Tomef
Well-Known Member
I have three dogs. When I’m not at home, or somewhere out of sight in the garden, they still believe I exist. My proof of this consists in:
- Observations of them waiting, e.g. on the windowsill, at times they expect me to get home.
- They look for me if I’m in the garden or orchard (etc).
- When I’m away for periods of weeks or more, the least demonstrative gives me a good licking when I get back (she never does that if I’ve just been to the shops), which I think demonstrates that she has awareness both of my absence and the fact that I still exist, despite being absent.
So, what does that all add up to? A doggy belief in a person who is not present? If so, what is it about? A kind of imprinted memory + expectation? Or something more?
- Observations of them waiting, e.g. on the windowsill, at times they expect me to get home.
- They look for me if I’m in the garden or orchard (etc).
- When I’m away for periods of weeks or more, the least demonstrative gives me a good licking when I get back (she never does that if I’ve just been to the shops), which I think demonstrates that she has awareness both of my absence and the fact that I still exist, despite being absent.
So, what does that all add up to? A doggy belief in a person who is not present? If so, what is it about? A kind of imprinted memory + expectation? Or something more?