When I think back over my first month at State College, I think of the things back home that I miss the most. Before anything else, I normally think of my dog, Shadow. The way she always seems happy, responds to what I say, and loves the words “beach” and “treat” made me think about the possible personalities that non-domestic animals could have.
First off, it is important to first know the types of personalities that domestic pets such as dogs have so that we can then see how that compares to all animals in the wild. A blind trial by Dr. Samuel Gosling in which an observer unfamiliar with the dogs would judge the behaviors of the dogs while doing various activities showed the results to be quite consistent with what the owners believed of their dogs (How Stuff Works). This is essential to proving that dogs do have personalities, but those that are around them constantly already know that. Dog breeding is highly controlled and due to this, some may question whether or not animals outside of domestic households have the same type of distinct personality traits as dogs like my own do. Some may say that the following studies could be due to chance but through numerous trials it is safe to say that the studies were performed well. One study in the Netherlands showed that birds of different sorts were seen as having specific traits ranging from adventurous to shy and timid (How Stuff Works). This baffles me as an intellectual because humans always believe that they are the most dominant beings on Earth and constantly overlook the millions of other species, but if animals are able to act just as humans do in social situations could there be more to the ways they communicate, learn, and adapt to situations around them?
Along with birds, a separate and more recent study on sharks has arisen the same question for sea dwelling animals. In the study of cat sharks, were placed in all different environments yet where ever they ended up it seemed that the more “social” sharks stayed together and the “antisocial” ones avoided others (Shark Study).
This information makes me think about evolution and the similarities humans have to other species but I feel as if nobody takes the time to think about how the way we act is also similar to all species of life. There are those that love to be in the spotlight and the opposite who would never dare put themselves out there, but it is interesting to know we are not alone in those situations. It took an almost miracle for the human race to exist and so it makes you think what else is evolving with just as much luck as we did thousands of years ago? With so many animals so similar in the way our minds work, how far off are those animals from being able coherently and rationally learn as humans do?
Works Cited
“HowStuffWorks “Animal Personality Studies”.” HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. <http://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/do-animals-have-personalities1.htm>.
“Shark study shows they have individual personalities.” BBC News. BBC, 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/29461882>.