This empathy thing

[Nettle]

Following on from the MRI scan post, to see what areas of the dog's brain are activated in response to - anything, but I've made a new post so not to derail it.

Empathy. Dog owners have known it since for ever, but not so easy to accept for non-dog-owners, and the kind of people who think animals are just mobile furniture.

I have nightmares. When I have a particularly bad one, I am often woken up by my avatar lady licking my face.

When she has a bad dream, I wake her gently by talking to her (never touch a sleeping dog).

Do you think......? Are we?

[bendog]

If Ben is stressing he seems to calm if I put a hand on his back. If I'm I'll he won't leave my bed, even to go outside to the loo.

We might be two different species, but we are still both mammals, and have lived/evolved together for hundreds(thousands) of years. I think the "mobile furniture" brigade would do well to remember that. humans are just another animal after all.

What about empathy to other dogs too? When one of my cousins dogs was seriously ill his brother was gentle as anything and was bringing him toys to try and cheer him up.

Call me stupid but I see a lot of similarities between my dogs and my boyfriends 3 year old nephews in terms of emotional understanding, impulse control etc.

How do you know if she is having a bad dream though? I'm intrigued

[Nettle]

How do you know if she is having a bad dream though? I'm intrigued

By the quality of the vocalising. Little yips and woofs seem okay, but savage growling and snarling indicates a bad dream to me.

[Erica]

I remember one night dog sitting Ami and Zeus. I woke up in the middle of the night with an awful stomachache, headache, and chills, so I went into the bathroom and turned the shower on. Before long, Ami had abandoned his cold air vent and Zeus had moved from the comfy dog bed, and both were in the bathroom (which is not very comfy for dogs). Normally, if I move around while they're comfy and sleeping, they pay no mind, but this proved to be an exception. I don't know what was going through their heads, but their presence was very comforting to me. (And I will never forget the time I was having trouble getting puppy-Zeus out of his crate and Ami went into the crate, grabbed Zeus by the scruff, and pulled him out.)

And though she's not a dog, our cat Emmy gets extra cuddly when you're feeling sad or ill.

It seems likely to me that the animals that are closest to their humans are more likely to be bred than stand-offish ones, when breeding for companion animals or animals that work with people. While I doubt that wolves would care what we felt like, even if raised by people, I wouldn't be surprised if some dogs were capable of some amount of empathy...

[Fundog]

There is a very good reason why so many treatment centers, foster care centers, youth ranches, and the like, utilize Animal Assisted Therapy for the children in their care.

My cat used to come and lay on my chest and purr when I was having an asthma attack. No, that did NOT help me breathe any easier, but it is uncanny that he always did that at that particular time.

[wvvdiup1]

What I see with this empathy thing from all the dogs I've owned including Karma from anytime I or any member of my family have been sick, injured, or even going through bouts of depression I think is what the strong bond of loyalty is; they see their owner or their family suffering and they just know to be there for them. Here's something else: How do we humans explain the loyalty of a dog when its owner has died, the dog stays with its owner's body? We're seeing more and more news stories like this here in the United States as well as elsewhere.

Empathy? Loyalty? With research on this topic still in its infancy, the answers won't be known for some time. However, what these researches have noticed is something I think we dog-lovers have known for a long time. It's just finding the answers of "why?" for us and to those who aren't dog-lovers!

[jacksdad]

My cat used to come and lay on my chest and purr when I was having an asthma attack. No, that did NOT help me breathe any easier, but it is uncanny that he always did that at that particular time.

but is that really empathy? sounds more like an assassination attempt

[wvvdiup1]

That's what it sounds like to me, jacksdad!

[JudyN]

I've yet to see empathy in Jasper but then, he is a teenogre. If he did show any concern when I was ill he'd probably just be worrying that I wouldn't be well enough to feed him

I'm not sure you'd ever be able to tell the difference between a dog having real concern about a loved one and self-interest, i.e. if the one who provides for all their needs is incapacitated the dog will suffer. They are certainly very sensitive to human body language, normal behaviour, and so on. How often do you pass someone who strikes you as 'a bit odd', 'not all there', or similar without really knowing what it is about them that you are responding to, only to find that your dog is also suspicious and unsure about them?

[Flyby]

Our relationship with dogs is very curious. I'm told people recuperating in hospital get better faster when their furry friends are allowed to visit them and stay awhile. I also think it's amazing that dogs can be trained to smell cancer cells. In fact, apart from a few hygeine issues here and there, I can't think of any negative issues at all about sharing your home with a dog, but sadly I think there more consistency in the benefit we get from dogs than the reciprocal benefits which some less fortunate dogs get from us.

[PikiPiki]

Evee's very good at comforting me when I'm sad or ill. After my father's funeral, I was a wreck and couldn't stop crying, she just sat with her head on me, looking up with her brown eyes. It was comforting having her there for me. She'd normally be pawing at me for ignoring her and licking at me. She's amazing at coming to my aid when I break down. And when I'm ill she'll just lay there with me, she doesn't bother me for playtime or walks.
My cat that I've had since I was 10, (she's going to be 14 in July), attacks people if they cry. Or if they touch the vacuum, basically anything that makes a loud or annoying sound. She needs lessons in bite inhibition.

[Flyby]

Its funny, but sometimes I'll get an extra big cuddle from Odin. It doesn't happen a lot, only the odd day, sometimes in the morning when he gets up, sometimes when you get back in the car, it just depends. He's just that bit extra pleased to see you, a little more 'huggy' than normal. It's not dependent on my mood or temperament that I can tell, but clearly his, and it does give you a lovely feeling that he really means it. It's not the usual routine 'I want something' attention seeking, seems every now and again he really just wants to give/receive a hug.

[bendog]

I doubt it's actually empathy, but my dogs seem to have a real need to "clean" any wounds I might have, by licking them for me

Ben particularly is quite persistant and if you have covered a cut or scratch with a plaster and try to prevent him from licking he gets quite upset. If you let him he'll lick the plaster until he gets a corner free, then pull it off (ouch), and lick the scratch. How horribly hygenic of him.

I fell upstairs the other day and grazed my elbow. Poor Pop has seemed quite concerned and very gently sniffs and licks at the graze.

[Nettle]

That was something "wolfman" Shaun Ellis mentioned - several times when he had to have stitches after a wolf 'nip' and came back into the compound, the wolves would unpick the stitches and lick the wounds frequently until they healed.

Dogs aren't wolves and there are those who claim Mr. Ellis can be economical with the truth - but I have many times had my dogs attend to my own injuries, so I believe this one.

[ClareMarsh]

Milo, the tiny chihuahua who was attacked by a fox lives with a mastiff and his owner is a behaviourist who at any one time has a number of dogs boarding with her. On his return from the vets Milo's wounds were inspected and licked by a boarding Akita, I thought it odd given what I've read about dogs not wanting ill dogs around them due to risk but now I've read this it makes more sense.