....a concept of right and wrong.

(suggested by a post by Thome)

Not of our right & wrong they don't otherwise they'd wear clothes and they wouldn't pee and sh*g in public. :D

ROFLMAO :D :D

When a dog is trained, they are trained as to what is acceptable and what is unnaceptable.

They may not ness understand what is "Right" nor what is "Wrong" but what is rewarded and what is not.

So does that class as concept of right nor wrong, or a concept of acceptable non acceptable or is it just being pedantic over choice of wording ;-)

Hannah

Think it is an understanding of what is comfortable for them and what is not. Dogs, like husbands, seem to like a quiet life and are really only concerned in not rocking the boat, I do not think concepts come in to it, as neither seem to have any ambition above getting a pleasant and peaceful life.

I have not seen the post in question but I'm convinced that they do have a concept of right and wrong but not necessarly the same as ours. I dont believe you can teach it though. All you can teach is that it is more pleasurable to do certain things and less pleasurable to do others. (The basis of all training)

I know my old Mandy had a very strong sense of right and wrong and spent her life trying to impose it on us! It's difficult to put into words but there were things which she just would not allow without an argument. The ideal dog to have around a child because she would never allow the child to get into trouble.

Right and wrong, instinctive actions????

Best wishes, John

I read this post with interest.

My eldest male dog definitely has a sense of what I think is right or wrong. When the younger dog does somehthing unacceptable, the oldest male is found sitting in kitchen behind the fridge, having his nervous breakdown. He is worried that what has been done is not acceptable to us. So if I want to know in our house if something is not quite right, I only have to look behind my firdge and I find a big, black, usually dominant, intelligent lab, sitting behind it.

If I have a mishap and I say "ohhhh no" my labs catch on to the disappointment in my vocie tone and I have to reassure them (including the one behind the fridge) that everything is okay.

Maybe it is just a sense of trying to please rather than what is right or wrong.

I think they have a sense of what is safe and what is dangerous, but that this doesn't necessarily tie into our human concepts of right and wrong. :)