When I was in my early twenties, I frequently devoured stories in magazines like National Geographic about Jane Goodall and Dian Fosse, living with and observing the Chimpanzees and Gorillas. I mean, they were on the other side of the world, living with animals that we are so attuned to, within their natural habitat.
Then one day I realized that, by going down to the local shelter and adopting a homeless, mixed breed dog, and living with that dog in my habitat, observing and learning from him, and letting him learn from me—what I was doing really wasn’t much different from Goodall and Fosse, except in terms of a different species and habitat.
My adopted dogs over my lifetime (I’m 71 now) have been my best teachers about human nature, dog nature, intelligence, emotions, cognition, play—you name it. And all because of living with this “other species” in my home, rather like a foreign exchange student. It is a gift and an honor, and a sacred responsibility to take in teachers like that. Sure, they’re just” dogs, and sure, we’re “just”humans, but—like the chimps and gorillas, it’s SO much more than that.
“How Does Your Dog’s Mind Work?” Such a great piece to get us thinking and observing our funny little 4-leggers! Thank you very much, Karen Elizabeth!
You’re welcome! The way you describe your experience with dogs and your own empirical observations. We are all scientists of a sort when we pay close attention.
Dogs aren’t just another domesticated species like cattle or chickens. Genetic evidence suggests they diverged from wolves a fair bit over 15,000 years ago, (likely around 20,000–40,000 years ago), and many researchers now describe their relationship with humans as a long process of co-evolution, which helps explain why dogs are so uniquely attuned to human social cues,but interpreting our gestures, gaze, facial expressions, and behaviour far better than mearly human dominated & domesticated animals.
What a fantastic post! This is something I think about so often. Our dogs are incredibly intelligent. They are deeply thinking and feeling--just, as you outlined, in ways incredibly unlike ours because our sensory systems are so different, but also very like ours because our processing systems are so similar. Always more to think about and consider, but I don't think anthropomorphic descriptions are always so bad, especially when the conclusions are rooted in observation, like your sweet pup inviting you to coffee. :)
I LOVE watching Adalia think and communicate with me. It's the way she looks at me - different looks mean different things, I've discovered. She knows what I need emotionally before I do. For example, when I'm dealing with my depression/anxiety, she will come over and lay on me, giving me "deep pressure therapy." She has never been "taught that" but she just does it. Also, I know how she is feeling by her body movements, different barks, whines, yawn, etc. The human-canine bond is spectacular.
When I was in my early twenties, I frequently devoured stories in magazines like National Geographic about Jane Goodall and Dian Fosse, living with and observing the Chimpanzees and Gorillas. I mean, they were on the other side of the world, living with animals that we are so attuned to, within their natural habitat.
Then one day I realized that, by going down to the local shelter and adopting a homeless, mixed breed dog, and living with that dog in my habitat, observing and learning from him, and letting him learn from me—what I was doing really wasn’t much different from Goodall and Fosse, except in terms of a different species and habitat.
My adopted dogs over my lifetime (I’m 71 now) have been my best teachers about human nature, dog nature, intelligence, emotions, cognition, play—you name it. And all because of living with this “other species” in my home, rather like a foreign exchange student. It is a gift and an honor, and a sacred responsibility to take in teachers like that. Sure, they’re just” dogs, and sure, we’re “just”humans, but—like the chimps and gorillas, it’s SO much more than that.
“How Does Your Dog’s Mind Work?” Such a great piece to get us thinking and observing our funny little 4-leggers! Thank you very much, Karen Elizabeth!
You’re welcome! The way you describe your experience with dogs and your own empirical observations. We are all scientists of a sort when we pay close attention.
Dogs aren’t just another domesticated species like cattle or chickens. Genetic evidence suggests they diverged from wolves a fair bit over 15,000 years ago, (likely around 20,000–40,000 years ago), and many researchers now describe their relationship with humans as a long process of co-evolution, which helps explain why dogs are so uniquely attuned to human social cues,but interpreting our gestures, gaze, facial expressions, and behaviour far better than mearly human dominated & domesticated animals.
What a fantastic post! This is something I think about so often. Our dogs are incredibly intelligent. They are deeply thinking and feeling--just, as you outlined, in ways incredibly unlike ours because our sensory systems are so different, but also very like ours because our processing systems are so similar. Always more to think about and consider, but I don't think anthropomorphic descriptions are always so bad, especially when the conclusions are rooted in observation, like your sweet pup inviting you to coffee. :)
Thank you! I agree. We’re different, but so alike!
I LOVE watching Adalia think and communicate with me. It's the way she looks at me - different looks mean different things, I've discovered. She knows what I need emotionally before I do. For example, when I'm dealing with my depression/anxiety, she will come over and lay on me, giving me "deep pressure therapy." She has never been "taught that" but she just does it. Also, I know how she is feeling by her body movements, different barks, whines, yawn, etc. The human-canine bond is spectacular.