Interpreting Emotional Animals

From Heather Dyer...

The presentation I found most interesting so far was Nicole Larocco and Uli’s visit. I have always been interested in the communication of dogs and the distinct ways that they express themselves. Nicole was really able to show us exactly what certain emotions dogs experience look like, since Uli was able to be the model. This information proved helpful for me the next time I visited the Pennsylvania SPCA because I realized I had been misinterpreting some of the dogs’ signals for what they were feeling.

Another thing I noticed about Nicole’s presentation on how animals exhibit their emotions was the connection between the way humans and nonhuman animals react to physical feelings and emotions. Peter Singer’s article “Practical Ethics” states humans know nonhuman animals can feel pain because “animals in pain behave in much the same way as humans do, and their behavior is sufficient justification for the belief that they feel pain” (42). I found this statement to be true at both Nicole and Uli’s presentation and at the Pennsylvania SPCA. When Uli was trying to understand what Nicole wanted from her when she was working with the brick, Uli got increasingly frustrated and became more vocal as she got more frustrated. We, as humans, knew Uli was frustrated because when we are frustrated we react in a similar way, becoming more vocal or exhibiting signs of agitation, just like Uli. At the PSPCA, the animals who had signs on their kennels that they had just come from surgery exhibited similar reactions to pain as humans would in a similar situation. When a human feels physical pain, they simply want to lie down and shut out the rest of the world to get the pain to go away. I felt this was the same state many of the post-operative animals were in.

In my journal, I wrote about my most recent experience with the cat handling class. I found it interesting how different domesticated animals have opposite meanings for the same gestures. After taking the cat class, I also realized how cats and dogs have different motivations. Uli seemed to be happy to appease Nicole by trying to do everything in her power to understand what Nicole was asking of her when Nicole was directing Uli to the brick. All Uli was focused on was the reward treat she would receive by doing what Nicole asked. The cats at the Pennsylvania SPCA, on the other hand, did not seem to be motivated to please humans. Many were either indifferent to human contact, or only wanted the volunteer to pet them, rather than seeming eager to please. I wonder if this observation of cats is true to form of the average cat, or if I simply saw two animal species in different environments and acquired an inaccurate observation of the cats because of their surroundings. Regardless, I got the impression dogs are more people pleasing nonhuman animals, while cats are more interested in other cat companions or solitude. I am glad I experienced both the dog and cat handling classes as well as Nicole’s presentation on domesticated animals’ expression of emotions. After each training session, I felt more comfortable with translating emotions being exhibited by nonhuman animals. All this training and hands on experience will surely aid me in the future.