How Do Our Pets Perceive Us?

[Lightkeeper]

We think we humans are so superior, but wouldn't it be possible that our pets and even the wild animals perceive us as just another animal? How do you think your pets perceive you. Do they just play the game of being submissive to us? What do you think the animals in the wild think of us?

 

[Circle_One]

What do you think the animals in the wild think of us?

Mmmmmm...Lunch! :biglaugh:

 

[Feathers in Hair]

I truly love the old joke about how dogs percieve us versus cats. The dog thinks "This creature brings me food and water, makes sure I'm adored every day, and keeps me warm. They must be God!" The cat thinks "This creature brings me food and water, makes sure I'm adored every day, and keeps me warm. I must be God!"

I think most of the creatures regard us as other creatures. (And maybe we are. I'm sometimes not too sure ) Many of my pet rabbits have 'adopted' me, and started grooming me as if I were another rabbit. The ferrets try to lure me into their ferret-games, and get annoyed when I won't/ can't crawl under the sofa with them. I do feel that certain critters regard us as inferior, though, but that's mostly from the 'sensation' I get from them.

 

[Sunstone]

How does TVOR's dog perceive TVOR when TVOR puts on purple socks, then dresses his dog in matching purple booties? I know of no scientific method of investigation that could possibly answer that question. How can we possibly know what goes through the mind of a dog? It's a mystery how our pets perceive us. Almost as great a mystery as why TVOR wears purple socks.

 

[robtex]

My dog buddy thinks we are all in some sorta wof-dog pack. He eats with my bro and me sleeps in our beds and won't lay more than 20 feet from us if he is able to . He feels he has full rein of the house and wanders all around it all day long. He wakes us up to go potty in the backyard or when he wants to be fed or watered. Very interative with the both of us.

 

[Quoth The Raven]

My dog thinks I'm the centre of the universe, my cat thinks he's the centre of the universe, and I had a snake who didn't care what anyone's place was as long as he had a dead mouse on a regular basis and a warm rock to sleep on. Our other dog (my husbands) thinks she's in competition with me to be the Alpha female.She knows I'm above her in the pecking order, but she asserts herself in sneaky ways when she can.
She sees me as the only thing between her and sleeping every night on a queen size bed.

 

[michel]

Robtex, I think, has hit the nail on the head about dogs. Research by dog trainers tell us that dogs view humans from their own perspective, making no distinction because we are humans.

They regard us as they would their own 'familly', or pack as Robtex wrote.

We have a rescued dog that we adopted when she was a puppie; she sees me as the alpha male, my wife as the alpha female, and our sons as equals to her ( although slightly more senior because they are males); every so often, she will try to 'vie' for first position, ahead of my wife. She does'nt do that to me; to her, it is obvious that I am 'the boss' - and that's not because I treat her any differently than my wife does.

Cats - now there's a creature to contend with; I 'm sure they regard us with 'tollerance'; there are exceptions, of course.

 

[cardero]

How Do Our Pets Perceive Us?

With much understanding.

 

[Scuba Pete]

My cat thinks it wonderful that I am so trainable. She has taught me how to feed her, to turn the water on in the bath for her to drink (it has to be running), to let her out, er let her in, er let her out, er let her in... you get the picture.

 

[jewscout]

We think we humans are so superior, but wouldn't it be possible that our pets and even the wild animals perceive us as just another animal? How do you think your pets perceive you. Do they just play the game of being submissive to us? What do you think the animals in the wild think of us?

Wild animals>>Stop screwing everything up!

Pets>>Feed me now and then pet me! (at least that's the way my mom's cat Buddy is like)

 

[huajiro]

I actually read somewhere that dogs think of us as part of the pack, otherwise they would either fight with us, or flee.

I have a ginuea pig who is very, very spoiled. I am sure that she thinks that God put me on the planet to serve her.

 

[Lightkeeper]

I think dogs do think of us as part of the pack. I had never realized that before.

 

[Ceridwen018]

My horse loves me deep down, but sort of in that begrudging, old-man sort of way. To hide his affection for me, he puts on the ruse of thinking I'm a moron who doesn't know what the heck is going on--an assesment for which he has an embarrassing amount of evidence, hehe.

 

[Scuba Pete]

You mean he's sort of like Deut???

 

[Circle_One]

It's hard to explain how my cat perceives me. She's not your average, independant cat. My cat Isis is extremely dependent whereas other cats I've had have been that typical I-do-as-I-please sort. Isis, however, cannot do anything without me. She must constantly be around me or else she screams and cries until I find her and bring her to whereever I am in the house. She follows me around constantly, sits on the edge of the tub if I'm taking a bath and on the toilet if I'm taking a shower. She sits on my lap or my moniter when I'm on the computer and on my lap when I'm at the table eating supper. If I'm out, she lays on my bed and cries until I come home, when I go away for more than a day, people actually have to feed her in my room, on my bed, and bring the kitty litter in the room because she refuses to leave it until I return. If I go to bed without her in the room she will sit outside the door and scream for hours until I get up to let her in. She's a very odd feline.

 

[rivet]

A dog is basically a domesticated wolf. It sees you as part of the pack. I just read a short book by Desmond Morris on dog behavior.

Wild animals see you as a threat (hopefully, not a potential lunch).

 

[Master Vigil]

They perceive us as just what we are. Other animals. Some may think we are their pets, since we do whatever they want. But really, its quite simple. We are just other animals.

 

[kreeden]

We view the world using our own perspective , why would other animals be any different ?

If you act like prey , a preditor will view you as prey . As they say , sometimes you eat bear , sometimes the bear eats you . It doesn't much matter if you are human , cat , dog , squirrel , or moose . We view the world as we expect it to be . I have been getting very friendly with a flock of wild ravens . And it has been very interesting watching them interact with me . Basically , they see me as a source of food . But ravens are very competitive by nature . And very nervous by nature . I have two that will take food from my hand . One is a naster of snatch and fly . The fact that I'm there doesn't bother him much , but he still isn't going to hang around any longer then he has to . His mate is more cautious . It takes more couching , and she slowly hops closer . You can see it in their eyes . They really don't understand why I'm giving them food . It is so unRaven . Ravens will share food with others , but usually only after they fight over it . In time , they may accept me as a part of their flock , but I will always be the strange one .

 

[Ceridwen018]

As for the "dog treating you as one of the pack" idea goes, I would have to agree. My puppy's obedience trainer said that that's why he jumps on me and nips at me, because he considers me to be part of his 'litter', as in, his sister instead of his mom. I try to tell him that I am his mom, but he just laughs at me.

 

[kreeden]

Ceridwen , try holding him by the snout . Not tightly , but frim enough that he can't shake your hand loose . And just long enough to show him your displeasure . { your plam over the top } . It is the way a mother dog often shows displeasure .