Do You Believe Dogs Have Feelings?

AudreyHepburn

Of course they do, to think otherwise is at best foolish, at worst cruel.

I remember we sent Homer, the older of our two boys, to a kennel while we went abroad about 10 years ago (we had only him at the time) and he was depressed for a week when he came home. I think he must have thought we’d abandoned him 😢

We never did it again to either of them.

There’s no question in my mind that the happiness and excitement when we walk in the door or pick up their leads or put their food down is real.

Our two are part of the family now and I honestly believe they think they’re human!

s7ryf3925pivug

There is a great deal of evidence demonstrating they have feelings, including "human" feelings like empathy. They are highly advanced socially and generally understand us better than we them.

topper75

Floki wrote: »

Are dogs vegetarians now?

They certainly are not. Ever.

But they can't do well on pure meat either. They are not wolves, despite what some think.

There is debate on the optimum protein-carb mixture.

If in doubt toss them a sardine! :-) they love it and it shows in the coat and eyes within days.

They certainly have feelings. They have full loyalty, and don't quite get it when not always reciprocated.

Canis Lupus

I think maybe they have the basics. Nothing terribly complex. Humans however are great at anthropomorphism so I imagine a lot of people think dogs 'feel' more than they actually do.

ace_irl

They 100% have feelings, my girl fully interacts with us at home. She even gives the cold shoulder when you've annoyed her. She sighs and moans when she wants attention or is annoyed and she understands our own emotions. The sheer joy on her face when she gets to go for a walk or you open a tin of tuna for her. She suffers when certain people are out of the house and misses them.

They 100% have favorites as well. She's obese with me and my dad and just about tolerates my sister. Shes a white GS so I'm fairly certain she's smarter then me!

After reading this thread, I can not wait to go home and give her a cuddle.

pgj2015

_Brian wrote: »

That’s a highly ignorant statement, typical of what you see from people who never bothered to find out the truth.

Given the space pigs never ever lie or root where they go to the toilet. Given space they will consciously dedicate a corner to use as a “bathroom” area and that will be its only use.

We keep pigs for our own consumption, they’re not dirty provided they get the correct space.

Cattle and sheep on the other hand have no clue, no matter what space they have they just shiit everywhere and then lie in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA_Tl1kvlQU

chrissb8

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

Yes. Cats and dogs do. They're more intelligent than people think they are.

A dog looks you in the eye as it's s******g and then will eat that s**t. I think we can put a cap on their intelligence at a point

wakka12

They just do. No two ways about it. My dog is so in touch with our family members emotions. She reflects off our own moods and it clearly changes her mood outwardly and its very apparent.Sometimes when I look into my little doggy's big brown empathetic eyes all I can think is you must be a reincarnated human, and what a beautifully amazing human you would have been. Wish I could meet you.

mightyreds

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Dogs very much have feelings. A real life Seymour (of futurama fame)

https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/dog-abandoned-at-airport/

Reminds me of this

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AK3PWHxoT_E

corner of hells

Vladimir Poontang wrote: »

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

So do horses, and pigs, the French eat horses. Look I love dogs I just find the fawning over them ridiculous the way we treat the animals we eat. I doubt piglets are too happy when mother is taken away to be slaughtered but we don't seem to care about that.

I don't eat pork. Pigs are filthy animals. Pigs sleep and root in ****. That's a filthy animal.

"Puts down rasher sammich".
It's a batch loaf sammich with butter and tomato sauce.
And tae.

Dr Crayfish

So why do people have a problem with dogs being eaten and not pigs?

McMurphy

chrissb8 wrote: »

A dog looks you in the eye as it's s******g and then will eat that s**t. I think we can put a cap on their intelligence at a point

I've owned a few dogs in my time, all of which made it to ripe ages. None has ever (that I seen) ate their poo .

I'm not saying no dog has eat poo.

Just that it is the exception rather than the rule.

Ms Doubtfire1

natashaob6 wrote: »

The reason I ask I suppose this unusual question is our dog is a big part of our family and although we all give him the same love and affection there is one member of the family he seems to miss more when has not been home for a long period of time. When i'm on the phone and i put it on loud speaker as soon as he hears my sons voice he  stands on all fours with he's  ears pricked up and sometimes runs around the sitting room with excitement. So I was wondering does anyone else out there have a pet dog that might react in a similar way and if so do you believe a dog has feelings.

If thats a serious question you're in the wrong forum...

Ms Doubtfire1

_Brian;105328539I’ve once eaten dog when in Asia, it was in a sort of stew. It was quite disappointing as meat goes, chewey and not too tasty, like a low grade cut of beef.  
really? jeesus how could you.

_Brian

_Brian wrote: »

That’s a highly ignorant statement, typical of what you see from people who never bothered to find out the truth.

