Dogspotting Society is a Facebook group dedicated to people sharing pictures of their dogs and connecting over their shared love for their pups (because no matter how big they grow, they will always remain puppies to us, won’t they?).
Essentially, it is an excellent place for doggo lovers to hang out and find like-minded people, so it is no wonder there are almost 1.3 million members on this Facebook group alone! The society also has three more groups on the same platform (Dogspotting, Dogspotting Media, and Dogspotting Court), its own website, Instagram, X (Twitter), Snapchat accounts, and an online merchandise shop.
According to the post author, the pup in the spotlight of this online Photoshop competition is a Great Pyrenees mix called Aspen. As the poster wrote in the post description, sometimes, this guy likes to sit like people.
Having captured one of these hilarious moments, the author shared it with fellow dog lovers in the Dogspotting Society Facebook group and encouraged them to do some editing magic to make things even more fun.
With how these four-pawed creatures like to act, we can’t help but wonder if they have a sense of humor. And to satisfy that hunger for knowledge, we went and did some research.
According to the American Kennel Club, there are theories suggesting that playfulness defines a sense of humor, and if that is the case, dogs definitely know what’s funny. An English scientist, Charles Darwin, who, among other notable things, looked for similarities between human and animal emotions, observed that dogs tend to play something akin to practical jokes, like waiting for their owner to come and take their stick just to run away with it at the last moment, repeating it over and over.
While there are plenty of studies showing that primates have a sense of humor, evolutionary biology scientists also tend to agree that most other animals share this quality too.
The article tells us that for animals who live or initially come from hierarchical packs, like primates and wolves, a sense of humor might actually be an evolutionary necessity. Some theorize that when an alpha growls, other dogs need to be able to “laugh it off” to avoid conflict.
It is difficult to say if dogs act silly to make us laugh. After all, it is a natural animal instinct to look out for one’s own survival first, so it would make more sense to assume that they do this to get attention.
When they get rewarded for it, pups learn that this behavior tends to result in a desirable response, and therefore, they do it again. But it is another question if they really understand why that said reaction happens.
But everything can be looked at from various angles. So, to get a perspective from another point of view, Bored Panda reached out to Julie C. Bond, M.S., who, being a biological psychologist and a certified animal behaviorist, is an expert on this topic.
Before we dove into our topic, we first wanted to learn more about Julie, who was very forthcoming: “I was always interested in devoting my life to animals, from the time my parents gave me my first Scholastic book about pandas, in fact!”
The psychologist first worked with exotic animals, publishing her research on cheetahs while studying, but after graduation, she moved to domestic animals. As time passed, this evolved into her own consulting business, where she now helps pet owners better understand their animals.
Julie tells us that she always had dogs around and currently lives with two: Ozzie, an 8-year-old rough collie, and Henley, an 8-month-old smooth collie pup! She also adds a fun fact about Ozzie, saying that “he is an 11th generation direct descendant of the original Lassie of movie and TV fame! And who doesn’t love Lassie?!”
To follow up on the dog topic, we asked the animal behaviorist about her expert opinion on why dogs tend to act silly. According to her, dogs, not unlike people, do behaviors that bring them attention and repeat that because they understand that this, what makes us laugh and brings joy, also earns them treats.
“Dogs don’t see their behavior as silly, they just see it as what they do, and if those behaviors like bowing, sitting up like a person, or turning in circles, bring us joy, they are happy to do them again and again, sometimes even exaggerating those behaviors to garner even more accolades,” Julie tells. She also adds that she always thought dogs have a sense of humor and more: “They also have grace, experience sorrow, and know the value of daily meditation and exercise.”
When asked about what she would suggest to people wanting to improve their bond with their dog, the psychologist said that first, you have to understand them and learn more about their behaviors. “Spend time with your dog doing absolutely nothing. Try to see and experience the world the way they do. Stop moving. Take a deep sniff, close your eyes, embrace the moment. That’s the gift that dogs give us...the gift of living in the moment.”
Julie shares her wisdom, saying that we humans are usually too stressed, anxious, and in our own heads to notice the many ways in which these four-pawed buddies try to help us. “That nudge to play ball, grabbing their leash and reminding you it’s time for a walk, etc. are your dog’s way of saying, ‘Hey. Take a break. Let’s live this moment together.’ Their lives are short, and what we can learn from them during their short time here is immeasurable.”
Putting down a final touch, Julie leaves us with some advice that underlines the importance of finding time to play, train, and simply spend time with your dog daily: “Just spending 5 minutes a day teaching your dog tricks, for example, will not only boost your serotonin levels, it will boost your dog’s as well. Be good to each other and reap the rewards of a lasting human-animal bond.”