Is your pooch a pessimist?
You can improve your dog’s outlook
While most dogs will view a stranger as a friend they haven’t met yet, the pessimist is more likely to think stranger equals danger.
Is your pet a Debbie Downer?
Some people are born optimists. Glass-half-full individuals are more likely to see challenges as opportunities. They naturally focus their attention on upbeat events more than negative ones (known as attentional bias), and are most likely to remember any occasion in a positive light. Psychological research indicates that, no matter how uncertain the circumstances, optimists are more likely to assume the best in all kinds of ambiguous and unpredictable situations.
Their pessimist counterparts tend to perceive the same ambiguous situations negatively. Not only that, but this negative outlook has also been linked with an increased susceptibility to a range of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, stroke and depression.
Animal researchers are now finding evidence that animals also demonstrate comparable variations in their character. How can you tell if your pet sees the world through rose-tinted glasses or if are they a Debbie Downer? And, could your pet’s perception of the world have implications for their behaviour and welfare?
Owners of pessimistic cats and dogs will be familiar with the behavioural problems that plague these cynical pets. These animals are more likely to perceive strangers as threatening, even if their intentions are good. They are more likely to feel insecure when left alone, as opposed to relishing the peace and quiet and taking the opportunity to nap. And any new situation or object may be viewed skeptically, rather than engaging their curiosity and inciting joy. While an optimistic dog is likely to anticipate a good outcome during these situations, pessimists expect the worst.
Pessimistic dogs are more likely to become stressed and “fight, flight or freeze” when faced with an unpredictable situation. They may bark, when left at home alone, scratch at doors and windows in an attempt to find their owners, growl at strangers, lunge at other dogs, and hide when they feel startled, overwhelmed and unable to cope.
Understanding how this glass-half-empty-or-half-full view of the world affects an animal’s behaviour has strongly shaped how problems in pets are professionally managed. To varying degrees, pessimists can be turned into optimists by tapping into the underlying neurological factors of these traits. If appropriate, your veterinarian may prescribe an anti-anxiety medication that promotes optimism in your pet.
Moreover, it is crucial to teach animals, through repeated, positive experiences, that situations they perceive as treacherous are safe. This is the basis of modern veterinary behavioural medicine. This comprehensive approach to dealing with behavioural problems in cats and dogs means they can be managed more successfully than ever before.
The optimist-pessimist continuum is a vital concept for all pet owners to grasp. Appreciating how individuals perceive the world differently encourages us to be sympathetic to the decisions that our animals make in challenging situations. While we may not agree with our pet’s assessment of a situation, it at least allows us to understand why our pets sometimes behave the way they do.