Given the space pigs never ever lie or root where they go to the toilet. Given space they will consciously dedicate a corner to use as a “bathroom” area and that will be its only use.

We keep pigs for our own consumption, they’re not dirty provided they get the correct space.

Cattle and sheep on the other hand have no clue, no matter what space they have they just shiit everywhere and then lie in it.

It's also a quote from Pulp Fiction. Chill the **** out.

Widdershins

There's no doubt about it, dogs absolutely do have feelings. As do all sentient creatures.

kylith

Course they do. My dog was in a sulk with me for days after I went on holiday and left him in kennels.

Most animals have feelings, at least basic ones.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

If thats a serious question you're in the wrong forum...

How do you make that one out? Well if I am either way posters seem to be happy enough to discuss the topic here.

david75

They absolutely have feelings. Probably feel them a lot more extremely than we do. Just look at a dog locked up in a garden depressed and barking constantly for attention or help and then look at a dogs reaction when you ask him does he wanna go for a walk. Pure joy. Our dog is 6 and I know when he’s pissed off with me and when he’s delighted with life. No doubt at all that they have feelings.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

david75 wrote: »

They absolutely have feelings. Probably feel them a lot more extremely than we do. Just look at a dog locked up in a garden depressed and barking constantly for attention or help and then look at a dogs reaction when you ask him does he wanna go for a walk. Pure joy. Our dog is 6 and I know when he’s pissed off with me and when he’s delighted with life. No doubt at all that they have feelings.

Our dog is the same all I have to do is pick up his lead or pick up the car keys and he stands at the front door. I would say It's all down to a daily routine and having the intelligence to understand the routine.

kylith

natashaob6 wrote: »

Our dog is the same all I have to do is pick up his lead or pick up the car keys and he stands at the front door. I would say It's all down to a daily routine and having the intelligence to understand the routine.

There's definitely more to it than that. My fella's like 'Great! Walk time!', but then if we go a certain way he's all 'Oh yeah! We're going to the motherhumpin' park!!!'

Jerichoholic

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

They can feel a kick in the hole alright.

Big hard man kicking a dog.

david75

natashaob6 wrote: »

Our dog is the same all I have to do is pick up his lead or pick up the car keys and he stands at the front door. I would say It's all down to a daily routine and having the intelligence to understand the routine.

Ah brilliant all I have to say is are ye bored?? And he’s dancin around in circles delighted cos he knows we’re going the park. Equally if I go I have to go to town pal I can’t take you with me he gets all bummed out. Good to use the same tone I guess. They understand what that is more than the words I think.

Our lad in the park at his favourite branch that he can’t reach but doesn’t stop him jumping for it. For as long as you let him

kylith

david75 wrote: »

Ah brilliant all I have to say is are ye bored?? And he’s dancin around in circles delighted cos he knows we’re going the park. Equally if I go I have to go to town pal I can’t take you with me he gets all bummed out. Good to use the same tone I guess. They understand what that is more than the words I think.

Our lad in the park at his favourite branch that he can’t reach but doesn’t stop him jumping for it. For as long as you let him

One day he'll get that branch.

One day.

h7nlrp2v0g5u48

It's amazing the happiness dogs and of course most animals can bring to a person or family when given the love and affection they deserve.

david75

kylith wrote: »

One day he'll get that branch.

One day.

He can get the other one somedays! It’s lower!
But as to feelings I know they have them. Our guys in his total happy place in the park and it actually makes me feel a lot better when I’m up there with him.
We’re going up in a little while

Stonedpilot

I'm sure dogs do have feeling you can see it in their eyes. Happiness, depression etc.

Though what I can't stand is these lunatics who say animals are equal to humans.

No they aren't.

Ironically alot of people who whinge and whinge and whinge about animal rights on TV and social media etc aren't even vegan!. I mean how can you rattle on about animal rights when you have had steak and chips for dinner and are wearing leather shoes?.

Do these people live in such la la land situations they think that cow voluntarily gave it's life up for them and didn't suffer at all but was smiling the whole time in the slaughterhouse?. :rolleyes: These people have to rationalize their crap like like this.
Amazing hypocrisy.


If you eat animals you can't shyte on about animal rights. Trust me that meat dinner you eat that animal didn't go freely happily to the slaugterhouse, no they suffered big time!

kylith

Stonedpilot wrote: »

I'm sure dogs do have feeling you can see it in their eyes. Happiness, depression etc.

Though what I can't stand is these lunatics who say animals are equal to humans.

No they aren't.

Ironically alot of people who whinge and whinge and whinge about animal rights on TV and social media etc aren't even vegan!. I mean how can you rattle on about animal rights when you have had steak and chips for dinner and are wearing leather shoes?.

