How Do Animals Think?

[Asrais]

I had one colony fish, when I was doing my vet assistant course, as part of an assignment I had to take care of them, monitoring their behaviour.

I had 2 small goldfish and 3 tetras. During the course one of the tetras became ill and the goldfish started to pick on it. Well, the two other little tetras defended it!! So sweet! and very un-fish like!

Dogs just need more brain food and they will beat you at Grand Master Sudoku. Put powdered nuts in their diet - almond, cashew, pistachio, pine seed, walnut. Then pass the computer to them, and you relax.

[BlueSky]

Originally Posted by LightFilledHeart

Shaman,

But they do!! You simply have to learn to speak "Dog" Why should they be expected to do all the work in learning OUR language when THEIRS (which is telepathic in nature) is so much more precise and rich?

Yes, you are absolutely right! I stand corrected...............

[Lazarus72]

I loved 'Dug the dog' in the movie 'Up'.

Pretty good rendition of a talking dog I reckon .... and only the second toon to really move me. (after Bambi of course).


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxoWH...eature=related



'Squirrel !!!!'

"f i can joke with you, i agree we tend to anthromorphisise animals too much, i see no reason to insult them so"

Please dont think im insulting their intellegence. I cant do that because they are way smarter, and intuitive then we every give them credit for. Trust me, my cat is smarter then half the people i know. SHe plans things.. and its extremely creepy LOL.

Fish really blew me away. Ive always had fish ( 7 tanks at one time ), but after managing the fish department, I have a whole new respect for them. They knew me, they knew when id feed them, and would always greet me ( this is a room with 150 fishtanks, once again, very creepy). Fighting fish are really personable. It was one of the greatist selling points for them, not to mention they are wicked fish to begin with!

Birds are exceptionaly smart. You can almost see it in their eyes that they are thinking of something, learning..... even small cockatiels, to big parrots. I wasnt a bird person till i actualy dealt with them.

My sisters dog would hide int he corner when she was bad, even before we got home. Shed go into the garbage, then we couldnt find her, only to see shes cramed herself between the couches.

But i cant say they think like us. Of course the think, and learn, but nothing like us, because they ARENT human, no matter how much human we push onto them. Giving certain ones human attributes, only makes others forgotten and "less likable" which isnt fair to any life at all.

[BlueSky]

Originally Posted by Time

Animals dont think any way like us ( then again it would depend on the animal).


Many things animals do, we always think " oh its smiling!" no, dongs dont smile, becasue smiling is gneraly a human attribute. The only thing we do know, is that animals see the world totaly different then us, and can inerpret it, only instinctivly.

OF course animals and other life feels pain, and gets what we interpret as "happy" or "sad", but that doesnt mean its the exact same emotions we feel. Humans anthropimorphize too much in our history.

It is only what the "we's" think they know. 'They' can only find what they are looking for.

thats the thing, we DONT know, we can only really assume.......

[BlueSky]

Right, so we don't know how they see the world or that they are restricted to instinctive responses.
In fact "pets" tend to act more "human" than their wild ancestors and they exhibit personalities so my assumption is that they are not limited by instinct.

No, but it makes too much sence not to say they are instinctive. They are more intouch with their surroundings then we are, and adapt to their "pack" ( dogs). That is why lots fo dogs have a somewhat human personality ( or what we see as human personality).

"But i cant say they think like us. Of course the think, and learn, but nothing like us, because they ARENT human, no matter how much human we push onto them. Giving certain ones human attributes, only makes others forgotten and "less likable" which isnt fair to any life at all."

Point well taken and agreed with. i sometimes think living with humans either influences them into behavior/thinking that they would not otherwise have, or they have always had it and we notice it only because of the proximity.

We had just about all the animals you talked about and experienced some of the same things. All the kids grew up loving animals. One of my fence post eating sons spoiled his guina pig rotten, and our daughter is part horse. So grinned and enjoyed your written experiences.