Undoubtedly, some of our human emotions are shared by our pets. It seems like something out of this world to think that there were psychological, philosophical and religious trends that denied the existence of animal feelings and emotions. It is inconceivable that animals don’t feel pain, love, shame, joy or any other feeling as Descartes suggested at the time.
Every single day that we share with our pets proves the opposite. Every documentary we watch about nature tells us that animals, whether they are domestic or not, do have emotions, feelings and a special intelligence.
Personality or temperament?
While it is proven that animals have emotions, some prefer to use only the term temperament to refer to animal behavior, when the reality is that animals have both a temperament and a personality.
In reality, sadness or joy are emotions that we humans and animals manifest, only they express them in different ways and under different circumstances. In other words, it would be a mistake to assume that our pet’s behavior is ruled by a code of human behavior.
Human attributes in our pets
Science has shown that an animal’s personality traits can be easily and reliably established in an objective way. However, the drawback appears when the human being wants to project his/her personality, thoughts and emotions on the animals thinking that they are the same. In this way the true nature of the animal is completely overlooked.
This human projection on animals can have tremendous consequences for them because one stops seeing a dog or a cat as such and starts observing them as if they were human beings. As a result, the nature of the animal becomes blurred and distorted.
For example: it’s great that you sleep with your dog, but it’s not necessary at all to put him/her in pajamas or force him/her to sleep under the blanket; my dog Freddie already does it voluntarily as you can see in the picture 🙂
The damage that human emotions can cause to your pets
Why have a pet? There are many answers to this question. Some of them reveal a reality that is difficult to accept.
It is common to have a pet at home to satisfy some human needs such as entertainment, companionship, health, among others. Many times, we find in animals a way to fill the gaps we have at a human relationship level. This is because pets accompany “in silence”, without questions, without criticism and without demanding anything in return.
However, that strong bond that is created between a pet and its owner, in which the needs of the animal are not considered, may not be as healthy for them. It is increasingly common to see a puppy treated as if it were a small child, especially in childless homes. Then, the puppy is spoiled and given all the treats as a child, which can bring serious health problems in pets: overweight, diabetes, behavioural disorders, etc.
This is how the animal acquires a human behavior that arises from imitating its owner, whom it uses as a mirror that reflects its own emotions and feelings. The owner of the animal thinks it is normal and even finds it flattering that his or her dog or cat resembles him or her.
In this way, the animal’s own needs are forgotten in favor of those of the human being, which leads to the pet getting sick or suffering from different disorders… All of them of human origin.
Remember, we’re all animals! But an iguana is not the same as a dog. If you treat the Iguana the same as a dog, like taking it for a walk on a leash on a winter morning, it will get sick. In the same way, if you treat a dog the same as a human, it will get sick.
Dogs for example are very sensitive to the mood of their owners. A real emergency in veterinary medicine is a dog with symptoms of a panic attack. The owner suffered an anxiety attack and the dog ‘fed on his/her energy’ and became ill as a result.
This shows the importance of a healthy mind in order to have a balanced and healthy pet. Work on your Emotinal Inteligence so your human emotions affect the health of your pets in a positive way.
With this article I want to invite you to reflect upon your relationship with your pet. To take care of their own needs and make them compatible with yours and not the other way around. Treat it as what it is: a dog or a cat that shares his/her life with yours, that has feelings and emotions like you, but that manifest differently and have different needs.
Don’t miss the meditation and yoga articles to help you have a healthy and balanced mind.
Comedian Bill Burr explains very well how our emotions affect our dogs in the funniest way possible. Laugh and learn with this video: owning a dog!
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