13/11/2020
Spot on. 👏🏽 👏🏽
Anthropomorphising (attributing human characteristics or behaviour to a god, animals or objects).
A thought process that can cause us to misconstrue and make dangerous assumptions on how dogs think, feel and behave?
Or a way of empathising and understanding mans best friend?
Science once frowned on any type of anthropomorphising. It was seen as an attribution that had no place in science. But times have changed and many now see the benefits of putting ourselves in the shoes, or paws, of other animals. It allows us to empathise, to understand better and to start asking questions that hadn't been asked before. It was once believed that other animals (we are animals too) felt no emotion. Due to people attributing human emotions onto animals, more research was done and is continuing to be done, and we now know that other animals do feel emotions too. But anthropomorphism should create questions not answers. Because when we get it wrong, it can cause a host of problems and even become dangerous for the other animals we share our lives with.
Have you seen those cute little photos of dogs walking on their back legs for long periods down the street? We often find pleasure in seeing other animals behave more like humans but sadly, many of these dogs receive severe punishment to get them to perform for the tourists.
That look your dog gives you when you come home to chewed up furniture, an empty bin, or a poo on the floor. Studies have shown that's unlikely to be guilt. It's a look of appeasement, asking you to calm down, often a look of fear as they know your body language means your angry and may punish them.
When you see dogs hu***ng other dogs or people. It's often thought to be sexual or a dominance behaviour. In the human world this may be true but dogs will often do this when they are feeling frustrated, anxious and uncomfortable in a certain situation.
Hugging is another classic. Hugging is a very human thing, we have arms, it's a way of showing our affection. It's not a natural behaviour for a dog. That's not to say some dogs don't enjoy it but many find it uncomfortable and even scary. In fact the way we touch dogs often causes them distress when we are just trying to show them we love them.
So anthropomorphising can allow us to empathise, it can allow us to form stronger relationships, form stronger bonds and ask the right questions. But however much our role can be a parental one to our dogs, they are dogs,not people. They need us to learn their way of communicating, their way of doing things. They deserve to be respected for the unique, incredible species that they are.
The next time you see your dog doing something wrong or disgusting ask yourself is it? Or is it just your human way of thinking? I imagine they think were pretty weird and disgusting too 😉
