Do Dogs Feel Things in the Same Way as Humans?
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? Scott Sheaffer, CBCC-KA, CDBC, CPDT-KA, USA Dog Behavior, LLC
Do dogs feel things in the same way as humans? This is a question I’m asked frequently. Quite frankly, if you’re a dog owner, it’s a question you probably ought to be asking yourself.
“Dogs have personalities. Anyone who’s owned more than one dog knows this to be true.”
— Scott Sheaffer
After personally working with thousands of troubled dogs, my personal opinion is that, yes, dogs do have many, if not all, of the same or similar emotional feelings that humans do. I have that belief for both scientific and experiential reasons. But, I do have one caveat; I’m not so sure dogs feel things exactly like we do.