What Evidence Confirm that a Dog has an Inner Monologue?
Dogs have been proven to be able to do many things, but can they think?
Research has shown that dogs are capable of learning and understanding language-based commands as well as being able to make connections between objects or events in the present and past.
This means that while a dog may not understand what it’s saying when you tell him “sit,” he will know what sitting down entails because he’s seen humans do so before.
We have personally encountered a lot of situations that prove that dogs indeed do have an inner monologue within themselves.
Before we share a brief personal story, we would like you to think of how many times you have had stories about how a dog helped to save the life of someone.
Those types of stories have been told so many times that some of us may consider them cliché’s-stories that are exaggerated and add nothing to a discussion.
Others may ask just what is the relationship between helping people and the ability to have an inner monologue.
These stories would be non-existent if dogs lacked the ability to hold an inner monologue.
For a dog to have the ability to carefully and rapidly assess a dangerous situation and act or seek assistance, it must be able to have its own thought process with a monologue.
What do People Say?
Most people believe that dogs are conscious beings that to some extent are aware of their surroundings and what goes around in their environment.
They admit that it may be a bit challenging to read what goes on inside the head of your dog.
This is because of their limitations in communicating.
However, just like ourselves, most people believe that dogs possess a “just enough” ability to hold an inner monologue and have an inner speech.
What Do Dogs Think About When They Are Alone?
Some dogs simply curl up and go to sleep when their owners are away. Others may get stressed or even turn destructive—sometimes due to separation anxiety, other times just boredom.
As for what’s on their minds, it’s hard to pinpoint. “Some dogs experience distress when they are left alone, but it is hard to know if they are actually thinking about the person they wish they were with or just experiencing their own loneliness,” Byrne says. “More research would be needed to tell what the focus of these behaviors is.”
Do You Have an Inner Monologue? Why Some People Don’t
Dogs do understand that we have emotions, and they know which emotions are negative and positive. Dogs use their hearing to help them understand what we are thinking and how we are feeling. … Dogs use their other senses to understand what we are thinking, too.
Yes, according to a lot of different research, dogs have what is called “theory of mind.” Theory of mind is defined by dictionary.com as “the ability to interpret one’s own and other people’s mental and emotional states, understanding that each person has unique motives, perspectives, etc”.
Dogs have a sixth sense of sorts about human emotions and have a great ability to sense someone’s energy. … Next time your pooch barks at another person walking by, they may be feeling that person’s bad energy and acting out their instinct to protect.
Dogs probably do have an inner monologue because they plan & think before they act. The language is the language of thought except for the words we have taught them.
