The Debate Over Dogs and Emotions

Do dogs really sense our feelings? Researchers now accept that dogs, and other animals, do experience primary emotions such as anxiety, fear, and anger, they still do not accept that they are capable of higher emotions such as jealousy, sympathy or empathy.

Be that as it may, I prefer to give animals the benefit of the doubt. I assume that higher animals, like dogs, are sensitive creatures with feelings and emotions.

Does your dog displays any of these emotions

• For some dogs, hugging, kissing and outward affection between their humans is just not acceptable. They will often intervene by jumping on your lap or somehow splitting you apart. This sure looks like jealousy to me. However, they rarely seem to show this same type of behavior with parents and babies. In fact with small children they often become like a surrogate parent and protect the youngins.

• Aggressive dogs are often more aggressive when they sense that someone is afraid of them. Is it because they can see fear in their eyes or that their posture is cowering. They say the same thing about horses, which is probably why I stay away from horses.

• Almost every dog owner has experienced the difference in their dog when someone is sad, hurt or sick. You could argue that the dog observes your posture and appearance as submissive and, almost instinctively, approaches to find out and respond to the situation. Some say, when the dog sees you in a submissive posture, it feels it has to grovel to remain below you in rank, but I don’t believe it..

• Dogs, like children who reside in a happy, relaxed residence, tend to be more relaxed themselves. The dog, sensing their level of relaxation, figures out that nothing bad is going to happen and relaxes himself. This could be the reason that potentially aggressive dogs such as Pit Bulls often are aggressive when living with high anxiety owners, while others of the same breed are the biggest of babies. What about when you have a fight with your spouse or someone else close to you. They will often skulk away and hide in an out of the way place. It could be argued that they just don’t want to listen to you, but they seem to sense this even if the argument is done quietly.

• And the big one – guilt. After your dogs have had a jolly old time ripping apart your new boots and digging in the couch, they often seem to show a true sense of guilt. Some say they are only reacting to your anger or disappointment and is just associating this anger with actions in the past where he may have been punished. That may be true but I know dogs (such as Henri) that have never been punished and who still act in this way. I think they are reacting because they know they have been bad and have upset you, not because they think if they act guilty they won’t be punished.

• I know when I, or someone else in the family goes out and leaves the dogs alone, a lot of crying and whining goes on. Whether this is because they just don’t want to be left behind or that they are truly sad, crying seems like an honest emotion to me.

Just because there’s no scientific proof of emotions in animals, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Let’s not forget that we once believed the earth was flat!

From an evolutionary point of view, it would be very strange if dogs didn’t have the ability to sense emotions. Dogs obviously have to understand behavior of themselves and others or they wouldn’t have a clue as to what to do when he encounters new situations.

As far as I can see, our pets seem to respond to our emotions and react accordingly and I think that those who say otherwise can’t have a good relationship with their pets.

Please be sure to visit Henrithehound my awesome online pet shop, the next time you want to make your pet happy! (Because happy is the best emotion!)