Human-Animal Bond: Attitudes towards animals

Pet owners typically exhibit one of three orientations toward pets: “dominionistic,” “humanistic,” or “protectionistic.”

The dominionistic have relatively low regard for their pets, valuing them primarily for the uses they provide, such as protection.

Those employing the humanistic orientation elevate their pets to the status of surrogate humans and value their pets primarily for the affective benefits they enjoy from their close attachments.

The protectionistic have high regard for both pets and animals more generally.

(Blouin 2013)

Their orientation may guide their attitude and treatment of their own pets, and animals and general.

For example, when dealing with end of life issues, someone with a doministic orientation will be more readily able to envisage replacing their pet, although they may find the death of their pet difficult.  A huministic owner may delay euthanasia of their pet as they find it so difficult.  A protectionistic owner will try to consider the needs and welfare of their pet over and above their own needs.

While a dominionistic orientation places one at a superior level (boss) to one's pet, the protectionistic orientation will see their pet as equal or even superior;  they are guardians, caretakers and companions to their pets.  The humanistic owner may see their pet as equal or themselves as superior; they are their pet's friends and parents.

Let them eat cake: Blood sugar and emotions

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/15/stick-pins-in-partner-low-blood-sugar-diet-brain

The brain metabolises glucose and cannot store energy so low blood sugar levels can affect your emotional state and your self-control.  Researchers have found that low blood sugar levels increase the amount of aggression between partners and participants on a task.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21064166

The Four I's of Animal Suffering

The four "I‘s" of animal suffering

There are four situations where humans are directly responsible for animal suffering -called the four "Is":

• Ignorance - not knowing what to do or claiming this in defence.

• Inexperience - knowing what to do, but not knowing how to do it.

• Incompetence - knowing what to do and how to do it, but inability to do it.

• Inconsideration - being able to do it, but not caring.

(From Gregory, N (1988). Animal Welfare and Meat Science, CAB 1998, taken from Clive Dalton's blog: http://woolshed1.blogspot.co.uk/2008_11_01_archive.html)

Anthrozoology resources

http://www.humananimalscience.com/ - Podcasts

Perception and perceptual judgements

http://www.psychol.cam.ac.uk/cece/research#section-1

"ecological approaches suggest that perception may depend on contextual factors not previously considered. For example, research shows that hills seem steeper to a person wearing a heavy backpack. Contextual factors influence perception because they are relevant to actions: A hill is harder to climb for an encumbered person, and thus, appears as steeper. We showed that a psychosocial resource, social support, can also affect the visual perception of slants (Schnall, Harber, Stefanucci & Proffitt, 2008). Further, after having consumed glucose people find a hill less steep than after having consumed noncaloric sweetener, presumably because glucose provides energy (Schnall, Zadra & Proffitt, 2010). Thus, whether or not one has resources available changes how one sees the physical world."

Resource Guarding

Links

http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/resource-guarding/

http://www.4pawsu.com/Donaldson.pdf

http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/resource-guarding-treatment-and-prevention