Dog psychology, or canine psychology ; have you ever heard of it? The general public has often not heard of canine psychology. Dog psychology often looks at situations from a dog’s perspective rather than a human’s perspective in an attempt to understand how they are feeling or why they are behaving the way they are.
Human-Dog Connection
Dog Psychology, looking at a situation from the dog’s perspective, is extremely important. Why? Well, because we often “humanize” our dogs. We look at them as they are one of our own most of the time. When your dog gets in trouble, do you ask yourself why he did that from a dog’s perspective or a human’s perspective? The most common answer to that question; the human’s perspective! We often do not consider the dog’s perspective on the situation at hand.
My Dog is Like a Child
This is a touchy subject among most pet parents. We often look at our dog similar to a child. Of course they are part of our family; however, they are not the same as human children. Some pet parents also believe their dog does not know there is a difference between him and your toddler. This is not true; your dog understands there is a difference between him and your 2-year-old son. This is not bad in any way. They are who they are just as we are who we are. Also, because they know they are a dog, this does not make them love us any less or any less of a companion. We do; however, need to remember they are a dog in order to provide them with the best life available. We should use dog psychology in order to determine how they are feeling and what best suits their lifestyle.
Find out more about the psychology of dogs in our behavior center. Learn more about Animal assisted therapy.
Amber Johnson, Animal Behaviorist
Miss Amber Johnson has many years of experience with pets and is a licensed cat and dog nutrition and behavior specialist. She currently collaborates with PetPremium where she counsels clients in pet behavior and nutrition. The statements made in this article are the personal opinions of Miss Amber Johnson and based on independent experiences and could be different from the opinions of PetPremium Pet health Insurance or any other pet health insurance provider.