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The Introspective Pet: Part 1

Archived in Philosophy, Pets | No Comments

I was reading through some of the recent posts on this blog and I was inspired by a piece put together by Liz on RELATIONSHIPS and PETS. I, myself, am a dog owner, companion to a mooch of a retriever who inspires me to walk the local trail system with great frequency. The concept of PETS as a philophical concept have let me to explore a few topics, specifically:

  • PHILOSOPHY of the Puppy Mind
  • The Problem of Pet Ownership
  • The Poetic Life of Pet People

My plan, as it stands, is to put together some personal thoughts on each of these topics as I have the TIME. Enjoy.

PHILOSOPHY of the Puppy Mind

When one considers the problem of the so-called ‘thinking dog’, I really believe one usually falls into the trap of personification. That is, we attribute our own knowledge of ourselves and our own mental processes to the familiar behaviors of our canine companions. But how far is that true? How far can we take the idea that a dog exhibiting a behaviour in our company is ‘thinking’ — as opposed to the more likely reality, that we are interpretting those behaviours as ‘thinking?’

Stanley Coren speaks to one possibility, and does so much more ellegantly than I do here. The PHILOSOPHY of the dog mind as a comparison to the Turing machine: a computer intellegence test one might administer to enlighten the tester as to the relative ‘humanity’ of a blind subject. That is, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck — well — it’s a duck. A tester separated from two test subjects is provided information that (should theoretically) only allow them to know the responses to the tests, and not the nature of the test subjects. From those responses, if the tester can distinguish between the two subjects, then a difference exists. And vice versa, if the tester cannot distinguish between the two subjects, then no difference exists. In other words, applied to the turing test of dog intellegence, if a test is administered to a dog and a human, and if the responses are identical, then we should consider the subjects equivalent, at least in terms of the process that led to the reponse. Thus, a thinking response froma human implies a thinking response from a dog.

I’m not sure I’m fully ready to make that leap. There is a factor that has not been considered yet: the theory of mind approach to understanding dog behavior, even if that behaviour is identical to our own indistiguishable in a turning test, is based on the assumptions that (a) there is only one path to exhibiting that behaviour from a given response and (b) the motivations behind the response are identical in a thinking, analytical mind as opposed to a behaviour-response driven mind (ie, a human mind versus a dog mind).

So what is a puppy thinking? Chances are, not as much as you.

What we call puppy affection and love, may simply be a survival instinct: please the one who is in charge.

What we call cunning and trickery, may merely be the result of learned signal accuity: watch for X before attempting Y for the best chance of success.

What we call an intelligent approach to a novel situation, may be the compound interest of experience cashing in: adaptability is an evolutionary advantage.

How Dogs Think: What the World Looks Like to Them and Why They Act the Way They Do How To Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication Why We Love the Dogs We Do: How to Find the Dog That Matches Your Personality The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Events

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Pets Now, Kids Later?

Archived in Relationships, Pets | No Comments

A pet is a serious responsibility. I can’t stress that enough. Here’s what I had to say to a girl who emailed me about a looming decision.

Dear Liz,

My fiancé and I are thinking about getting a dog. We think it would be good ‘training’ for a child, when someday we plan to have kids. Is this a good idea, and how do you think it will affect our relationship?

Pooched in Ponoka

Dear Pooched,

Let me first say that a pet — especially a dog or a cat — is a serious responsibility. As a canine owner I have very strong feelings about the physical and emotional care of any animal, and while I respect your decision to adopt a furry friend, let me first add a few words of caution.

First, you didn’t mention if you are waiting until after you are married. Many couples are adopting PETS prior to marriage. While this isn’t quite as bad as with a child, a break up (amicable or not) can leave a pet stranded between two broken-hearted individuals who don’t want a reminder (or the responsibility) of lost love. I may sound old fashioned here, but wait until you tie the knot officially. A pet needs a happy, healthy home, too.

Second, I’m always a little bit leary when couples approach the pet decision as a kind of pre-baby training course. When a baby comes you’re going to have plenty of practice, and believe me: you’re comparing apples and oranges. A dog or a cat is nothing like a child and too many people adopt a pet thinking the novelty will never wear off. PETS can be messy and needy — and they will always need you to look after them lest they suffer through their innocent lives. On the other hand, a child grows up, learns, and goes through changes that make them dynamic individuals with new challenges every day. A dog will love you forever, but a dog’s life is pretty routine.

I suppose my point is this: if you think you’re going to learn something about yourself or your future spouse by becoming the caregiver to an animal, well… you’re probably right. Just make sure it’s the correct lesson: not the lesson that you’re a bad pet owner.

-Liz

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