In the News: Tails of Marin
Yes, Animals Have Emotions -- Lots Of Them
By Trish King
Not too long ago, I received a call from a person who wondered whether animals had emotions. He had a bet going with a friend who thought that dogs — and other animals — didn't feel anger, sorrow or worry.
This attitude is not new. In the 1600s, philosopher René Descartes argued that all animals were just machines that acted upon instincts. Not only did he believe they had no emotions, he also believed they could not feel pain, and he summarily discarded any evidence to the contrary. His views were widely accepted at the time and his influence can be felt all the way to the present, which makes some sense of the prevalence of animal experimentation and factory farming.
Since that time, innumerable people, scientists included, have attempted to find out what animals do experience. Not surprisingly, research is showing that they experience all of the same emotions we do at a different level. In fact, it's quite possible that animals’ emotions are more intense as they don't have our ability to reason, which can sometimes mitigate raw feelings.
Happiness, anger, anxiety and fear are basic emotions and dogs certainly feel those. What about remorse, guilt, sadness or love? Certainly many of my clients are positive that their dogs feel "guilty" when they have done something wrong. This may well be; after all, guilt is a learned emotion. Small children don't think there's anything wrong with drawing on the kitchen wall until a parent tells them there is. Subsequently, the children will feel guilty if and when they give in to the temptation. If you think about it, guilt is actually a form of anxiety.
Most aggression is actually anxiety based. Dogs who display aggression by barking and lunging are telling others to go away because they are afraid and anxious. Some aggression crosses the boundary from anxiety to fear to absolute terror. Dogs who have experienced trauma in their early life can develop severe problems they might never be able to get over. For instance, a dog who was struck by a broom as a puppy may always be frightened of a broom in someone's hand.
Anger does occur in dogs, but it's not as common as anxiety or fear. Dogs might get angry when they believe their precious resources are being threatened, or that another dog has invaded their space. In such instances, dogs will stare straight at their opponent and display their canines in a show of strength. If pushed, they might bite.
Many a guardian knows without a doubt that their dog feels sadness and grief. Pets experiencing loss may lose their appetite, become listless or search through the house endlessly. The loss could be of another dog, a cat, a human or other creature. Most of the time, grief disappears after several days, but sometimes it can change a dog's personality permanently.
As for the grandest of emotions, a vast store of anecdotal information exists about the love dogs have for their guardians. Like the other emotions, there is little scientific proof that dogs "love" us — but then there is little scientific proof that we love each other!
Happy dogs need no description — they look, well, happy! Wagging tails, open mouth, ears back — just happy! Which, of course, is how we want our dogs to be as much of the time as possible.
Trish King is the director of behavior and training at the Marin Humane Society.
Tails of Marin appears every Saturday in the Home & Garden section of the Marin Independent Journal
