Michael Baugh CDBC
What is my dog thinking? The truth is none of us knows. I don’t even know what my fellow humans are thinking most of the time. And seriously, how many times have we all said to ourselves, what was I thinking?
Here’s where it gets tricky. We think we know. Clients tell me all the time that they know what their dogs are thinking. Why? Because we humans hate an incomplete story. We latch onto one or two bits of information, usually a causal observation of what our dog is doing, and we fill in all the gaps. We create the story of what our dog is thinking. And because the story was born of our own incomplete experience and the experience of our own complete thoughts, we perceive it as fact.
Psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky called this natural human process “fast thinking.” It’s how we all quickly piece together information for decision-making. The process naturally helps us stay safe. A fast response to incomplete information (for example, dodging a stinging insect) can save us a lot of pain (or save our life if we are allergic).
Compare this to “slow thinking,” which literally involves our slowing down, assessing all the information we have and that we don’t have, and making a logical conclusion. We do have that ability. The trouble is we don’t always take the time to use it.
Kahneman and Tversky founded the field of behavioral economics. After Tversky’s death, Kahneman won the Nobel Prize in economics. What they discovered was that “fast thinking,” though useful sometimes, often leads us to make mistakes. The answer to the question what was I thinking becomes I don’t know, but it was fast and it was wrong. Here’s a harmless example from my life. Buzzing insect – wasp! – flail hands and run. It was a June bug. “Fast thinking” because of its early roots in survival is almost always hooked to emotion (think: fear, desire, exhilaration).
Fast thinking over time develops biases, conspiracy theories, bad short-term decisions with long-term consequences, and stories about our dogs.
Disreputable trainers take advantage of fast thinking. They help you fill in the gaps by labeling dogs as stubborn or dominant. Doggie conspiracy theories. Fast-thinking brain shores up the narrative with more non-facts. That’s called confirmation bias. It came from our own brain, and a supposed expert echoed it.
We find it so hard to let go of short, simple, fast-thinking explanations. We might even push back when presented with real, verifiable facts. Psychologists call that cognitive dissonance. Welcome to the most advanced brain on the planet.
We aren’t doomed. At least I don’t think so. We can all to slow down, check and recheck our observations, assess facts, look at alternative explanations. When it comes to our dogs, I suggest this. Focus on what your dog is doing more than what you think he is thinking. Disconnect from the story; connect to the present moment with your dog. You are communicating. Your actions (behavior) influence his actions (behavior) and vice versa. People often ask who’s training whom. My answer is that you and your dog are both teaching and learning. Enjoy this moment, this time to set aside troubling thoughts, explore and learn with your dog.
It may not be the story you thought it was. But it is more profound than most prose and as inspiring as any poem.
Michael Baugh teaches dog training in Sedona, AZ. He specializes in aggressive dog training.