an MRI, it does not use radiation like a CT scan.
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@David : Even so, the implication is that these dogs are lab dogs, which can't be a good life.
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Many years ago I went fishing in Colorado at a high mountain lake with my father and uncle. Not being much interested in fishing, I mostly went along for the scenery and cool air. While there, I observed a heard of cattle who were gazing across the little lake. Little by little, they munched their way over to one spot where a calf was laying down. Once they were gathered, they all started mooing. This went on for several minutes. Then they slowly dispersed, the calf never got up. I think of it as the Cow Funeral. So if you ask me, yes, animals feel emotions much more than we give them credit for. Even, apparently, cows.
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We had a basset hound who was one of the most empathetic personalities I ever knew. Whenever my husband and I would get into an argument, she would come barreling into the room and run to one or the other of us. We decided that whomever she ran to won the argument. It was a good system.
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@S Hack
I had a cat that did the same thing. She was the winner in every argument.
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This was lovely. My best friends are Dogs, and I hope I’m theirs. Often when I’m out doing yard work, neighbors dogs have escaped from the yards, and come to visit me. I give them a fresh bowl of water and a treat. We visit for awhile, then I’ll tell them to “ Go Home “. They do. It delights me.
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@Phyliss Dalmatian I can imagine they would all want to meet a woman named Dalmatian. Sorry, someone had to say this! lol
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@Pamela Thacher
Just between us, that’s not my real last name. I’m incognito, being a known Democrat and feminist in Kansas. But, I’m obsessed with Dalmatians, since early childhood. Two in particular have been the true loves of my life.
Sorry, Husband.
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I've been privileged to be a stay-at-home dog mom for the past 4 years. I've had ample opportunity to observe and interact with my dogs. When I first retired, I had two old dogs. They didn't follow me from room to room, but napped most of the day in the living room, a central spot in our home. Now I have two young dogs. They often follow me from room to room, but their favorite room is my office, and they'll nap in there when what I'm doing is boring or they just want a nap in a sunny spot. Both are obviously more affectionate with me than with my husband. I'm the one who does everything with them! Both have learned a lot of words because I talk to them constantly. I know they love me. I see it every morning or when I return from errands, as they greet me with what can only be described as joy--just because I'm there. They feel wonderful--and so do I.
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Thanks for the interview, Carl. Looking forward to the new book!
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Of course they do and that is why it is criminal to harm any sentient being - for food, clothing, entertainment, science, etc. If we wouldn't do it to a human, we shouldn't do it to any other animal.
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@BMD And if everything is sentient?
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@AH: Then we make the distinction as to whether something has a central nervous system. We can eat plants but should try strongly not to disturb animals.
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@AH
There is a difference between need and optional things such as entertainment and luxury.
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I think anyone who has had dogs for any length of time can attest to their deep emotional life. And most of that emotional life is centered around their owner.
I have had many dogs over the course of my life, each with their own distinct personalities. Currently, I have two senior citizens: one thirteen and one fifteen. My fifteen year old cattle/pit climbs our rather steep stairs every night to sleep beside us. He has done this for fifteen years. It is a difficult climb for him these days, but he is diligent and determined. He receives nothing for his trek but our company.
For anyone doubting the loyalty and love of a good dog, I would suggest that the old adage might just be true: yes, they are probably a man's best friend.
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@John Tapley
Never any doubt in my mind about that old adage.
My hound was my best friend for 14 years. For the last few years we were never separated more than 3 or 4 hours at a time. She passed almost 3 months ago.
I miss her so much that I still cry every day.
Every single day.
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@Duke
Duke, I'm so sorry for your loss! I'm sure you gave her a happy life, being with you.
It is probably too soon in your mourning to find a new friend, but maybe you could open a window on that idea? Save a few minutes each day, just to think of what a new dog might look like? Would your hound approve? Who would she choose for you, since we know she'd want you to have what makes you happy, a true companion.
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@Duke
I am so sorry you lost your bud. I have a 12 year old lab (and a five year old one too, but the first is my best friend) and I know the end is in site. I will think about your comment and feel ok when I cry every day. Because I know I will.
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Yes, of course animals have emotional lives and dogs and cats love their people. It seems the height of human arrogance to assume that only human beings feel emotions.
The really interesting scientific question is why it's taken so long for scientists to be willing to accept the truth of this. After all, the capacity of animals to feel love and happiness and sorrow etc. has been obvious for centuries to people who've lived with cats, dogs, rats, rabbits...So, why has this reality been resisted for so long in the scientific community ?
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@Oriole Because so many industries would be affected negatively by the realisation that animals exoerience the SAME sensory experiences as humans : pain, panic, anxiety, anticipation, joy, sadness - the gamut.
Think of the rabbits blinded in make-up tests, monkeys, dogs, guinea pigs and rats used pharmaceutical industries. The list is endless.
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@Oriole Also because of religion. According to the Christian bible, god gave man dominion over the animals. They are here for Mankind to make use of. And you can't do that if they are sentient creatures.
It is a Very Good Thing that we have learned more about the world than that storybook teaches.
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@Oriole I think religion is partly to blame: "God created Man in His image." Ergo: animals lack capabilities we were especially endowed with.
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