Compare And Contrast The Psychology Of Dogs And Humans

You are now equipped with some basic knowledge about dog psychology that will save your life and that of

This has led to the belief that dogs can provide company, affection and support to people who are going through a difficult time or who feel lonely. Dogs have aided humans in tasks such as hunting, livestock herding, and guarding. However, as society moved from small rural communities to increasingly large metropolitan areas, the dog’s role changed. Throughout the years a more specific type of

Emotional support animals can take on a multitude of jobs that “may include reminding the handler to take medicine, providing safety checks or room searches, or turning on lights for persons with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, interrupting self-mutilation by persons with dissociative identity disorders, and keeping disoriented individuals from danger,” (Brennan). These animals are often considered pets but are actually so much more than that, emotional support animals have a very important role in protecting the mental health of their owners and keep them safe. Not only do these animals protect people’s mental health but they also give people a purpose. Taking care of one of these dogs or other animals gives people something to take care of and focus on. Knowing that there is another living thing that relies on them can be very grounding and keep people connected to something outside of themselves.

Main point one: Companionship is important to have in your life, even if it comes from your dog. When life gets stressful it’s nice to have a companion to play with, take a walk with or even cheer you up. Companionship can be hard to come by with humans sometimes and easily found in dogs. While their personalities vary according to the breed of the dog, one characteristic remains the same, their loyalty. Dogs make great listeners, maybe because they can’t tell you to stop talking, but either way they seem to listen with interest. Many dog owners find themselves telling dogs things they can't seem to tell anyone else. This is what makes dogs good therapeutic animals. A dog is an especially good animal for someone who lives alone or suffers from depression. Having a dog present can also help people who have suffered a tragic loss in their life and need the company of another life for comfort. I know from my personal experience of losing a loved one, what a dog can do to help you through. Owning a dog gave me responsibility at me weakest and gave me a

These animals are there to provide not only emotional support, but they also provide their humans with companionship. Jim was a lost individual that spent a lot of time isolating himself from people. Jim is a veteran and he was filled with anxiety after being deployed. Jim now has an emotional support dog named, Sarge. Sarge is there for Jim and she helps his anxiety level. When Jim is in a crowd of people, his anxiety level rises. But, with Sarge by his side, he is able to go out and do normal things. Jim was on a lot of medication and now with Sarge, he is off all the medication. Sarge really did a lot to help Jim and now Jim is working with an organization called Paws and Stripes. It is an organization that works to bring these emotional support dogs to our veterans that suffer from a mental or physical disability. It is amazing how just one dog can bring about such a change in a person. (Psychiatric Service Dog Society, 2012)

Training your dog is the most important part of canine companionship. A happy dog is one who has structure and boundaries. Dogs are pack animals, and as such, they need guidance in the behavior that you expect from them. If you don't follow through in this leadership role, then the dog will naturally feel as if it is his place to do so. A dog that understands that you are the leader will naturally be easier to train.

Dogs will protect you and they can also provide comfort and support in forms of affection and companionship for an individual suffering from various mental and emotional conditions.

As the owner of three unique pups, I know that dogs’ variances are numerous. Any one who owns a dog knows that it has a mind of its own, and therefore a unique personality. Having had many dogs throughout my life, I have found that dogs fit into three classifications.

The helplessness of not knowing that there is something wrong. The feeling of guilt because you didn’t realize any change in behavior to represent that something was wrong. “In fact, in order to prove itself as good dog as defined by its human caretakers, the dog must do no less than conclusively demonstrate its loyalty” (Karla Armbuster, 2002). This is displayed by how even though she is dying; she still drags herself to the newspaper so she won’t get in trouble by her owner by going to the bathroom on the floor.

In the next case study, Jackie is a 23 year-old who was bit by a dog which required stitches when she was only 3. She remembers what happened in detail and the psychological distress from the trauma causes her to avoid dogs at all cost, however; she is engaged to a dog breeder and will need to learn to how to get past this before she gets married in which dogs will be a constant part of her life. Jackie needs help in overcoming this fear so she can live a healthy and happy home life. When trauma and distress engulf a person’s life and in turn dictates their behavior, there are specific principles that analysts use to help the individual overcome this obstacle and develop a modification

As stated previously, groups are formed based on the basic needs of survival. In wolves, this pack bondage has a hierarchy system with an alpha, the most dominant male at the time, and each wolf is placed below the other. These are not just traits that come about based on environment. It is more common for the dominant personality trait to be hereditary and passed down from one generation to the next (Ilska et al. 1103). Behaviorists are still trying to understand how traits in dogs are hereditary, but this research has been around far longer than that of understanding the genetics of human personality. To understand dog behavior, scientists look at genomic methodologies, such as the Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) that looks at certain

Dog socialization helps create a sense of closeness and well-being. It also offers a topic for conversation within many social groups and settings. Socialization helps promote interactions with other animals and people. Some benefits that are involved when socializing a dog starts well before the dog is twelve to sixteen weeks old. Which helps the dog have the ability to be well adjusted in different situations. Proper socialization is also very important if you want to not have any behavioral issues to deal with.

According to research, it was found out that with dogs, what we say and how we say things matter. Attila Andics, who studies language and behavior in dogs and humans at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest with several other colleagues reported that different parts of a dog's’ brain respond to the meaning of a word and to how the word is said, similar to how human brains work. A dog brain's’ left hemisphere reacts to meaning and parts of the right hemisphere to intonation, dealing with the emotional content of a sound. For instance, one-word praise from the dog's’ owner could light up the dog's’ brain. Since even this one word would get the dog excited and happy all together.

The focus of this research project is the existence of emotions in dogs. Two sources have been utilized in the research of this phenomenon. The first source, written by Ouida (1891), relates the story of an acrobat who had died and left behind three dogs. At the time of the acrobat's burial, the three dogs followed along as the casket was taken for burial and then stayed on top of the grave until they were chased away (p. 315). This shows a deep sense of love and attachment to their owner. It also shows a tremendous sense of loos and grief.

It is often said that a dog is a man’s best friend. In the last 14,000 years, dogs have accompanied man by helping him hunt, guard, and protect. In our modern world, dogs help us combat in war, search-and-rescue, guide the blind, deaf, discapacitated, rehabilitate patients in therapy, aid law enforcement, and are part of our family as beloved pets (Coren). Although canine superstars such as Lassie, Old Yeller, and Rin Tin Tin portray the perfect dog we all want in our lives, these ideals are far from the truth. Many first-time dog owners expect dogs to know behaviors such as how to walk on a leash, not bite, not destroy the house, and in addition to many others. In reality, dogs must be trained on what their handler wants them to do. It is