07-12-2008, 12:22 PM
Duchess Wrote:...I would actually run into a burning barn to save my horses, same goes for my beloved beagle...I am not alone in that thought...I won't quote a stat but, I believe its over 80% of pet owners would risk their life to save the family pet...I know it to be fact that some animals, particularly dogs, have emotions...for you to say they don't is proof that you have no idea of what you say...True, I can't see people risking their lives for the family pig as much as I think they currently do for their family dog. A dog is too integrated, deeply - it ranges from a dog's eagerness to add protection for your family ... to identifying with your family's power structure and the rules that stem from it. A pig isn't going to check on the safety of my kid by name, or be sad when it is not included in activities its "siblings" (my kids) are engaging in. A pig may have some good cerebral capacities, I understand that, but they are no where near as human-like, compared to dogs, in their structure and way of seeing, or operating in, the world. Dogs have clearly superior emotional capacity and expression, is my feeling. That is the key to being more human-like.
