Do You Believe Dogs Have Feelings?

_Dara_

andekwarhola wrote: »

Think dogs can feel ashamed or at least approximate it.

My friend had a dog that found a load of easter eggs that he'd stashed away. Walked in and immediately heard said mutt scooting upstairs sharpish. Leaving a scene of wrappers, half eaten eggs and carnage. Mutt was found hiding under bed with an extremely hangdog look on his face.

Also puked afterwards, of course.

When we'd give our childhood dog a light smack for some misdeed or other, he absolutely knew he had fucked up. The puppy dog eyes would be deployed, ears drooped. You could not stay mad at the adorable mutt.

borderlinemeath

faceman wrote: »

It’s a theory but it’s difficult to say for certain that’s is accurate given the complexity of those emotions.

Not really. The pack theory - was a theory - observational opinions of a biology research scientist, Dr David Mech, first published in 1970 and the scourge of canine behaviourists ever since. He since came out and said he was wrong, but the damage was done.

But 5 years ago a neuroscientist in the US trained dogs to sit still for MRI readings, so there is actual scientific data to show that dogs are capable of emotions similar to humans when shown various stimuli. During this interview below, he goes into more detail.

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/09/dog-brain-feelings-mri-gregory-berns/

Crea

kylith wrote: »

Could be a temper tantrum. My friend's dog fakes fits when she's frustrated.

That doesn't make sense. The dog was lying down looking out the window - no sign of temper, no trigger for the temper. When I called her to sit beside me she jumped up on the couch and had a few more sobs.
None of her behaviour was consistent with a tantrum.

Fuzzy Clam

I'm fairly convinced my lab (rip) had a sense of humour.
She got on great with the cows in the field beside me, would usually sniff there noses when they would stick their heads though the gate as we take our walk.
One day, instead of doing that, she simply let out a single bark as we passed the gate. The cows all jumped back and my dog looked up at me.
I swear that she had a grin on her face.

faceman

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Not really. The pack theory - was a theory - observational opinions of a biology research scientist, Dr David Mech, first published in 1970 and the scourge of canine behaviourists ever since. He since came out and said he was wrong, but the damage was done.

But 5 years ago a neuroscientist in the US trained dogs to sit still for MRI readings, so there is actual scientific data to show that dogs are capable of emotions similar to humans when shown various stimuli. During this interview below, he goes into more detail.

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/09/dog-brain-feelings-mri-gregory-berns/

Sorry my post may have been misleading. I agree that dogs have emotions, I’m familiar too with the debunking of pack theory. Amazing how people still refer to it as fact over 40 years later!

borderlinemeath

faceman wrote: »

Sorry my post may have been misleading. I agree that dogs have emotions, I’m familiar too with the debunking of pack theory. Amazing how people still refer to it as fact over 40 years later!

Ah no, I was just using it as an example of a theory - purely based on observational opinion, as opposed to actual scientific data which is available now. I suppose I'm fairly black and white, if there's evidence based data, I don't consider it a theory - it's a fact. I thought you were querying whether it was just a theory:)

david75

corner of hells wrote: »

In times like this I always think of my grandfather's JRT. Bought as pup when gramps retired to be his companion as he moved into his senior years.
Absolutely devoted to each other ,however turned out the bastard dog was a psychopath.
He bit everyone , me and 26 cousins and various aunts and uncle.
Things came to a head when he bit a doctor on a house call to visit my grandfather.
So the day came when he was brought to the pound where he bit two more staff .So yes I do believe dogs have feelings , rage comes to my mind.

I now have my own JRT and he likes a fry for breakfast on the weekend.

That’s just jack Russell’s though. They are literally hell hounds. Evil embodied. All of them.

Pac1Man

This thread has been an eye-opener and a bit saddening.

How have so many people not seen Pulp Fiction?

kylith

david75 wrote: »

That’s just jack Russell’s though. They are literally hell hounds. Evil embodied. All of them.

Only to strangers. They're like the Hells Angels; once they consider you part of the pack there's none better to have on your side.

DEFTLEFTHAND

kylith wrote: »

Only to strangers. They're like the Hells Angels; once they consider you part of the pack there's none better to have on your side.

I find them great guard dogs. Noisy little feckers who kick up hell anytime somebody they don't recognise enters the property.

They're also usually all bark and no bite. So no fear of any law suits. :pac: