So what do dogs really think? Truth is, there is an awful lot that we don't know about canine psychology. This fact, together with longstanding myths about dogs, their behaviour and training, means that there are many misconceptions about our furry friends.
In his book Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do, Marc Berkoff explores the current scientific knowledge about dogs' psychology and emotions, busting a few myths along the way. Psychology today looked at a few of them:
Dogs live in the present: Sometimes this is uttered as a scientific fact; sometimes it is an anodyne cliche about how “zen” dogs are — happy with the here and now, and not always fretting like we do about what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow. Either way, it isn’t true. We know from a range of studies that dogs anticipate and plan for the future, and have thoughts about and memories of the past. Anyone who lives with a dog rescued from an abusive or neglectful home knows this well: Past experiences shape who a dog is, and trauma leaves a mark.
Dogs love us unconditionally: The problem with this statement is that it gives the impression that love is a one-way street, and our dogs love us no matter who we are, what we do, or how poorly we treat them. Actually, no: Dogs have conditions, just like we do.
All dogs need is a soft bed and food in a bowl: A soft bed and nutritious and tasty food are essential basics. But dogs need a lot more from us. Dogs rely on us for intellectual and emotional stimulation and social support. To really give our dogs what they need, we must understand who they are! We need to try to see the world from a dog’s perspective so that we can provide them with an interesting and meaningful life. As a small example, we may think of a dog walk as providing physical exercise to keep our dogs fit and slim. But dogs also need to be able to exercise their senses, particularly their sense of smell. On average, a dog will spend about one-third of her time sniffing, if given the choice. So we might consider making about one-third of each dog walk about letting our friend explore with his or her nose.
You shouldn't hug a dog: An article in the New York Times claimed that hugging dogs makes them uncomfortable and can increase the risk of bites, especially for children. Fine. This much is true: Some dogs don’t like to be hugged, and we should respect their personal space and find other ways to show our affection. The problem, according Bekoff, is that the take-home message of “don’t hug” only applies to some dogs.
Other dogs DO like to be hugged, and some like to be hugged under certain circumstances but not others, or by certain people but not others. There is no such thing as "The Dog," and we can’t generalize about what dogs like and don’t like, because each one is a unique individual. Know your dog.
How many of these myths had you heard before? If dogs could talk, what do you think they'd say about it? Scroll down to enjoy the rest of the tweets, and let us know what you think in the comments!
