LOL! Kind of like the cat shitting in your shoes when you've been gone for a few days leaving it at home with the 'cat sitter'.!
On Dec 18, 1:35 pm, wncs <[email protected]> wrote: > Do Dogs Keep Mental Shit Lists? > > Of course!!! > During the summer and fall we had an old Mickey Mouse bubble container > on the back deck for the amusement of the dog and visiting kids. At > some point, it apparently fell off the railing and far down below into > the woods. I never saw it down below so it might have been under the > leaves. > Recently I let the dog out because I was cleaning the floors, and she > had to remain outside almost all day. She was rather insulted about > this arrangement, and kept trying to come in and was upset that I > wouldn't let her in. Finally I was ready to let her in and I opened > the front door, and there right on the porch in front of me was > Mickey's severed head. > You tell me that dog didn't know exactly what she was doing! > > On Dec 18, 3:23 pm, Cold Water <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Sent to you by CW via Google Reader: > > > via YOUR NEW REALITY by Darryl Mason on 12/18/08 > > > Do Dogs Keep Mental Shit Lists? > > > In yet another 'Did you have to actually do a study to know this?' study, > > researchers now believe that dogs can experience jealously, and even > > resentment : > > Do dogs feel envy? A provocative new study indicates that they do, making > > man's best friend the first species after humans and primates to appear to > > chafe at being treated unfairly. > > > Aside from offering the first scientific evidence supporting what many dog > > lovers take for granted, the finding adds to the growing body of literature > > suggesting that animals, including dogs, have much richer emotional lives > > and more sophisticated behavior than humans have traditionally believed. > > > "Traditionally?" I think they mean "religiously." > > > Before the new study, the only creatures other than humans for which there > > was evidence of anything similar to envy were monkeys and chimpanzees. When > > asked to return rocks to their keepers in exchange for a treat, for > > example, monkeys that got cucumbers essentially went on strike and started > > throwing the rocks and cucumbers at researchers if they saw other animals > > getting grapes instead. > > > Damn straight. They're lucky they didn't get handfuls of shit thrown at > > them. > > > "Every dog owner will tell you, 'Yes, of course my dog has this.' You see > > it a lot if you have two dogs. If you treat one differently, then the other > > one would get angry," she said. But demonstrating it in a careful study > > helps dispel lingering notions that dogs and other animals are capable of > > only the most basic emotions, she said. > > > "It's definitely very interesting, because it shows that dogs don't just > > have primitive feelings like 'I'm afraid' or 'I'm happy.' This is a more > > higher level, deeper and profound," she said. > > > What is a dog really thinking about its owner if it gets a smack? I'm > > sorry, I'm really, really sorry? Or is the dog's reaction more like, 'Oh > > yeah, I'm gonna get you buddy. Yeah, I'll wag my tail soon and slobber all > > over you, but I won't forget this. No way. Just when you need them the > > most, those good shoes in the cupboard are going to get a little deposit > > from me. Oh yeah, Mr Slappy Hands, just you wait.' > > > "As time goes on, we're collecting an astounding amount of information > > about the social skills that animals have for negotiating their social > > world," said Marc Bekoff of the University of Colorado, author of the > > forthcoming book "Wild Justice," about animal morality. Bekoff noted, for > > example, that mice have shown signs of empathy for other mice in danger, > > that elephants will go out of their way to care for other injured > > elephants, and that coyotes will ostracize other coyotes who play unfairly. > > "From an evolutionary point of view, there's very little that we have that > > other animals don't have. Do I think that dogs can be envious and show > > resentment and jealousy? Of course I think they can," Bekoff said. > > > The sense of envy probably evolved to help the animals cooperate and > > probably exists in other animals for which cooperation is important, such > > as wolves and perhaps dolphins, Range said. Understanding how animals > > cooperate provides insights into how cooperation evolved, she and others > > said. > > > Animals can feel and experience and presumably remember the sting of > > jealously, perhaps even get caught up in chilling thrill of envy. But can > > they plot revenge? > > > The whole story makes for a fascinating Sunday afternoon read. > > > It may also make you wonder about those occasional stories where animals > > kill children, like the one where a family cat suffocated a baby. What if > > the cat was insanely jealous at the new arrival getting all the attention, > > and knew exactly what it was doing? > > > The moral politics of dogs will be confusing enough, but are we ready to > > comprehend the mostly remorseless, unemphatic moral politics of cats? > > >http://yournewreality.blogspot.com/2008/12/do-dogs-keep-mental-shit-l...- > >Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
