Seeing eye dog?

dbeyat45

dbeyat45

Professional Stirrer
Location
SE Queensland, Australia
.... or goose?

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I hesitate to attach altruistic reasoning to animal behaviour, some that appear to have correlation to how we react actually have a very different motive. Geese are bossy control freaks by nature and it probably views the dog as a chick that it needs to take care of and educate and the dog just needs something to 'anchor' to in what must be a very scary world. It's a lucky dog to have found a surrogate 'mum'.
 

Diwundrin said:
I hesitate to attach altruistic reasoning to animal behaviour, some that appear to have correlation to how we react actually have a very different motive. Geese are bossy control freaks by nature and it probably views the dog as a chick that it needs to take care of and educate and the dog just needs something to 'anchor' to in what must be a very scary world. It's a lucky dog to have found a surrogate 'mum'.
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With all due affection and respect, Di, I suspect that if you ever won the Irish Sweepstakes you'd return the check for fear that it was an attempt to seduce you into joining a government conspiracy.

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You're not wrong.

So you agree with Jilly that the goose took a long moment to assess the situation and decide that to make itself feel good, or buy a ticket to heaven, it would dedicate itself to assisting a different species? Why would it do that? How could that possibly benefit the goose? It gets no discernable reward so that just leaves 2 options.
1. It's a lot more intelligent, virtuous, and introspectively philosophical than science ever suspected.
or
2. It is reacting from an instinctual motivation to protect and defend what it sees as 'family.' Geese do that, it's why people keep them around on farms as 'guard dog' substitutes and proximity alarms.

I'm betting on the latter. It's a lone goose, no flock to bond with, just the dog. Seems a no brainer to this cynical old chick.
 
... and I, perhaps because I'm the self-delusional sort, would vote for the former.

The latter seems to smack far too much of the same sort of psychological poo-poo that is applied willy-nilly to humans.

"*ahem* Yes, women are instinctively caregivers while men are instinctively hunter-gatherers. This is why women need to stay home and produce and nurture children while the men go out and win the bread. This has been proven scientifically, so don't bother arguing."

I'm not trying to anthropomorphize Mother Goose in this situation; I'm actually claiming the opposite - that people are only a small step away from animals in the altruism department. Perhaps it's a universal imperative to act for the good and not to think of oneself constantly. Perhaps that's what the instinctive drive is all about - to care for others. It's just been bastardized over the years by a few aberrant souls who got lucky, hence the new psychobabble that "explains it all".
 
I'm not trying to anthropomorphize Mother Goose in this situation; I'm actually claiming the opposite - that people are only a small step away from animals in the altruism department. Perhaps it's a universal imperative to act for the good and not to think of oneself constantly. Perhaps that's what the instinctive drive is all about - to care for others. It's just been bastardized over the years by a few aberrant souls who got lucky, hence the new psychobabble that "explains it all".
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Isn't that what I said, sort of? We tend to attach high minded altruism to behaviours that are merely an inherited instinct that evolved within a species because that instinct benefited it's continued existence?

...anywayyyy.... :goodnight::eek:fftobed:
 
Watched a show on PBS not long ago about interesting animal matches; a dog and tiger at play, et cetera. One most fascinating was a goat that led a blind horse. They bonded all by themselves without human intervention. The goat would lead the horse to a favorite grazing spot and when the horse died, the goat stopped going there.
 
Diwundrin said:
Isn't that what I said, sort of? We tend to attach high minded altruism to behaviours that are merely an inherited instinct that evolved within a species because that instinct benefited it's continued existence?

...anywayyyy.... :goodnight::eek:fftobed:
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Actually I thought you were saying that it was a purely instinctual, and not behavioral, act. That it was driven by evolution and not compassion.

Good night, sleep tight, don't let the goose-guide bite. sleeping-on-pillow.gif
 
That Guy said:
Watched a show on PBS not long ago about interesting animal matches; a dog and tiger at play, et cetera. One most fascinating was a goat that led a blind horse. They bonded all by themselves without human intervention. The goat would lead the horse to a favorite grazing spot and when the horse died, the goat stopped going there.
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I once lead a dog to my favorite restaurant.

After we split up I never went there again.
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That Guy said:
Watched a show on PBS not long ago about interesting animal matches; a dog and tiger at play, et cetera. One most fascinating was a goat that led a blind horse. They bonded all by themselves without human intervention. The goat would lead the horse to a favorite grazing spot and when the horse died, the goat stopped going there.
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Some of the animals who bond surprise me, but this one doesn't at all. Horses and goats are both herd animals and if someone only has one horse, a goat is the perfect companion. Lots of people have goats with their horses - they just love each other!
 
TICA said:
Some of the animals who bond surprise me, but this one doesn't at all. Horses and goats are both herd animals and if someone only has one horse, a goat is the perfect companion. Lots of people have goats with their horses - they just love each other!
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Makes perfect sense. Thanks for the explanation.
 
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