Are dogs sentient?

Question

Are dogs sentient -are they conscious of self- ? I've been looking around but haven't come across substantial literature on this subject.

The reason I am asking this is a philosophical one, because the lack of sentience will rule out even the ever so slight possibility of a soul, and my dog just died. But please keep to the biological aspect, and let me make the theological assumptions myself.

Answer 1

Maybe they do not have the same consciousness of self we have but as a pet owner I can tell you my dog knows he's here and wants me to know it, too. I am sure the opinions will vary from person to person and experience to experience. But I feel that they are quite sentient in their own right.

Answer 2

I think "consciousness of self" is difficult to measure. Positron Emission scans have suggested that dog's brains are stimulated by inputs that refer to themselves in the same way human brains are. For example, a dog who is given a rag heavily scented with her own scent has much the same brain response as what we have when we see a picture of ourselves.

We have to remember that while we use sight as the primary sense, and smell is much less important to us, with dogs it's the other way around. Smell is the primary sensory input and sight is just for confirmation.

I have read that the European Union has recently legislated that quadrupeds are sentient beings and are to be treated with the same care we give to each other. Not to take an injured dog to the vet is a crime.

Anyway, I know Muffin is self-aware. I have watched her reason things out and remember where she put objects she needs later. She has her favorite music and she organizes her toys in a certain order. She isn't happy unless things are in the right places, and I consider that an aspect of self-awareness.

So it may be partially a matter of projection and anthropomorphism--a personal faith, if you will. But then she will do something that amazes us, and we agree she is sentient enough for us.

Answer 3

The owner of the dog needs to know how to "operate" the dog, same way you can get into a car that's in perfect running order but if you don't know how to drive you won't have much luck making the car go anywhere. If the owner doesn't know how to maintain the training, the dog will soon become untrained again. Read more here https://tinyurl.im/IGIJq

People seem to think that once a dog is trained, that's it. Not true. You must reinforce the dog's training every single day in some way. It's best if the owner and the dog go together to get trained. As a professional trainer once said to me "We can train any dog in 2 days. It takes longer to train the owners

Answer 4

Dog training techniques are as controversial as abortion, Palestine and Bill O'Reilly. But, which dog training techniques can you trust to get you out of the dog house? It will help if you think about dog training techniques as being in one of two categories: balanced and imbalanced.

The discussion about which dog training technique to use when training a dog is one that resembles a discussion between an Israeli and a Palestinian. Each one seems absolutely certain of their position and is more than ready to vilify those who don't share their views on dog training. But, if you look at dog training techniques and methods and evaluate their worth and effectiveness based on whether the approach is balanced, it's a lot easier to weed out the garbage.

For the most part, trainers and their methods fall into two main categories. Those who do not use a physical consequence as a deterrent and those who do. There are many variations in the methods used by different trainers however, almost all trainers fall into one category or the other. Some trainers use food as a reward and never allow the dog to experience a negative consequence for a poor choice. Other trainers afford the dog the opportunity to experience a consequence for making poor choices.

The Use Of Food:

Using food is great in the sense that you will probably have a very happy dog on your hands when he realizes that the training comes with an all-you-can-eat buffet. However, using food to train your dog has some pitfalls we think you should be aware of.

Food is great if you just want to impress your guests with a couple silly pet tricks but, in the real world, your dog will probably be much more interested in chasing the cat than hanging around to get your silly, dry biscuit. So, if you are using food as the primary or sole motivator, you're in for some disappointment when it comes time for your dog to perform in the real world.

Strictly Positive Reinforcement:

It is not difficult to find trainers who will tell you they use a kinder, gentler method than those used by consequence and reward trainers. They will tell you that your dog will be emotionally destroyed by the use of correction as a deterrent. Their goal is to sell you on their loving approach to dog training. They would have you believe that their method is much better than those old, barbaric correction methods.

If you try to train your dog with a method of training that is as imbalanced as this, you will be in for some serious disappointments. Sure, it sounds like a great idea; training your dog and never having to correct him for making a poor choice. Never having to do the very thing you like doing the least. However, no matter how distasteful the concept of physical consequence is to you, it is necessary if you want a really good dog. You cannot consistently praise a dog when he does something right and never give him a consequence for doing something wrong, and expect him to turn out balanced.

Consequence And Reward:

In some cases, dog training methods that involve physical consequence as a deterrent cause additional problems. Not by virtue of the fact that the dog received a physical consequence for his poor choice, but because the training was too harsh, improper, or the balance between consequence and reward was not achieved. A bad trainer can destroy any good training system. It is far from true that methods using consequence as a deterrent will result in a fearful dog. It all depends on the skill of the trainer, the manner in which the dog is corrected and the balance between consequence and reward.

Dog training techniques and methods that use a healthy balance between consequence and reward are without doubt, the most effective, healthy training techniques you can use. It is important to remember that consequence in NEVER connected to emotion while reward is always given with sincerity and love.

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Answer 5

" Responsive to, or conscious of sense impressions ". I would say so. Conscious of self? We do not know, yet, but work is going on here. Let me personally assure you of that fact.