Can pets love their owners?

scheming_gypsy

oooh they can i've seen it on the internet

prudryden

Some of you may have seen this before - but has to be seen again.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...kidboot&hl= e

V_Chic_Chick

Had chickens that were completely devoted to me. Went away for two weeks and when I came back, they were ignoring me, and going to my grandmother for food, because she'd been looking after them! Definately cupboard love.

Dogs only run up to new people in the hope of food. They go up to you in the hope of food. It's always the same, whatever animal it is.

Kelinik

I don't know, guess you'd have to define love first.

K9cuddles

I've only ever owned 1 dog that was a cupboard dog, the rest all I believe "loved" me in 1 way or another!

rolpaula

Of course they do:A

pboae

I rarely know what's going on in other people's heads, let alone what a dog is thinking, but I do think pets can love in their own way. Rescue dogs will often pine for their old owners, even if they have been starved, beaten, etc. If they want to be with a person who doesn't even meet their basic needs of food, shelter and companionship, there must be something more to the relationship than that.

IvanOpinion

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind whatsoever that dogs (and other animals) feel every single emotion that humans do. They can feel happy, sad, let down, pride, lonely etc. they may just want a little bit of extra company, a snuggle, a feeling of reassurance ... pretending that they are 'only animals' shows more about the inteligence of that person than the animal itself

Ivan

Gingham_Ribbon

I think dogs are very affectionate given the right circumstances and I think that all animals feel a range of emotions.

But how do we decide which animals are worthy of love, attention and being our companions and which are worthy of being tested on, eaten and used for clothing and accessories?
Is how we perceive their emotional development a factor?

IvanOpinion

Gingham_Ribbon wrote:

Is how we perceive their emotional development a factor?

Its worng .. but you are probably 100% correct .. if you can detach from the emotion then we as a species can do awful things both to ourselves and to other animals.

Ivan