Do you sometimes wonder what your four-legged friend is thinking about? It happens to me very often. Dogs’ thoughts arise in a slightly separate way than they do with humans. However, knowing that your little dog also has thinking abilities is essential.
Your dog can think, but not the way you think it is. The dog’s thoughts are not based on memories but create associations in his head caused by various situations, objects or people he meets. Your dog’s thoughts can be about positive as well as negative situations.
What will you learn from this article:
- Dogs think differently than humans.
- A dog’s thoughts come from memories and associations
- People, objects or situations can trigger associations
What is the dog thinking about?
Have you ever wondered what a dog is thinking? Looking into your thoughtful dog’s eyes, are you trying to guess what is in his mind? I’m sure you do; I do it a lot. My dog is my friend, and his approach to what surrounds him is fundamental to me.
The concept of thought is difficult to classify unequivocally. We cannot ask our four-legged friend what he is thinking about now—moreover, the question of whether dogs can think at all.
It is a fascinating topic. As a big lover of dogs and other animals, I am interested in how the pet brain works. It’s apparent that it certainly works a bit differently than it does for us humans. This difference makes animals and the possibility of living with them so fascinating.
Can the dog think?
First, I think it’s worth focusing on whether the dog can think. The answer to this question does not have to be evident to everyone. I’m sure you want to know what the reality is like.
Dogs can think, but it does so slightly separately from humans. However, their way of thinking is based on all sorts of associations. The way young children think is similar.
When the dog sees the bowl, it will think about the food because his brain has created this kind of association in this situation. The same is the case, for example, when your four-legged friend sees the leash or hears the word walk from you. An association will automatically arise in his brain that will tell him that soon he will be going outside.
We can’t deny that our dogs can create thoughts through their brains. It does not look exactly like human thought but is an essential canine quality.
I believe that dogs’ ability to think makes them so unique. It makes us feel so connected with our four-legged friend. We ensure they feel at their best because we know they are individual units. They have their character: several things make them happy or sad.
I watch my doggie’s behaviour a lot. I like to look at his reactions to certain situations. I wonder how he will react to the new experience and what he will think about it. As a dog lover, I’m sure you have the same thing about your four-legged friend. Our dogs are part of our family, that’s how we treat them, and they are equally important to us.
What is your dog thinking about?
Since we know dogs can think, you wonder what your pup thinks about. Of course, I suppose we’ll never know for sure. Reading people’s thoughts is impossible. With dogs, it also sounds quite unreal.
On the other hand, there are situations when knowing your pet well, we can predict with high precision what our puppy may be thinking. As a sitter, I am sure that you know your dog very well. You know his reaction to a given situation, what emotions they express then, and thus what they can think about a given topic.
Let’s now focus on how you can try to read your dog’s thoughts.
Can the dog remember?
The mind of dogs cannot melancholically recall people or situations that happened in their past life. If you think your dog is lying in his lair and reminiscing about your moments together, then, unfortunately, I must disappoint you. Dogs can’t remember the way you or I do.
However, this does not mean that dogs do not remember what they have experienced in the past. On the contrary, your dog has a perfect memory. Dogs have emotional memory. When they see or experience something that has already happened in the past and has had an enormous impact on them, they recall former feelings when the situation repeats itself.
I watched it myself, not with my doggy. Once, while walking together in the park, my four-legged friend got scared of another dog, who suddenly jumped at him from behind the bushes. Although he did not hurt him, this situation remained in the memory of my pet very much.
Every time I pass this place in the park, my pooch stops and closely watches the space around me. I am sure he is thinking about this event in his doggy way. It evokes negative associations in him and makes him wonder what he can do to prevent this situation from happening again.
This proves that dogs can remember, but not in the same way as humans. Nevertheless, every person who encounters a dog should bear this in mind. By hurting a dog in any way, you are not just affecting him now. This situation can stay with the dog for the rest of his life and evoke traumatic associations in him.
As I mentioned before, a dog’s thoughts come from associations in his head. Of course, they do not have to be associated only with adverse situations. I’m sure there are many positive associations in your dog’s mind.
Dog’s thoughts related to objects
When the dog sees his bowl, he begins to think about eating. It is a natural and the most understandable mechanism. Some dogs with a specific muzzle build may also show excessive drooling at this point.
Likewise, if the dog sees his leash, as soon as my dog sees me reach for his harness, he quickly stands at the exit door, waiting for a joint exit. The sight of the leash makes him think of a walk.
A dog’s thoughts also act comparably, not only when he sees something. This also applies when we say a word. When my dog hears the word walk, he knows exactly what to expect. Even if he can’t see the leash in my hand, just saying the word makes him jump joyfully.
Dog bowl |DELI jasmine
Your dog’s thoughts
Your doggy is capable of thinking. This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why we can form such a strong bond with our dogs.
What do you think your dog is thinking about? Please write me your guess in the comment below.
If you have any questions or want me to discuss a topic in the next post, share it with me in the comments section.
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