Do humans and dogs understand things differently? If so, in what way is it different?

Question

Do humans and dogs understand things differently? If so, in what way is it different?

Answer 1

They do understand some things differently, but not all. They understand the same dangers as we do; they understand what food is, what love is, what death is, etc. But there may be things in an animals mind that we cannot know because we are not in "their shoes," or more literally, we are not "in their skin."

Neither are they in our skins. But there is more to it when it comes to animals understanding all that humans are capable of. They don't understand how to drive a car, let alone what it is except something that they have fun riding in.

Comprehending in the same way we do is even more different.

Those two words are often given subtle but different definitions. To understand means to see the surface explanation well enough to be able to use it to its full advantage in your situation. A dog understands you need help, and he goes and gets help. He may not understand that your leg is caught in a trap, but he know you are in trouble, and that is understanding.

To comprehend means to understand something deeper than just its surface explanation; to know what are called "defeators," arguments that oppose your understanding, as in the case of understanding what God is. And it necessarily means that you can return the argument and defeat the "defeator" argument.

Without knowledge of the defeator argument and the means by which to rebut it, you have only an understanding. No animal can ever know the "defeator" argument to something it understands. As a matter of fact, using these definitions, there are no defeator arguments for simple "understanding," but only when you know more by comprehending the defeators of the deeper concept behind your understanding.

Answer 2

Humans generally aren't bright enough to understand how dogs perceive things; and generally they're also too lazy to try.

Now, while dogs don't always understand how humans perceive things, some at least try. I was pruning a tree with my grandfather out in front of the house. I was up in the tree cutting down the branches, and my grandfather was cutting them into small lengths so they would fit into the trash bin.

Max (my dog) didn't understand the process. However he seemed to have figured out that he couldn't help me in the tree. But, while he didn't understand why, he began to chew through the branches I cut down. Now, lest some say, "He was just chewing... it's natural for a dog to do," note: (1) he didn't chew any of the branches my grandfather had already cut, (2) he was smart enough to drag the branches out from under the tree where they fell, (3) he chewed them into lengths about the same as my grandfather cut them, and (4) when he finished one branch, instead of continuing to chew on it as he easily cold have done, he went and got another.

And we think we're superior. Not so. We're just the meanest critter on the planet.

Answer 3

A large portion of the human brain is dedicated to the sense of sight.

Where as with dogs a large section of their brains are dedicated to processing olfactory information.

Likely this main difference will result in perceptual cognitive differences at a very basic level.

Answer 4

No. They possess the same function of understanding. A dog however, understands from a dog's perspective of meeting a canine need therefore the result is different from humans...at least a few anyway!

Answer 5

8 Humans and humans see things differently. See the answer to your following question.

Answer 6

Yes. There are subtle differences between the reasoning powers of humans and dogs. Artistotle said that the main difference between animals and humans was that although animals can learn and remember, only humans were capable of reason.