Do these people live in such la la land situations they think that cow voluntarily gave it's life up for them and didn't suffer at all but was smiling the whole time in the slaughterhouse?. :rolleyes: These people have to rationalize their crap like like this.
Amazing hypocrisy.


If you eat animals you can't shyte on about animal rights. Trust me that meat dinner you eat that animal didn't go freely happily to the slaugterhouse, no they suffered big time!

Balderdash.

I've been to slaughterhouses. They saunter into them grand and the most 'suffering' they feel is being nervous about being someplace new. Then they get an electric shock that knocks them out before they know what's happening.

Father Hernandez

Vladimir Poontang wrote: »

I don't eat pork. Pigs are filthy animals. Pigs sleep and root in ****. That's a filthy animal.

Bit harsh.

A lot of humans are not far off..

Church on Tuesday

They have more feelings than a lot of human beings.

TeaBagMania

This is a true story.

Fair warning, if you haven't seen it, it'll rip your heart out.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1028532/

razorblunt

Yep of course they do.

I'm still on the fence when it comes to them "feeling guilt", there was a show on Channel 4 a few months back that came to an inconclusive finding based on if they show what we think is guilt based on our reactions to them rather than actually feeling it.

Vladimir Poontang

Ah lads thought ye would pick up the Pulp Fiction quotes quicker lol

Dr Crayfish

kylith wrote: »

Balderdash.

I've been to slaughterhouses. They saunter into them grand and the most 'suffering' they feel is being nervous about being someplace new. Then they get an electric shock that knocks them out before they know what's happening.

I think what he's getting at is the utter hypocrisy and anthropomorphism involved with dog lovers who eat animals yet share stories about dog meat in Asia on Facebook

(I just wanted any excuse to say anthropomorphism again)

Stonedpilot

kylith wrote: »

Balderdash.

I've been to slaughterhouses. They saunter into them grand and the most 'suffering' they feel is being nervous about being someplace new. Then they get an electric shock that knocks them out before they know what's happening.

Ah yes cos that knocker bolt driven into them is pleasant eh;). LOL

borderlinemeath

chrissb8 wrote: »

A dog looks you in the eye as it's s******g and then will eat that s**t. I think we can put a cap on their intelligence at a point

Who is the collective "we" you refer to? You're entitled to your opinion, but you really shouldn't assume that others are in agreement.

What you are referring to is Coprophagia. It's possibly behavioural, but usually a malabsorption of nutrients from the food they're eating, or a lack of nutrients within the food. A good example is to think of a puppy farm rationing out the cheapest of cheap crap food to litters of puppies, and their little systems demand a far richer diet. Bitches wean their pups around 5 weeks old, but pups aren't supposed to leave their mother and siblings until at least 8 weeks old. That 3 weeks of food cuts into the puppy farmers profit margin so it's more economical to feed them rubbish because the effects won't be seen in the few weeks that they are under their ownership. Worming is also required every 2 weeks for pups, but that is also expensive when you're churning out pups. In short, underfeeding, a poor diet, and a parasitic burden are all reasons for digestive enzyme deficiencies which encourages stool eating.

borderlinemeath

I think what he's getting at is the utter hypocrisy and anthropomorphism involved with dog lovers who eat animals yet share stories about dog meat in Asia on Facebook

(I just wanted any excuse to say anthropomorphism again)

So why do people have a problem with dogs being eaten and not pigs?

So do horses, and pigs, the French eat horses. Look I love dogs I just find the fawning over them ridiculous the way we treat the animals we eat. I doubt piglets are too happy when mother is taken away to be slaughtered but we don't seem to care about that.

What do you think of factory farms?

I would imagine most animals of reasonable intelligence are sentient. We have anthropomorphised dogs and cats so people are outraged when they hear of Asians eating dogs but have no problems tucking into steak or lamb. We're all a bunch of hypocrites

Of course they have feelings. It's only the animals we eat like pigs and cows and sheep etc that don't have feelings

Are you vegan or just out of opinions?

McMurphy

Vladimir Poontang wrote: »

Ah lads thought ye would pick up the Pulp Fiction quotes quicker lol

Sewer rat may take like pumpkin fcukin pie.....

dealornodeal23

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

They can feel a kick in the hole alright.

No wonder I prefer dogs and cats to people especially you

Dr Crayfish

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Are you vegan or just out of opinions?

I'm just a total and utter nihilist

dealornodeal23

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Yes, I believe dogs have feelings but I think peoples are more important!

Is there any need to say this?

borderlinemeath

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

I'm just a total and utter nihilist

If that were in any way true, you wouldn't say you loved dogs.;)

Look I love dogs I just find the fawning over them ridiculous the way we treat the animals we eat.

