# Feelings and emotions



## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

Do you believe that dogs can have feelings and emotions just like us human beings?


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## Texas_Eva (Apr 10, 2011)

There isn't a doubt in my mind that they do. My father's Beagle always watched me like a hawk and once when i hurt myself in the back yard barked and made all kinds of noise until my father came.

My darling Eva does too, just earlier today when I was stressing over a college paper she came up, licked my face and laid down next to me and I knew it was her trying to calm me down. Sometimes I think dog's know us better than we know ourselves.


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## kelso (Jan 22, 2007)

CLARKE-DUNCAN said:


> Do you believe that dogs can have feelings and emotions just like us human beings?


 
Absolutely :wub:


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## BGSD (Mar 24, 2011)

This is a tough one scientifically, because there hasn't been any significant findings to prove either hypothesis. Many people, philosophers, and scientists do believe that animals, especially those with higher intelligence can feel certain emotions, but there is no hard data yet.

Of course, most pet owners would swear that their animals feel all sorts of emotions. Myself included.


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## Zeusismydog (Aug 23, 2001)

I would say yes. Haven't you seen a dog that has lost someone they love? I have as I used to do fostering and rehab. Some of those dogs just loose the will to live. I have seen perfectly mild mannered dogs go into a frenzy when they see someone they didn't like (for whatever reason). 

I am not sure about some emotions. Greed? Well maybe. Jellisy? again maybe. But Love, sadness, hate, happiness are all a yes no doubt. Why couldn't they have feelings?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Actually, Yes. There was a study that was on CNN a few weeks ago. I can't find it now but the one "emotion" they focused on in the article was jealousy.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Why dogs can sense fair play - CNN



> *Why dogs can sense fair play*
> 
> 
> Dogs appear to experience a range of complex, unpleasant emotions such as jealousy and pride, scientists have discovered.
> ...


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

just google 

dog emotion studies

and you'll find a lot of info


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Here's a great book on that topic: Amazon.com: For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend (9780345477149): Patricia B. McConnell: Books


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

It's no brainer that they have feelings and emotions. I don't even understand how anyone can believe that they don't have feelings and emotions. 

Anger, Hurt, Hunger, Thirst, Happyness, Frustration, Depression, Fear, Grief... are those not feelings and emotions? And you can find all of these in dogs.


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

Absolutely they have feeling and emotions. No doubt in my mind at all.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

CLARKE-DUNCAN said:


> Do you believe that dogs can have feelings and emotions just like us human beings?


 
Feelings and Emotions - YES
Just like us - NO

I don't know what exactly a dog feels because I am not a dog.
Certainly NOT human. The love unconditionally, they don't hold a grudge, etc.


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

But pain,fear,happyness,agression etc are all felt by humans, So surely these are felt by animals too?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Pain is a physical experience. Fear, happiness, anger are emotions. We talk a lot about fear aggresion. It stands to reason that if an animal can feel fear, then it can feel other emotions. I don't think they can reason through their feelings like a human can but since I don't speak canine, I might be mistaken.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Exactly. What I wonder is, that they actually come to realize that, _just now_. It is so obvious, especially when you own multiple dogs over an extended period of time. If you can't see the obvious and that dogs are emotionally complex creatures, I don't know how ignorant and blind one has to be to not notice it at all or to deny the existence of such.


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

jocoyn said:


> Feelings and Emotions - YES
> Just like us - NO
> 
> I don't know what exactly a dog feels because I am not a dog.
> Certainly NOT human. The love unconditionally, they don't hold a grudge, etc.


That's a really good point! No way to know for sure what our dogs are feeling, at best we can guess. But I think we can all agree they are indeed having feelings.

And I can totally read Rosa's mind when Niko drops his bone and looks away for a second.

"I WANT THAT BONE!!! Then I will have all the bones, mwaa-haa-haa-haa!"


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## Zeusismydog (Aug 23, 2001)

What about holding grudges? I have seen dogs that don't like something and will never like it and show the same reaction every time they see it. Now are they holding a grudge or what? They don't think like us that is true.


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## wilbanks17 (Feb 11, 2011)

Yes, that's why they are our best friends and constant companion.


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## idahospud49 (Jan 28, 2011)

I absolutely think they, and other animals, have feelings and emotions. Geronimo, my mustang, was definitely feeling sheepish yesterday after his freak out. He spent about 10 minutes with his head down pushed against my leg after he broke my saddle and bridle...


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## Holmeshx2 (Apr 25, 2010)

It's a bit more complicated then that. Do they have emotions yes are they JUST like us ... no. Some things they have personalities and emotions that come with them however some things that we try to humanize are really genetics or poor training.



