Do Dogs & Other Animals Have Emotions?

The word “ethology” is derived from the Greek “ethos,” meaning character and “logia,” meaning the study of. Ethology, exactly translates into the study of character. In this article, we are going to examine the term as it relates to the study of animal emotions. Animal behaviorists have spent years studying how animals interact with people and other animals, they have overwhelmingly come to the conclusion that animals do in fact experience a similar range of emotions to humans. Most pet owners are not surprised by this information, as anyone who has spent a lot of time with a pet is aware of the diversity of animal emotions.

I firmly believe my pets have all displayed a wide range of emotions. When we’re playing fetch, my dogs are clearly happy and when I’m working too hard to play, they are clearly a bit blue. Not all communication is verbal, pets display their emotions through facial expressions and body language. Much like a baby will coo and smile when he or she is happy, a dog will wag its tail and perk its ears when it is enjoying himself. While scientific validation of our suspicions is always nice, most of us who own pets didn’t need a study to tell us our pets are very emotional creatures.

Of course emotions can’t be measured with a ruler or seen under a microscope, so when animal behaviorists study why animals act in the ways that they do, and important first step is for the researchers to put themselves in the dog’s position and attempt to see things from the dog’s perspective. Truly understanding animal behavior and the motivations behind it requires its own branch of social science, with very interesting results.

Skepticism about the validity of animal behaviorism as a science has abated in recent years as more and more individuals become comfortable with the notion of animal emotions. Several recent studies published in respected and highly regarded scientific journals has added credibility to both the studies and the researchers themselves. Some very interesting work has recently indicated that even animals as primitive as mice and rats may experience empathy and it’s long been believed that elephants grieve.

How emotions evolve in certain species is often related to survival. Much like animals may physically change over time to meet changing evolutionary needs, scientists believe many species experience an emotional evolution as well. Forming social groups with other animals involves a certain amount of emotional ability, but the benefit is evident when more of a species survive due to traveling in packs.

Interesting Examples

The range of emotional responses seen in animals is fascinating. Developing emotions and appropriate emotional responses help animals become adaptable and flexible. Iguanas have been shown to seek pleasure, baboons have exhibited anger and vengeance and the beautiful and intelligent elephant is believed to remember and mourn its fallen relatives, and may even experience something similar to human post traumatic stress disorder.