What Do Dogs Think About? Here’s What We Know
Key takeaways:
Dogs tend to think about the present moment or what’s happening next. They don’t reflect on the past or contemplate the future as people do.
Things that are important to dogs influence the way they think, such as acquiring food, living in a safe space, and avoiding danger.
Your pup uses their sense of smell, sight, and hearing but processes information differently than you do.
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Ever look into your fur baby’s eyes and wonder what’s going on in their head? There’s definitely something going on in there, but it may not be what you think. Your pup is focused on what’s happening in the moment or in the next moment.
If you grab their leash, they might think, “Awesome, we’re going for a walk!” Or if they notice you in the kitchen, they might wonder, “Is it treat time?” But they’re not thinking about last month’s park day or their next birthday meal.
“Their behavior is guided by things that have happened in the past. But they probably aren’t reflecting on past events or contemplating the future like we do,” Megan Hoffman, PhD, an animal behaviorist with LOMA Behavior and Training, told GoodRx Health.
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What do dogs think about?
Here are five things that are important to dogs and how they might think about them.
1. Eating
No surprise here. If you’re a dog owner, you know how much they love food. “Dogs evolved from wolves, so they’re concerned about acquiring food — either eating it or hiding it for later,” Hoffman said. For example, they might think, “How can I get that bread off the counter?”
2. Seeking safety
Like people, our furry friends long to live in a safe and secure space. That’s why they might bark at someone at the door. They may be thinking, “Stay away from my territory.”
3. Working
Many dog breeds have been bred to hunt, herd, or track. It’s part of their genetic makeup, and it may explain why your dog behaves a certain way.
Hunting breeds, like basset hounds and Labrador retrievers, might think about chasing a squirrel. Herders, like border collies and Australian shepherds, might wonder about rounding up groups of people.
4. Socializing
Dogs are social animals. They look for positive interactions with other dogs, animals, and people. It’s why they do things like jump up to greet you or lick your face.
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5. Avoiding dangers
Dogs look for ways to avoid risks and dangers. If they sense a predator nearby, they might run away in fear or become aggressive to protect themselves.
How does a dog’s mind work?
“To understand how a dog’s mind works, we need to know about how they perceive the world, as well as their evolution,” Hoffman said. Dogs have five senses just like people, but they work differently. Three of their senses seem to shape the way their minds work.
Sense of smell
A dog’s sense of smell is much more sensitive than ours. They can sniff out scents that we can’t pick up on. They use their sense of smell to track food, find mates, and detect danger.
“Unlike us, dogs have more olfactory receptors or neurons that transmit odor information,” Hoffman said. “We don’t have access to this information, so they’re often responding to things we simply can’t detect.”
For example, say your dog smells a fox when you open the door. They might hesitate to go out because they don’t know this scent and are being cautious.
“A pet parent may see this as the dog being difficult, when in reality, they have more information than we have,” Hoffman said.
Sense of sight
Dogs have trouble seeing objects as far away as people can. They need to be 20 feet away from something to see it as clearly as we do from 75 feet away. Their field of vision is also wider, so they have greater peripheral vision.
“This means they can be uncertain what something is because they don’t see it clearly, such as a strange person wearing a costume,” Hoffman said.
Sense of hearing
Dogs can hear higher-pitched sounds better than people can. This could explain why your pet goes bonkers when they hear thunder, smoke alarms, or vacuum cleaners. They hear pitches associated with those items that you can’t detect.
In the past, when dogs hunted for small prey, they relied on their ears to hear the squeaks of small animals. “This means they can hear a mouse under the floorboards that you can’t see,” Hoffman said.
What research has been done on canine cognition?
Animal researchers around the world have studied the ways dogs think. Some studies have focused on the following topics:
Reward-based training methods show us that dogs can make positive associations between behaviors and rewards.
Working dog training methods can guide trainers who work with detection, assistance, and protection animals.
Memory retrieval studies suggest that dogs may be able to repeat recent actions on cue.
Genetic data helps researchers better understand working breeds and their behaviors.
Episodic memory studies suggest that dogs can repeat actions after delays of up to an hour.
Cognitive decline research shows that dogs can have dementia similar to people.
Long-term memory studies suggest that some animals can remember the names of new objects for several months after their initial exposure.
Problem-solving skills seem to be stronger in assistance and therapy dogs.
Temperament versus cognition research explores the temperamental traits and cognitive skills of successful working dogs.
Are dogs aware of social bonds with humans or other pets?
Dogs are social animals and can form attachments with people and other animals. Their social nature drives them to wag their tails when you come home or to seek comfort from you in unfamiliar situations.
“However, just like us, dogs don’t form attachments to everyone they interact with, including other pets in the home,” Hoffman said. “It’s based on individual preferences and early experience too.”
Can a dog sense your emotions?
“We know that dogs experience emotions, which is a prerequisite to understanding emotions in others,” Hoffman said. “They can experience fear, excitement, happiness, and sadness.”
But sensing emotion in others varies from animal to animal, just as emotional intelligence varies from person to person.
“Some dogs get visibly distressed when a person or another animal is angry or upset, whereas other dogs don’t seem to be affected,” Hoffman said.
So if you have a pup that wants to cuddle when you’re down and another that ignores you, don’t take it personally. It’s not about you; it’s how they’re wired.
The bottom line
Your dog’s thoughts tend to be about the present moment or the immediate future. Past events may influence their behavior, but dogs don’t reflect on the past or contemplate the future. Much of what they think about is guided by things that are important to them, like finding food, living in a safe environment, and staying away from danger. Their sense of smell, sight, and hearing also affect how their minds work.
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References
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