Before I left home to come to Penn State, there was a very important member of my family that I had extreme difficulty saying goodbye to, and that was my dog. Looking back on how sad I was to leave him, I can’t help but wonder if my dog also felt sad that I was leaving or if he even is capable of feeling sad.
The question whether dogs have feelings is a debate that has been going on for quite some time now and is leaning towards the answer that they do in fact, have feelings. As science has progressed over time, we have learned that dogs have the same brain structures that create emotions in humans. They also have the same hormones and experience the same chemical changes that humans do while undergoing stages of emotion. Due to the similarities in neurology between dogs and humans, it seems practical to assume that dogs experience the same emotions as humans. However, dogs may not have the same range of emotions that humans do. Research has shown that infants cannot experience certain emotions that grown adults do and over time, they are able to experience more complex emotions. Researchers believe that the emotional range of a dog can be compared to that of a two year old. Therefore, dogs can have emotions but they are limited to certain kinds. Humans go through developmental stages and each new stage is accompanied by the ability to experience more complex emotions. Similarly, dogs go through developmental stages however they go through them much more quickly than humans. They will have acquired all of the emotional ranges that they could by the time they are 4 to 6 months in age yet it is important to keep in mind that their range of emotions does not exceed that of a two year old human. While dogs can experience feelings of joy, fear, and love, they cannot experience complex emotions such as guilt or shame.
As a pet owner myself, I always think that my dog is feeling a particular way because of how well I think I know him however I guess I will never know what he is truly feeling.
Sources:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201303/which-emotions-do-dogs-actually-experience