Do dogs believe in us?

[Tomef]

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?

 

[ChristineM]

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?

You're leader of the pack.

 

[Tomef]

You're leader of the pack.

Hey don’t put that kind of responsibility on me. What if I can’t come up with the bones/sausages? I’d rather be a deity, deities can do mysterious **** then someone will write a book to explain it away as ineffable. Ineffable means they still like you when there are no sausages.

 

[ChristineM]

Hey don’t put that kind of responsibility on me. What if I can’t come up with the bones/sausages? I’d rather be a deity, deities can do mysterious **** then someone will write a book to explain it away as ineffable. Ineffable means they still like you when there are no sausages.

Maybe pack leader is a deity to a dog, who knows how they see things...
When the magic runs out and you don't come up with the goodies they'll pick a new deity who can ;-)

 

[Secret Chief]

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?

It adds up to being that dogs are an intelligent species of mammal. Like humans are, but they're not destroying the biosphere.

 

[Tomef]

It adds up to being that dogs are an intelligent species of mammal. Like humans are, but they're not destroying the biosphere.

I think the idea that humans started imagining invisible beings via being able to think about and picture people who weren’t present makes some sense. I find it interesting that dogs seem to have a similar ability.