Comments on: Study: A “Pessimistic” Dog Is More Likely to Destroy Your Slippers

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:25:58 +0000

As a dog trainer, I would like to know what kind of training these adolescent dogs have had previously. Dogs trained primarily with positive reinforcement will offer new behaviors, such as checking out the new bowl readily. Dogs trained primarily with positive punishment often will shut down so they don’t make a mistake. (I am using “positive” in the scientific sense that something active is done to the dogs, such as clicking and treating for positive reinforcement or hitting the dog with a rolled-up newspaper for positive punishment.)

Without knowing that, I would find it hard to assess a dog’s attitude. Still, I am glad to know that separation anxiety is being researched.

By: Jennifer Welsh

Jennifer Welsh — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 15:28:08 +0000

@nick: and so the dog that thinks the bowl is half empty is more likely to think you are leaving forever!? I think the study’s conclusions are a bit of a jump, but its interesting to peer into the minds of our pups!

Thanks for reading and commenting,
Jen

By: nick

nick — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:29:08 +0000

The optimist dog thinks the bowl half way is full, the pessimist dog thinks the bowl half way is empty… classic glass half full / half empty logic game. :D