LeaV

Today, I guess, is a bit of a random blog.  My random comes on so randomly and is so random it's certifiable.  I live up in my head a lot, and when the upstairs party becomes a part of reality...people question my intentions (re: sanity).  Today, I thought about animals having feelings.  Why?  Because I love Lolcats, and I was just at that website laughing shamelessly.  But, I don't mean about feelings as to anthropomorphism, I mean does an animal really feel emotions aside from the ones that we can logically and objectively measure; for example, pain. 

You can't ask your dog..."so, how did that make you feel?"  That frustrates me.  You can only apply your emotional interpretation onto the dog as to your summation of the actions that the dog is portraying.  If I say, "wanna go bye-bye in the car," and my dog hops around like a crazy beast, panting her tongue and wagging her tail; I will surmise that this pleases her, and hence, she's happy.  But, if a feeling is a perception...then I can't be 100% certain that my dog feels happy, because I cannot interpret the perception.  Dogs can't talk and, again, that frustrates me.  Science tells me that the dog has associated one of the key words in that particular phraseology with an action that in turn satisfies a basic drive.  Well, that's my extremely simplistic interpretation of what science would tell me.  In essence, science tells me to re-read about operant conditioning to explain the actions.  But, what drive am I satisfying with a simple car ride?  What basic instinct have I effected to make my dog respond in the way that she does?  What was the original stimulus? 

Okay, that's what I thought about when I took my dog with me to the store.  She has to go everywhere with me, and I indulge her.  When I look over at her leaning against the car seat staring at nothing in particular and completely in the moment of just being, I feel content.  And then I thought about how everything doesn't have to be so over analyzed, sometimes.  Sometimes, you just appreciate something just for what it is; and maybe that's the secret to a dog's life...this just is and it pleases me (wag, pant, snort).  Does she have feelings?  I don't know.  She just is and that pleases me.