Do dogs have feelings?
Do dogs have emotions like us? Do they think the same way as humans in certain situations? Humans have a tendency to impose human emotions on dogs - and there are actually many reasons for this. Increased knowledge of the dog's brain, development, and history can contribute to a better understanding of the dog. Read on to learn more.
Dogs do not have the same emotions as us
Why do we attribute human emotions to our dogs? Increased knowledge of the dog's brain, development, and history can contribute to a better understanding of the dog. We humans tend to observe our dogs and attribute human emotions based on the behavior we see. The complexity of emotions is so incredible that sometimes we do not even understand our own human emotions. So why do we think we can impose the same emotions on our dogs? There are several potential answers to this:
If a better explanation for the dog's behavior cannot be found, we would rather project a behavioral explanation from humans onto the dog. It is simply easier for our brain to understand, as it allows us as humans to identify the behavioral explanation. Humans tend to believe that all living beings act as we do, despite knowing that it is not the case. Our prefrontal cortex is specifically designed to compare and interpret everything in our surroundings. This can be a hindrance in many contexts, as it also causes us to draw false conclusions.
Become a part of our online universe: See the dog's developmental stages.
Are your expectations unrealistic?
It is absolutely normal to go through life and have expectations. The same happens when we bring a lovely furry friend home to live with us. Humans tend to try to predict the future and make assumptions about the puppy based on how we want it to behave. But we might expect the dog to be able to stay home alone, walk nicely without pulling, ignore other dogs. And the list goes on.
The expectations will undoubtedly lead to disappointment, as the puppy cannot navigate according to your human mindset. What sustains disappointment are the expectations and hopes that you have placed all your concentration and weight on. But it is important to remember that nothing comes by itself, the responsibility lies with you. A puppy should be trained from the first day you bring it to its new home and place it on your floor.
There will be UPS AND DOWNS no matter what - because the puppy goes through developmental stages as it grows. The puppy's behavior and temperament change according to its developmental stage - and if you do not keep up and guide/train your puppy, you may end up with problems that will take even longer to re-arrange. Expect much more from yourself, for you are the creator of the puppy's life.