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Old April 22nd 06, 12:57 AM posted to rec.animals.wildlife,alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian,rec.pets.cats.community,rec.pets.dogs.behavior
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Default Animals do not "anticipate"

On 21 Apr 2006 Goo wrote:

"Many times, a human *anticipates* something without
even being told. That's because the human has an
understanding of the passage of time and the repetition
of intermediate events.

Dogs and other animals ABSOLUTELY DO NOT HAVE this kind
of understanding, and THEREFORE do not "anticipate"
anything. If the dog's owner tells the dog "I'm going
to take you for a walk next Saturday", that is
MEANINGLESS to the dog - he does not anticipate going
for the walk. If the owner picks up the leash, as he
always does before taking the dog for a walk, the dog
may react to that *signal* and get excited. It is not
"anticipating" the walk; it is merely giving a
CONDITIONED RESPONSE to a signal.

This difference is *elementary* to people who really
understand the issue" - Goobenicus



Thanks for reposting that, ****wit. Maybe you're beginning to catch
on.


Their response is caused by their anticipation, Goo, not
by a human's emotion somehow being projected into the
animal causing a change in its behavior.