Animal Emotions

Do animals think and feel?

Marc Bekoff Ph.D.

Dogs Really Do Know When We're Stressed

A study confirms that dogs can sniff out odors about our psychological states.

Animal Crisis: Why Self-Centered Human Supremacism Fails

A new book shows how placing humans separate from and above other animals doesn't work for them or for us. A new ethic can benefit both humans and other species.

Dog-Human Sleeping Relationships Raise Intriguing Questions

A new survey shows that 76 percent of respondents allowed their dog to sleep with them and 33 percent of married pet owners say they sleep best when sharing their bed only with their dog.

What’s It Like to Be a Plant? An Interview with "Planta Sapiens" Author

The goal of a fascinating new book is to have people view potted plants, flowers, trees, and other flora with a deeper and richer appreciation of their cognitive capacities.

Trust and Cooperation are Widespread Among Diverse Animals

Anthropomorphism and anthropocentric human exceptionalism have outlived their explanatory utility based on solid research on the cognitive, emotional, and moral lives of animals.

Grooming Dogs: What's Good and Bad From Their Point of View

A discussion about the hidden emotional sides—the ups and the downs—of what it's like for a dog to be groomed, the importance of consent, and how to do it mindfully and right.

Wolves and Dogs: Domestication, Cognition, and Socio-Ecology

A new book summarizes all things wolves and dogs and distinguishes myths and facts about domestication, social cognition, and behavior.

Why It's Essential to Rewild the World Before It's Too Late

Millie Kerr's book "Wilder" offers a panoply of much-needed global rewilding projects—ranging from personal efforts and local projects to changing entire ecosystems.

The Inner Lives of Plants: Cognition, Sentience, and Ethics

An increasing amount of research shows further studies of plant minds are warranted as we learn more about them.

Wild Horses, Reverence, and the Psychology of Awe

A new book considers what it is like to be a wild horse and to see them in their homes and the importance of awe, reverence, and wonder for human psychology and well-being. 

"Are You Being Fair to Right-Minded Dog Owners?"

Favoring "good dog" over "bad dog" is the best way to maintain strong and safe dog-human bonds.

"Are Chimps and Dogs More Sentient than Rats and Hamsters?"

There aren't shades of nonhuman sentience. An individual's joys and sufferings are theirs alone, and cross-species comparisons are misleading.

The Vegan Evolution: Transforming Diets and Agriculture

A new wide-ranging book by Gregory Tague clearly shows that a vegan ethic isn't a radical idea and only about food, but also about cultural evolution, food justice, and economics.

How Monkeys Pleasure Themselves and Horses Use Tools

Two research projects reveal eye-opening behaviors—the use of sex toys in wild macaques and horses using tools. Data are not as robust as popular media report but are very useful.

The State of Australian Animal Law and What Needs Improving

Elizabeth Ellis explores resistance to change by examining the common threads across the different animal use sectors in the legal and regulatory framework.

The Worlds of Animals Through the Eyes and Heart of a Vet

In a new book, veterinarian Sean Wensley explains how to lovingly connect with all animals so that, for example, pet rabbits have companionship and horses have the 3Fs—friendship, freedom, and forage.

What Wild Long-Lived Animals Tell Us About Human Longevity

Studies of wild animals who outlive us and remain healthy can help us understand how we can increase our lifespans and healthspans.

Why Dogs Don't Need Tough Love

If you're thinking about using tough love with your dog, don't. Mixed messages confuse them.

The Psychology of Breedism and the Politics of Dogs Revived

A landmark 1990 essay raises important questions about the mindset underlying the on-going production of dog breeds for human desires, rather than for a dog's quality of life.

The Welfare of Thailand's Captive Elephants and Their People

A new book explores the health of elephants used for tourism and entertainment, deforestation, and the lives of mahouts who work closely with these magnificent mammoths.

Feeding Animals Isn’t Always as Harmless as It Seems

A new book looks at what's at stake when we feed animals, including killing some animals to feed others and political and environmental concerns.

Is Human Intelligence a Gift or a Burden?

In "If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal," Justin Gregg argues that human exceptionalism is a double-edged sword and our unique cognitive prowess has backfired with severe consequences.

The Psychology and Art of Positive "Do No Harm" Dog Training

Linda Michaels combines science with compassion and eloquently explains how to educate humans to respect dogs and honor what the dogs need and want to do.

The Minds of Dogs: Making Tools and Getting Old

Among the many questions that come my way are these popular queries: "Do dogs make tools?" and "What is it like for dogs to age?"

Mental Immunity: How and Why Animals Filter Misinformation

Animals must filter out "bad stuff," let in "good stuff," and combat "mind parasites."

Good Grief: The Importance of Loving Pets in Life and Death

E.B. Bartels takes us on a personal and global journey looking for "the good pet death" and concludes there is no best practice but to love them when they're here and gone.

The Subtleties of Power-Brokering Among Wild Animals

A new book carefully explains the importance, pervasiveness, and variability of power struggles in diverse species and dispels myths about how power is achieved and maintained.

Should We Be Making Lilac Dogs and Glowing Bunnies?

Jeff Campbell discusses how we're bioengineering a wide variety of hybrids, chimeras, and clones and what it means for us and the weird beasts we've created.

The State of the Art of Animal Welfare Science

Nonhumans need all the help they can get, and a comprehensive new book about the ever-growing transdisciplinary field of animal welfare science could provide some.

The Fascinating Complex Minds of Bees and Why They Matter

Research shows bees are profoundly intelligent emotional beings with distinct personalities who can count, use tools, recognize flowers and human faces, and have body awareness.

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