Victoria
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Canine behaviour and developmentAdded to a recent issue of the Field, was a little book entitled Gundog Supplement 2007, sponsored by Beta. I cannot locate the names of the authors but one states and I quote 'it is my view that dogs do not experience any real thought pattern or emotions and know nothing of spite, guilt or anger'. Unquote. I cannot agree 
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.:HayleyH:.
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I totally agree with you Victoria! Thats so untrue!
Dogs totally feel emotions and know of guilt and anger, its downright cruelty to say they dont 
Think about it, it they didnt know what anger was, how do they know when they're getting shouted at?
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Victoria
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Thats a really good point, Hayley. Some say that we use human emotions to label dogs' responses but as pack animals they are going to know intimidation, dominance, submissiveness, etc, etc, etc; arent they???
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Britmania
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I think animals in general are not given enough credit by us humans.
Just because we communicate in a certain way that is different, does not mean that all other animals do not have feelings.
A classic example is saying dogs have no emotions.How do they know?
For all we know, dogs could be laughing at our stupidity while obeying our commands.
We humans have learnt to ignore body language between ourselves, so how can the majority of us understand the complexities of body movements, facial expressions and subtle voice calls.
You only need to sit quietly in the whelping kennel and observe the bitch interacting with her pups to see that communication is going on all of the time between the mother and her pups ,and between the pups themselves.
Puppy personalities emerge and how often can we pick the bossy pup or the clown of the group, or the shy one?
Isnt an aggressive dog picking a fight showing emotion?
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guy
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I am not sure we have lost the ability to do 'body language' Love is expressed more with the eyes than anything else is it not?
how about fear - i would go as far to say we humans can even 'smell' fear.
To say dogs cannot think...... only this evening Topaz saw Ellie coming back from a walk and went to meet her. this meant getting out of the house and garden and running up a farm track 100 yards. That required thought.
Whether a dog knows guilt - hard to tell - it will respond to our body language by dropping it's ears - but is that look guilt or appeasement?
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Victoria
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| guy wrote: | | Love is expressed more with the eyes than anything else is it not? |
Oh, Guy,please...  credit cards express love more than anything... 
As the owner assumes the role of the alpha animal in the pack, it would be supplication rather than guilt, I guess, if the human reacted in a forceful domineering manner.
I believe our canine companions are sassy, clever little beings who are so attentive to every move we make; they know what they're about and what is really scary, they know exactly what we're about! Which makes neglected and mistreated dogs even more tragic.
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Tache
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I think Tache displays guilt. I have walked into a room many a time and she's immediatly adopted a submissive stace( ears flat, slinking off towards her bed) my body language is netural because i am still unaware of the mischief she has been up to!!! It is then I look around to find out what she has done, its her body language that influences me!Yesterday she and the cat had been enjoying a packet of tescos finest sausages, they captured from the worksurface!!! 
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guy
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who knows what mayhem a packet of Tesco's sausages might have wrought if they had not been captured killed and dispatched.
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Tache
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Sausages escaping and their subsequent demise I can cope with. Its the soiled nappy dismembering and feasts on cat litter encrusted cat pooh that really makes me angry!! 
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guy
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Some time ago I had a workshop cat, who's trick, if you did not keep an eye on him, was to hop up onto the cooker and fish the bacon that was cooking from under the grill. That never amused me at the time as not much can beat a bacon sandwich mid morning.
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Victoria
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Very clever!!!
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Victoria
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Talking of body language, the author of the supplement has this to say and I quote,
'another equally important factor is his ability to read body language. Dogs must be able to do this as it is vital to their survival. They don't want to get into a fight because the risk of injury is too great....it could mean either an inability to hunt or exclusion from the pack because they can't support the group. Both are dire threats to their survival' unquote.
For the domestic dog especially the well cared for ones, you wonder if this instinct is exactly relevant. Mind you, I guess, the retrieve of a hunted bird or hare is presenting the alpha with food, isnt it? And thus, reinforcing their place in the pack?
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Tache
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I am sure that is why Tache behaved as she did with the sausages, she realises(is that guilt)?? she shouldnt be eating something before me and ment for me!
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