It's perfectly rational to absolutely love your pet and also be partial to a nice rare steak. Pet owners don't have to be signed up members of PETA to justify themselves. Dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years, but they aren't intensively bred for the food chain. (the fact that some are extensively bred by puppy farmers and back yard breeders is for another thread) It's also perfectly rational to be emotionally attached to a horse, or a pet pig/calf/lamb whatever - but the logistics of keeping a livestock animal your average 3 bed semi tends to limit it. Grand if you live rurally or can afford stabling.

Dr Crayfish

borderlinemeath wrote: »

If that were in any way true, you wouldn't say you loved dogs.;)
It's perfectly rational to absolutely love your pet and also be partial to a nice rare steak. Pet owners don't have to be signed up members of PETA to justify themselves. Dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years, but they aren't intensively bred for the food chain. (the fact that some are extensively bred by puppy farmers and back yard breeders is for another thread) It's also perfectly rational to be emotionally attached to a horse, or a pet pig/calf/lamb whatever - but the logistics of keeping a livestock animal your average 3 bed semi tends to limit it. Grand if you live rurally or can afford stabling.

I'm aware of all this. I just find it difficult to understand how the adoration of dogs is so separate to factory farming and the welfare of the animals we eat. I'd like to live in a world where we eat way less meat and treat the ones we do eat a lot better. But I never will live in that world so who cares really...

Tar.Aldarion

Yep, most animals would be similar. Used to hang out with cows growing up and they were essentially big goofy dogs. It was what eventually made me stop eating them even though it was hard.

When my cats sister died she was depressed for a very long time and never went to where she died ever again. Never saw her like it before or since. If I play a recording of her sisters meow she freaks out even though she hadn't heard it for years.

Not to mention all the normal things, you hit an animal they become scared of you, you show them love they show it back.

Ms Doubtfire1

Natalie Purple Racism wrote: »

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

If thats a serious question you're in the wrong forum...

How do you make that one out? Well if I am either way posters seem to be happy enough to discuss the topic here.

It's a question that will get more serious and informed answers on the animal forum really.

Ms Doubtfire1

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

borderlinemeath wrote: »

If that were in any way true, you wouldn't say you loved dogs.;)
It's perfectly rational to absolutely love your pet and also be partial to a nice rare steak. Pet owners don't have to be signed up members of PETA to justify themselves. Dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years, but they aren't intensively bred for the food chain. (the fact that some are extensively bred by puppy farmers and back yard breeders is for another thread) It's also perfectly rational to be emotionally attached to a horse, or a pet pig/calf/lamb whatever - but the logistics of keeping a livestock animal your average 3 bed semi tends to limit it. Grand if you live rurally or can afford stabling.

I'm aware of all this. I just find it difficult to understand how the adoration of dogs is so separate to factory farming and the welfare of the animals we eat. I'd like to live in a world where we eat way less meat and treat the ones we do eat a lot better. But I never will live in that world so who cares really...

as for you...you should read the story of the starfish.

borderlinemeath

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

I'm aware of all this. I just find it difficult to understand how the adoration of dogs is so separate to factory farming and the welfare of the animals we eat. I'd like to live in a world where we eat way less meat and treat the ones we do eat a lot better. But I never will live in that world so who cares really...

Because a pet owner is looking for nothing more than companionship and unconditional love from the dog they buy or rescue. Few people want the same feeling from a livestock animal, but as I stated above, it does happen.

As Irish farming goes, our meat is traceable, and welfare standards are good for the likes of livestock, live exports aside. As far as chicken and egg production goes, I wouldn't be so sure. I always buy free range chickens and eggs, but there are people who don't bat an eyelid at buying battery eggs and €3 chickens and see nothing wrong with that. It would be interesting to see whether these are pet owners, and if they are - do they treat their pets as part of the family or as you say, fawn over them, or are they pets that are isolated outside and treated like garden ornaments. If you treat your pets well, buy them decent food, with decent ingredients, then it tends to follow that you care what you eat yourself.

bigar

Feelings no. They have primal reactions just as most animals like fear, anger and joy. But feelings like guilt, shame or pride are just something humans want to see in them. A lot of people say dogs and cats have facial expressions as well which is also no true but still people believe it.

diomed

I ordered this book about a Border Collie
Chaser: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows 1000 Words

Yes, animals have feelings.
Dogs are happy when they are going for a walk.
I think dogs sense things more than humans. I noticed that when I decide to share a biscuit with a dog but have made no move he senses it and approaches.

My brother had to have a dog put down when it broke its back.
He said the dog was terrified when he brought it to the vet.

andekwarhola

I think people can go a little far with the claims of sentience, but cats and especially dogs definitely seem to have a certain emotional attunement with humans that's out of proportion with their intelligence.