Can dogs think creatively?
By Insiteful
@Insiteful (49)
United States
February 9, 2007 10:04am CST
I recently had an interesting run in with my dog. He is a Greyhound, not that that matters. We were playing catch in the park in the deep snow at the time. He decided he liked to run into the woods at the top of the hill behind us, which I didn't like. So, I blocked the path up the hill with myself, throwing the ball down the hill, in the other direction. After a few tries at getting past me, I threw his ball down the hill and he went after it and starts back up. But, then dropped the ball into the snow and lost track of it. He looked and looked for it, glancing sadly up at me to come down and help him find it. Finally, I relented and waded through the snow all the way down the hill to help him find his lost toy. When I was about five feet from him, he lunged into the snow, and came up with the ball. Without a moments hesitation he took it and bolted up the hill, past where I had been posted and disappeared into the woods. To make matters worse, when he got to the top of the trail, he stopped, set the ball down and looked at me, then picked up the ball and gleefully ran off into the trees.
It was so devious, but it made me really ponder his ability to think comceptually. What are your stories and how do you feel about this idea?
4 responses
@Indiffer (287)
• Norway
10 Feb 07
Incredible!
He knew exactly what he was doing!
I do think dogs are intelligent. And that they can figure out ways to trick even us humans. And tell us things we need to know too, i mean, its pretty amazing that a dog can tell you he wants to go out, and knows how to do it (run to you, then to the door, back to you again. Or bring you the waterbowl, please fill it!, when its empty. Or run away and hide when he has done something wrong, he knows and i think we give the dog too little credit for whats actually happen in his brain - i do not think we know half of it.
Our dog has kept an eye on our fouryearold since he came to our home two months old. If the child runs too far off, the dog will run forwards then stop right infront of the child, forcing him to stop. And stand there, keeping him standing still until i or the father arrive, i mean, how would the dog even think at such a young age, i need to look after this child hes wandering way too far off?
@Insiteful (49)
• United States
11 Feb 07
That sounds like quite a dog, and a god-send in relation to helping out with your young child.
So, this brings us to another point: If dogs are intelligent and can think, do other animals? Does a cow think? I have a friend who grew up on a farm and would swear their cows could think and react thoughtfully.
If a cow thinks, does it feel? If it thinks and feels, is it right to kill it? I am just curious as to your opinions on that, I have no agenda one way or another. Personally, I try to stay away from meat, but I admit to longing after a nice steak once in awhile!
So, here's the question: if farm animals can think, is it ethically acceptable to kill them?
@Indiffer (287)
• Norway
12 Feb 07
Cows and pigs - im willing to believe any animal can think one way or another, they just have a language we dont understand. Im not sure if i want to dive into this. Achristian would maybe say that human were set on top of the chain to be master of all animals. That we decide whether its food or not. I must admit i dont know what to say here.
Maybe others can give you some insightful answers on this.
@Insiteful (49)
• United States
13 Feb 07
I am not saying there is anything wrong with eating other animals - it is the way it has always been. But, I think we need to be more mindful of where that meat is coming from, and more respectful of the life that was lost to create it. I think people are too disconnected from the sources of their food. I also think that perhaps we need to change the way livestock is raised, not only for the animals sake, but for our own sake as well.
@Signal20 (2281)
• United States
9 Feb 07
LOL Sounds like he outsmarted you!!! Yes, I do think they have the potential to think creatively. I dont' think they think about the outcome or response of their actions like people do(or some of us anyway) Otherwise, my stupid dog wouldn't get into the trash or eat bread and stuff left on the counter. :)
@kerjostalit (196)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I think that it is possible. One time one of my dogs was playing catch and we threw her 2 toys. She kept looking back and forth trying to figure out which one to go and get. So she looks at the one that is the furthest out and runs and gets it, then she brought it to the second toy. Then she looked back and forth again and decided she would bring us the one that had been closest. So she did and then she immediatly ran back for the toy she had left behind. The whole time we could see the wheels in her head turning. They also do mischevious things all the time and I know they know what they are doing too!
@troulee (42)
• Italy
9 Feb 07
I don't know about dogs.. but my cat sometimes is quite incredible.. he learned to open 3 kind of doors at home!
Now he manges to open a sliding door (he uses his paw under it and with the nails he makes it slide away).. he opens a normal door jumping on the handler to make it open.. and now also teh main door.. he start pusing on the side of it untill it opens a few.. then with his paw he opens it enough to have his head and the body out :)
He even managed to open the window in the toilet! Quite hard to close him somewhere :)
