Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs
There is a well understood definition of language in the field of linguistics, which quite clearly does not apply to anything that dogs are capable of.
Bill Stoddard
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Yes, but who says that language is absolutely necessary for a sense of self?
I had a dog that created her own hard cider by knocking down and burying apples. She would wait until they fermented and then gorge herself until quite drunk. She would recognize herself in the mirror as well. She knew that just because someone has always been allowed inside when owners are present does not mean that they are part of the pack and can enter at any other time.
We must judge based on observed behavior, and if all means cannot tell the difference between an animal having a "human" trait and one that does not, then I think we should assume they do.