Anthropomorphic Thoughts

Have you ever wondered about how we, as people, are constantly giving our animals anthropomorphic features? In other words, we are constantly giving our animals human characteristics. For example, you might say that their dog is sad due to the  reluctant  eyes that watch you when you leave, or the fact that your dog won't leave its bed. The truth is these are just anthropomorphisms. We  do our best to infer what our dog feels, but we cannot be completely sure. These anthropomorphisms can lead to danger. For example, if we infer that our dog is sad or sick or even depressed, we try to help,maybe by giving medicine or pills. This can be fatal if our inferences are inaccurate. To understand the dog, we must forget about our anthropomorphic behavior and think about the dog's point of view. For example, take raincoats. If a dog will not go outside when it's raining, a person might infer that the dog does not like the rain. Of course, with the best intentions, the owner may buy the dog a raincoat. If the dog stands still with its tail between its legs, the owner might infer that the dog does not like the raincoat. You must see it from a dog's point of view to fully understand though. For example, in the wild, a dog (wolf) will stand over another to show dominance. This places pressure on the other dog. A raincoat an produce this same feeling, thereby making the dog feel like there is someone dominant around. This can make the dog stand still, as they do when frightened.


Sources:

Inside of a Dog

 by Alexandra Horowitz