CLARKE-DUNCAN said:


> But pain,fear,happyness,agression etc are all felt by humans, So surely these are felt by animals too?


Fear and aggression are often genetic not just something that pup decides he wants to be afraid of. It's not like a person who chooses to be a cat person because the person likes cats over dogs. If a dog hates the cat more then likely it's because of not being trained and socialized to them properly.

I love my dog like shes my own child and yes she gets personalized quite often however sometimes for their sake you have to remember they are a dog and not human.


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## Texas_Eva (Apr 10, 2011)

Holmeshx2 said:


> sometimes for their sake you have to remember they are a dog and not human.


Eva is no doubt treated like a queen/child in my home, but don't tell her that! I think she's beginning to buy this whole Alpha human dad thing. LOL


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Dogs are very sensitive to situations being a little 'off' and I think it upsets their feeling of safety/security. So, oftentimes they are just worried about how situations might affect them and they move either forward to try to influence the 'outcome' or away to protect themselves. IMHO, of course.


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## Holmeshx2 (Apr 25, 2010)

I think I need to expand on my statement of "for their sake"... I'm all for spoiling the dog (Jinx is spoiled rotten) but I think sometimes people make their dog too human and make excuses for them because they think the dog has more HUMAN emotions then what they really do. A dog thats allowed to go crazy barking and lunging at the postman because "he doesn't like him", making them human by saying they are afraid of something and people have fears instead of realizing they are genetic so you have to be careful with passing it on to offspring, or going balistic destroying things in the house because "he's mad at me for something" instead of realizing these are genetic, training, socializing traits people excuse them because people have the same fears, emotions, and feelings. At some point people have to realize dogs don't have the SAME feelings and emotions that we do.. 

I know this is taking it to an extreme but I just can't stand people making excuses for their dogs behavior and passing it off as them having "feelings" they allow them to try to eat people basically and causes the dog to get deemed vicious or put down. They breed them and pass it on to their offspring (you can't pass on feelings so yes these things are genetic), people pick a puppy and ignore obvious bad signs from the parents being aggressive because they think the parents are showing their emotions and then make excuses as that puppy grows into a very unstable dog because of being humanized far too much.

Again I reiterate I'm all for spoiling rotten so long as people don't make excuses thinking they are helping their dog when it's really hurting them by allowing them to do certain things.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I'd really recommend that everyone who hasn't yet done so should read the book I linked to.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

there is no doubt in my mind they have feelings and emotions. i just think they have them on a different level from us. We've all seem that sad look they get when they really REALLY want something and get told no. They pout. I do believe they hold grudges as evidence from Riley's issues with St. Bernards because of the bad one he met when he was younger. They feel loss when they lose something they love. I most certainly believe they feel anger and jealousy. Short answer, yes, i believe they feel emotions and have feelings.


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

Regarding holding grudges: There was two yellow labs at the dog park who played together all the time, Jessie and Sara. They had a tiff about some little thing; it didn't amount to much, but they were both mad and wouldn't play together anymore. When Sara came in, Jessie would look away and stare out at the horizon, ignoring her former playmate. Not sure whether they ever did make up.


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

Bridget said:


> Regarding holding grudges: There was two yellow labs at the dog park who played together all the time, Jessie and Sara. They had a tiff about some little thing; it didn't amount to much, but they were both mad and wouldn't play together anymore. When Sara came in, Jessie would look away and stare out at the horizon, ignoring her former playmate. Not sure whether they ever did make up.


I too think that dogs hold grudges, but not for very long though! A few months ago Nero had a slight ear infection so we took him to the vets, And his vet had given him a shot of antibiotics, and had given us some anti-fungal ear drops. Well trying to give Nero these ear drops twice a day was a nightmare! It took me and my fiancee to keep hold of him to stop him from running away! Once we had hold of him I had to apply 6 drops to each ear, After I had finished giving him the drops he would totally blank me for a few hours, as if I was contageous!! Ha ha... His ear infection cleared after about 4days..


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> I'd really recommend that everyone who hasn't yet done so should read the book I linked to.


That was an really great book, very much worth reading!


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## VomBlack (May 23, 2009)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> I'd really recommend that everyone who hasn't yet done so should read the book I linked to.


It's an excellent book, i'm a big fan of her stuff.


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

VomBlack said:


> It's an excellent book, i'm a big fan of her stuff.


Name of book again?


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

Whoops! Amazon.com: For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend (9780345477149): Patricia B. McConnell: Books


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