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Author: Sir FrederickSir Frederick Date: Aug 25, 2008 21:06
http://environment.newscientist.com/article/mg19926700.200
Dogs aren't stupid wolves; they are much smarter
20 August 2008
NewScientist.com news service
Kate Douglas
IF YOU have ever caught a dog stealing food, you will know the feeling: a sense
that the dog knows it has done wrong and feels... well, guilty. Maybe that's
pushing it - but try telling a dog owner that their pet cannot experience pain,
excitement, love or other mental states we usually reserve for humans. You won't
get very far.
Until a decade or so ago, scientists interested in animal behaviour would have
dismissed these observations as sentimental anthropomorphising. They considered
popular attitudes to pet dogs silly, and saw the animals themselves as little
more than dumbed-down wolves. Above all, there was a widespread view that
domesticated animals in general were "artificial" products of human breeding,
irrelevant to anyone interested in studying real animal behaviour.
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Author: ImmortalistImmortalist Date: Aug 25, 2008 22:33
On Aug 25, 9:06 pm, Sir Frederick fuzzysys.com> wrote:> http://environment.newscientist.com/article/mg19926700.200
> Dogs aren't stupid wolves; they are much smarter
> 20 August 2008
> NewScientist.com news service
> Kate Douglas
>
> IF YOU have ever caught a dog stealing food, you will know the feeling: a sense
> that the dog knows it has done wrong and feels... well, guilty. Maybe that's
> pushing it - but try telling a dog owner that their pet cannot experience pain,
> excitement, love or other mental states we usually reserve for humans. You won't
> get very far.
>
> Until a decade or so ago, scientists interested in animal behaviour would have
> dismissed these observations as sentimental anthropomorphising. They considered
> popular attitudes to pet dogs silly, and saw the animals themselves as little
> more than dumbed-down wolves. Above all, there was a widespread view that
> domesticated animals in general were "artificial" products of human breeding,
> irrelevant to anyone interested in studying real animal behaviour.
> ...
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Author: Don StockbauerDon Stockbauer Date: Aug 26, 2008 01:54
You're so right. Who could doubt any of what you say? Thanks for
enlightening us.
"Sir Frederick" fuzzysys.com> wrote in message
news:d407b4thhd7o0bq1psph5molk1bs2hf09v@4ax.com...
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Author: ZerkonXZerkonX Date: Aug 26, 2008 03:47
On Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:06:51 -0700, Sir Frederick wrote:
> Dogs really do have some remarkable mental skills that allow them to
> thrive in their strange habitat - our world.
As opposed to cats who have some remarkable mental skills that allow us
to thrive in the strange habitat of their world.
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Author: ArtArt Date: Aug 26, 2008 06:34
On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:47:35 +0000, ZerkonX X.net> wrote:
>On Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:06:51 -0700, Sir Frederick wrote:
>
>> Dogs really do have some remarkable mental skills that allow them to
>> thrive in their strange habitat - our world.
>
>As opposed to cats who have some remarkable mental skills that allow us
>to thrive in the strange habitat of their world.
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Author: ZerkonXZerkonX Date: Aug 27, 2008 06:31
On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:34:19 -0400, Art wrote:
> My cat is convinced that God created man to open closet doors for cats.
Cats are also convinced that standing in front of a door waiting for
their human to open the door, then as the interrupted and owned human
does, walking away now seemingly disinterested in passing through the
door, looking back at the human as if to say, "are you really that dumb
you fell for that old gag?" as being GREAT FUN!!
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Author: Sir FrederickSir Frederick Date: Aug 27, 2008 07:48
On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:34:19 -0400, Art zilch.com> wrote:
>On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:47:35 +0000, ZerkonX X.net> wrote:
>>>On Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:06:51 -0700, Sir Frederick wrote:
>>
>>> Dogs really do have some remarkable mental skills that allow them to
>>> thrive in their strange habitat - our world.
>>
>>As opposed to cats who have some remarkable mental skills that allow us
>>to thrive in the strange habitat of their world.
>
>My cat is convinced that God created man to open closet doors for
>cats.
>
An example of hubris?
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Author: ShrikebackShrikeback Date: Aug 27, 2008 10:24
On Aug 25, 9:06Â pm, Sir Frederick fuzzysys.com> wrote:
> Friederike Range from the University of Vienna, Austria, takes the concept of
> dog morality even further. In a series of experiments, her team rewarded dogs
> with a food treat if they held up a paw...
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