DOGS ARE NOT 'DUMB ANIMALS'!
The term 'dumb animal' was used centuries ago by people who had little or no understanding of other living creatures. This primitive notion has persisted for too long in what purports to be a 'civilised', society.
It should be consigned firmly to the dim and distant past, as it has no place in the modern world.
Over recent years, scientific research has exploded the 'dumb animal' myth once and for all. There is now evidence to show that:
Dogs do not see in just black and white, they see in colour
(although a different spectrum to humans)
Their memories, like ours, are longer than a couple of hours!
They can recall events/experiences from the past -
and have dreams and nightmares about these.
Most recently, scientific researchers now have the evidence to show that dogs experience a range of complex, human-like emotions -
not just 'primary' feelings such as anger, anxiety and surprise, but 'secondary emotions', such as jealousy, guilt and pride. So we now know that dogs experience a range of emotions closer to those of humans than was previously thought possible.
Humans share 75% of their gene pool with dogs,
so perhaps it is not so surprising after all………….
There are 2 major differences between dogs and humans, and many of the problems that arise can be put down to ignorance and lack of understanding on the part of the dog owner.
The first difference is perception. Humans think and act in terms of equality, whereas the dog views the world in terms of hierarchy
(as in the pack hierarchy).
The second difference is language and communication:
Humans communicate first and foremost with spoken word and sound, with body language secondary. Dogs, on the other hand, communicate through body language, with sound secondary.
Dogs' body language is complex and subtle, as their senses are far more highly developed and refined than those of humans. To the dog, we must appear very dull - and dumb - animals indeed.
Good examples are the seizure alert dogs, who warn people living with epilepsy that a seizure, or fit, is imminent. The dogs are able to detect the signs, and give the warning 20-40 minutes before the event.
No technology can match that.
It has now been discovered that some dogs have the ability
to detect early signs of cancer in people.
Research is ongoing as we still don't fully understand the level at which these remarkable creatures function, but one thing is abundantly clear - society needs to update its perception, and treatment of the dog.
