Opinionated Dogs

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296 – May, 2022

By Chris Robinson

For generations, scientists and philosophers believed dogs couldn’t think beyond their food dish. They believed, and many still do believe, that the ability to think outside the box is a human trait. They were willing to concede that dogs might be concrete thinkers–they know that the leash means they’re going for a walk or, in the case of hunting dogs, boots and a shotgun mean they’re going hunting–because concrete thinking is a “what you see is what you get” school of thought and what we rely on for everyday tasks and assessments. It’s what you can see, hear, feel and experience in the present.

Abstract thinking, on the other hand is the ability to comprehend concepts that aren’t directly tethered to concrete, physical objects or experiences but are ‘invisible’ such as wisdom or strength. Included in abstract thinking would be the ability to form opinions. All of these are considered to be part of higher-order reasoning, something of which dogs are incapable, according to most biological scientists.

To these scientists, I say “Bushwa,” or, perhaps since I get to choose what particular disbelief expletive to use, one that’s a bit stronger and also begins with the letter “B.” What’s more, I wish these same scientists would convince my dogs that they’re incapable of anything as abstract as forming an opinion because I’ve known a LOT of very opinionated dogs in my lifetime–both mine and those belonging to others–and their opinions have not always been compatible with what I or their owners wanted them to do.

Let’s take, for example, sandhill cranes. All of my Chesapeake Bay Retrievers through seven generations have absolutely loathed them and every one of them instantly formed that opinion the first time they were sent to retrieve one. They all happily ran out to where the bird was located but then, like a reining horse on a sliding stop, hit the brakes the second they actually saw what they were supposed to pick up. Most of them danced around the bird for awhile occasionally poking it with their noses despite being thoroughly force-broken. But, pick it up? Fagetaboutit!

Click here to read the complete article
296 – May, 2022

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Posted by AnthonyA on May 24 2022. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.