Critical anthropomorphism as a domestic dog owner
First published in April 2023 and last updated in July 2024.
Anthropomorphism is ascribing “human” traits to other animals. It’s often frowned upon in the dog training world—some professionals go so far as to say it’s the root of most behavioral problems—but I think there’s a time and place to implement it thoughtfully.
In fact, seeing my dog as a fellow social mammal has become one of my biggest passions as her caretaker. Here’s my take on critical anthropomorphism!
TLDR Instagram post summary
The below Instagram post provides a visual overview of this article.
No, dogs are not furry little humans
Thoughtless anthropomorphism is problematic. It’s inaccurate—and extremely unfair—to assume our dogs experience the world the same way we do. (No, they don’t automatically understand our verbal language. They don’t pee in the house to spite us. We can’t expect them to know all our human social norms from the get go.)
Some examples of unproductive anthropomorphism:
Expecting my dog to automatically understand human social norms
Thinking she does things to spite me (especially long after the fact)
Wanting her to understand verbal language without clearly teaching associations
Assuming she enjoys being hugged like a primate
Expecting her to “just know” when a prey animal is supposed to be a friend
Resisting helpful tools (crates, muzzles, etc) because they seem “mean” to humans
You can read more in this longer post on differences between domestic dogs and people.
Nor are domestic dogs modern wolves
You can read more in this longer article about differences between domestic dogs and wolves.
Dogs also aren’t aliens or robots
Anthropodenial—where we insist that fellow animals can’t share our characteristics, emotions, or experiences at all—is dangerous too.
In Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are, ethologist Frans de Waal embraces critical anthropomorphism. “The closer another species is to us, the more anthropomorphism will assist our understanding and the greater will be the danger of anthropodenial. Conversely, the more distant a species is from us, the greater the risk that anthropomorphism will propose questionable similarities.”
How this apply to our lives with dogs?
Evolutionary anthropologist Brian Hare says that “domestic dogs are unusually skilled at reading human social and communicative behavior—even more so than our nearest primate relatives.”
While humans and dogs certainly aren’t the same species (our senses are particularly different, for one thing) we do share similar emotional processes, social needs, and a remarkable ability to cooperate. Domestication has shaped us to live with each other!
Some examples of helpful, critical anthropomorphism:
Understanding that social interaction is one of my dog’s basic needs
Recognizing how her emotions can influence behavior
Realizing my dog can be physically or mentally “off” on a given day
Considering how her body recovers from stress or hormone changes
Embracing the power of observational learning
I’m not just assuming she’s a furry little human… but I am using my intuition to inspire curiosity and build a stronger bond. I’m putting myself “in hew paws” to empathize from a place grounded in current data.
Ultimately: We aim for a balanced, accurate understanding
We should not anthropomorphize our pets just because it feels good. But we should look at available research and our shared evolutionary history to honor what we do have in common. I want to interact with my dogs as a fellow creature—and not reduce her to a far-distant robot.
