Comments on: Human-Dog Psychology: 5 Weird Studies

By: Lucia

Lucia — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:11:42 +0000

The only thing I can say here is that when my dog hears the sound of my father's keys, she immediately gets excited because she knows it's time for her walk, and I had another dog who would jump off the couch as soon as she heard my mother approaching because she knew that she would get spanked if she got caught sleeping there. Is that really understanding or just a response to an stimulus, like that of Pavlov's dogs? Well, I guess most people would agree that it's the second, but in the end, what is understanding? I mean, maybe dogs cannot think rationally about situations, but they know about them, and so they kind of "understand" them. E.g. my dog didn't know why, but she knew perfectly well that something bad would happen to her if my mother saw her on the couch, so she reacted to that knowledge by jumping off, trying to avoid the harm... And isn't understanding a situation being conscious of its posible consequences? Isn't that exactly what we do every day? E.g. we don't speed with our cars when we know they're policemen around because we know it would get us into trouble. To the question "are dogs ice-breakers"? The answer is YES, indeed. Every time I take my dog out I engage in conversation with someone, which hardly ever happens when I go out on my own. And to the question "do dogs resemble their owners" the answer is HELL, YES!!! Dogs who stay home most of the time with their owners, specially if they're old, are very likely to become bad-tempered and unsociable, just like their owners! I know this from my own experience, because I've seen many dogs like this. Also dogs, as well as humans, can suffer from mental illnesses such as depression. Apart from that, you should have mentioned that dogs, like humans and cats, have a "personality". E.g. my older dog used to bark a lot, while the dog we have know barks very little and is not aggressive towards strangers at all but, surprisingly, she seems to dislike children. She gets really tense in their presence and sometimes she even tries to bite them very timidly, as if she knew that what she wants to do is wrong. Other dogs, however, seem to love children and are delighted to play with them, even if the kids pull their ears and tail. Isn't that a sign that they have a personality?

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:20:00 +0000

Fun post. My dog keeps telling me I look like him, but I'm not buying it.

More seriously, I've always found it amusing that so many people assume that cats are smart because they appear "independent". Just from life experience I see next to no evidence that cats are anywhere near as intelligent as dogs. But I guess using the independence excuse makes people feel better about their less intelligent feline companions.

By: Kris

Kris — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:11:00 +0000

I read that if a dog's owner dies, the dog will wait to feast on the body until it has no other choice but to do so - up to three weeks without food.

Cats? They will wait about three days.

By: apricot jolee mum

apricot jolee mum — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:28:00 +0000

cats CAN kill your kids.
there have been incidents where cats have laid on babies asleep in cots because of the warmth and smell of milk, causing asphyxiation.

also cats will eat you, they just wait til you're already dead...

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 05:06:00 +0000

You can keep your "inductive" reasoning, clever though it may be. Cats are much more affectionate than dogs. Also, your cat won't eat you or kill your child.

By: H

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:35:00 +0000

Cats have been domesticated for as long as dogs or longer. The difference is that in ancient Egypt, for example, and some other cultures, Cats were worshiped and dogs were servants. Cats view humans as their property and are much more demanding of us, where as dogs view larger animals as dominant and often aim to please. Dogs are almost always social animals, and sometimes function independently. Cats are usually independent but sometimes function socially, example: lions.

By: steeleweed.com

steeleweed.com — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 22:57:00 +0000

There are cultures in which a puppy is eaten as part of a ceremony. Other cultures simply regard them (and cats) as meat. So?

By: AmeliaJ

AmeliaJ — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:29:00 +0000

Dogs are definitely ice-breakers. No one approaches my intimidating husband when he is walking alone. When he walks our friendly, fluffy white dog however, women and children approach him and engage in conversation. His only complaint is they remember the dog's name and address but forget his name.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:31:00 +0000

I’ve trained many of my cats to do tricks, beg, shake, roll over and to walk on a leash. It’s very simple to do when there’s a bond and trust between you and the cat, speaking to them helps create that. Repetitive speaking causes them to acknowledge and respond to your voice,

And I’m sorry Dr. Grumpus but you’re flat out wrong there, while cats in the wild might not be group animals, your modern day house cat very much is a group creature. They are happiest in pairs and groups and whole family systems. With complex alpha systems along with it.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 04:23:00 +0000

I have always had a theory that men prefer dogs because they are easier to control and more predictable, and that people who have an antipathy for cats have a problem with the anima. I'm amazed there haven't been any studies to explore why people prefer dogs over cats.