How do dogs think?

Answer 1

Interesting question.

Dogs, while very intelligent, have a short association period -- that is, the period of time that you can praise or correct a dog after a behavior is very short. You cannot correct or praise a dog for something it did ten minutes ago, as it will not associate the correction/praise with the behavior.

Some people (like my aunt) say that dogs don't "love". I disagree! I think dogs love their families very much. Dogs also think in terms of hierarchy -- who's on top, and who's on the bottom of the totem pole is important to a dog. This hierarchy is what people are referring to when they talk about the dog knowing "his place", or being "top dog".

Dog psychology is far more complicated than I can explain on this board, and I am also not an animal behaviorist, but I hope I may have given you the answer you are looking for.

Answer 2

Dogs think in pictures. These wonderful creatures have no verbal language as do humans, but communicate via odour, body language, projection of pictures to either other dogs or humans. There is also a mental empathy with the owner(s), which the dog picks up telepathically. There is another means of communication and that is emotional tone. If you convey anger the creature understands immediately. The same goes with all the other human emotions. Love is the most powerfull emotion of all any any pet with respond to that too of course.

Answer 3

well, my dog clearly thinks you can see when he knows hes being talked about- even if we don't say his name, and if you are talking directly to him he will look at you and move his head from side to side and wiggle his eears about like he is really trying to work out what you are saying to him. We've had him for 6 months and at 3 yrs he has now learnt; sit, stay, drop and his name for the first time. Dogs are bright, but they do need instant gratification in order for it to seem worth their while- if they don't think they are getting anything for it they won't learn. They live in packs in the wild and lots of their behaviour comes from their pack mentality, and this is why a dog without clear leadership can have problems, he comes to think he is ine charge of his human 'pack' and thus gets anxious when they leave the house etc as they can't look after their pack, a pack leader sould be able to come and go as they please. If you take your dog to the park and they sniff right round the outskirts that is your dog checking up on how safe the area is for his pack to be in!

Answer 4

With their brain!!
Cesear Millan says they go Nose, Eyes, Ears ( I think that's the right order).
Bed Fogle has a good book, called The Dog's Mind.

Answer 5

I don't know how much they actually ' think ' alot of what they do is thru instinct, and react according to how they have been taught.. I don't think they sit around and ponder things like people do.. They get quick thought about what they should do next.. get a drink, chew the remote, ask to go out, but no real decision making thought going on..

Answer 6

a minute to us is 7 minutes to a dog that is why when you tell them off they don't know why. because whatever they did a dog would think it had been done ages ago.

Answer 7

Same as most animals, imo. As long as they are feed properly and looked after they are loving and loyal. A mistreated dog does not like human company. xxxx

Answer 8

They don't, they act on instinct. Dogs can't reason and they don't remember like humans do. Never think of your dog as a person or ascribe human thoughts or emotions to them.

Answer 9

In the same way as any other mammal, although obviously their thoughts are in feelings and proposed actions and not in a language, unlike most of us humans.

Answer 10

With their brains, just like us, only some of them are a lot more intelligent than some of us.