Comments on: Name that emotion … dogs have them, too http://www.ohmidog.com/2009/05/17/name-that-emotion-dogs-have-them-too/ a site for dog lovers Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:21:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: LabradorArt http://www.ohmidog.com/2009/05/17/name-that-emotion-dogs-have-them-too/comment-page-1/#comment-1320 LabradorArt Tue, 19 May 2009 20:21:35 +0000 http://www.ohmidog.com/?p=8850#comment-1320 "They can't sin because they don't behave in ways that are contrary to what is right for them." What a lovely way to put it -- something new for me and I am glad to have read this comment. Thanks Anne-n-Spencer! No new idea for me that dogs feel emotions. Perhaps different from ours and with a different basis, but emotions nonetheless and just as important to them in their little lives as ours are to us. And not just dogs -- most animals too. “They can’t sin because they don’t behave in ways that are contrary to what is right for them.”
What a lovely way to put it — something new for me and I am glad to have read this comment. Thanks Anne-n-Spencer!
No new idea for me that dogs feel emotions. Perhaps different from ours and with a different basis, but emotions nonetheless and just as important to them in their little lives as ours are to us. And not just dogs — most animals too.

]]> By: Anne-n-Spencer http://www.ohmidog.com/2009/05/17/name-that-emotion-dogs-have-them-too/comment-page-1/#comment-1310 Anne-n-Spencer Sun, 17 May 2009 23:41:34 +0000 http://www.ohmidog.com/?p=8850#comment-1310 It's a great article. Since I'm a firm believer in evolution and natural selection, I have to wonder if we've managed to pick up any desirable traits from our dogs. I still think their emotions are somewhat different from ours and are motivated by different--well, different triggers, perhaps. That's not to say they're inferior or "lower." Just different. Theologically, I've always thought of dogs as being a bit like the old-fashioned idea of angels--beings of a different sort who can serve as messengers. Certainly they have a lot to teach us. Each dog (well, each dog who hasn't been too badly damaged by humans) occupies his own niche in the creation and behaves as if he had the perfect right to be here--which in fact he has. They can't sin because they don't behave in ways that are contrary to what is right for them. They share that in common with other animals. They are whole and perfect in ways that we can't be. (On an off-topic, we've been in Philadelphia this weekend exhibiting at the Philadelphia Trunk Show. Not only was it completely dog-friendly with the exception of a few flower borders, but the PSPCA was there in force with some wonderful dogs. Two found forever homes on Saturday. It was great!) It’s a great article. Since I’m a firm believer in evolution and natural selection, I have to wonder if we’ve managed to pick up any desirable traits from our dogs. I still think their emotions are somewhat different from ours and are motivated by different–well, different triggers, perhaps. That’s not to say they’re inferior or “lower.” Just different.

Theologically, I’ve always thought of dogs as being a bit like the old-fashioned idea of angels–beings of a different sort who can serve as messengers. Certainly they have a lot to teach us. Each dog (well, each dog who hasn’t been too badly damaged by humans) occupies his own niche in the creation and behaves as if he had the perfect right to be here–which in fact he has. They can’t sin because they don’t behave in ways that are contrary to what is right for them. They share that in common with other animals. They are whole and perfect in ways that we can’t be.

(On an off-topic, we’ve been in Philadelphia this weekend exhibiting at the Philadelphia Trunk Show. Not only was it completely dog-friendly with the exception of a few flower borders, but the PSPCA was there in force with some wonderful dogs. Two found forever homes on Saturday. It was great!)

]]> By: Mary Schmidt http://www.ohmidog.com/2009/05/17/name-that-emotion-dogs-have-them-too/comment-page-1/#comment-1309 Mary Schmidt Sun, 17 May 2009 12:22:07 +0000 http://www.ohmidog.com/?p=8850#comment-1309 Going to read the Denver Post article as soon as a get a chance....I was waiting for someone to write a comment about the kind of emotion displayed by the dog in NYC who refused to leave his mother's side and tried to protect his mother from strangers. What would we call it if a human had risked injury to divert traffic from an injured parent? Filial love? Loyalty? Courage beyond fear? Going to read the Denver Post article as soon as a get a chance….I was waiting for someone to write a comment about the kind of emotion displayed by the dog in NYC who refused to leave his mother’s side and tried to protect his mother from strangers. What would we call it if a human had risked injury to divert traffic from an injured parent? Filial love? Loyalty? Courage beyond fear?

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