Proof we should be electing dogs to congress. On Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 2:23 PM, Cold Water <[email protected]> wrote:
> Sent to you by CW via Google Reader: > > > via *YOUR NEW > REALITY<http://yournewreality.blogspot.com/2008/12/do-dogs-keep-mental-shit-lists-in-yet.html> > * 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?'<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/14/AR2008121401911_pf.html>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 > <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/14/AR2008121401911_pf.html>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<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1379196/Sleeping-cat-suffocates-baby.html>. > 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-lists-in-yet.html > *<http://yournewreality.blogspot.com/2008/12/do-dogs-keep-mental-shit-lists-in-yet.html> > > ** > > > > > > > > > > -- *~@):~{> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
